Vmware Converter 5.5 - Windows 2008 R2 System Reserve Partition

A couple of things...

System Reserved Partition can sometimes affect the conversion, and cause it to fail, so exclude it from the conversion.

Also, sometimes, re-trying the conversion, but not changing any of the parameters also works, e.g. do not apply any re-configuration, e.g. install VMware Tools, change partition sizes, or convert disk from thick to thin.

Thanks I will try to omit the reserve partition... but don't I need to add this back for Windows to work properly

check if the Conversion completes, by not selecting it ?

what conversion error are you getting ?

fails with unable to find system volume... How can you add the other volume if you removed it from the orginal conversion?

is this at the start  of conversion.

It always fails at the very end... Right now I am running the conversion again but unselecting the system reserve partition

I will let you know how this works out. If it does how can I go back and add the volumne I orginally excluded

Okay, System Reconfiguration, can fail, because it does not find the C: drive, because the System Reserved Partition gets in the conversion confused.

Do you mean re-create the system reserved partition ?

Ok my conversion finished and failed with the system reserve partition not select...

"unable to find system volume. Reconfiguration is not possible..."

What re-configuration have you specified ?

did you just select defaults with no re-configuration ?

did it leave the VM, or delete it ?

otherwise log file time...

as I've written in this Article, I'll quote from

Whether you are a VMware vSphere Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced or Expert, Physical to Virtual conversions sometimes are not easy, and many issues can arise, a successful conversion requires 50% technical knowledge, 25% patience and  25% luck to get a successful conversion. Sometimes it is not as simple, as install VMware vCenter Converter Standalone, and click next to obtain a successful conversion.

HOW TO: FAQ VMware P2V Troubleshooting

wait I believe I select thin provision ... let me try it again...

Just select Defaults, e.g. next next next next....

ok I accepted all default and the job failed with a different error..

unable to create "\\.\vstor2-mntapi20..........\$Reconfig$

is this a network conversion ?

or VMware Converter, installed on the server to be converted.

is this at 98%

32bit or 64 bit OS ?

No /3GB switch in the boot.ini

The all VM files from the powered off VM where copied to a 2TB hard drive which converter is pulling the image from.

The offline VM was a Windows 2008 R2 VM. I did this same process with a Linux VM and it worked perfectly

I mounted the copied VMDK file to another VM and attached it as a second HD. The VM is running WIndows 7 and I see it under Disk Management ... but the C:\ systems partition is listed as RAW and not NTFS

I just had a thought could AV be cause a problem with the conversion or file uploads?

I just do not understand why the linux convert worked perfectly and the Window OS ones are failing

I'm afraid welcome to my world of P2V, this is why we actually stopped using the free thing from VMware many years ago, because it is hit and miss.

The recommended and best method to do a P2V/V2V is to install VMware Converter on the server to be converted.

Have you tried this ?

No becauase I cannot power or connect it to the network ...

If I cannot use converter what are my other options? What do not cost extra $$$

The part the bothers me it that when I uploaded the VMDK file directly to a datastore and mounted it to another VM I could see the system reserver partition yet the c:\ drive was listed as RAW.

I did power on the source VM with out network access. It stay at apply config changes ..do not reboot screen for a while... Then I was able to log in..

Bad file copy???? But this is my three time copying files will the same result

Okay, hang on lets rewind......

What is the source of the VM ?

e.g. what have you got and from where?

is it a VM, which can be powered on under ESXi ?

The purpose of this is to downgrade the hardware version from 10 to 7. We are using a know good powered off VM to see how long it will take use to download the all VM files then use converter to convert them since we have a small window period.

I did power on the VM without network access and it worked fine. ON first boot I got the do not shutdown computer message and looks like update we installed before it was shutdown but was able to login. The server is not using dynamic disk.

Orginal VM files were downloaded using the VIC client. We downloaded the VMX, VMDK etc... All files to a external hard drive. We then connected the hard drive to another workstation and pointer converter to the VMX file. Selected hardware version 7 and off the conversion when and failed...

After 25 conversion attempts using every combination possible, all have failed. I need to use convert to downgrade the hardware version from 10 to 7 or 8. How can I do this if convert will not work.

If all you want to do, is change the hardware version from 10 to 7 or 8.

Edit the VMX file, and change the number 10 to 7 or 8.

usually on line 3.

virtualHW.version = “10”

This assumes, you are NOT using a 10 features.

Never thought about that...  How can I tell if VMX-10 features are being used?

I even though about creating a blank VM with out a VMDK and attach the old VMDK

If you let me know, what you want to downgrade virtual machine version

10 to vm version 7 ?

10 to vm version 8 ?

and I can tell you, as my brain is full of this useless stuff!!!

I even though about creating a blank VM with out a VMDK and attach the old VMDK

That will also work.

Since we have ESXi 5.1 and the VM is coming from ESXi 5.5 we would have to downgrade to version 8 as the highest level

ESXi 5.0 supports 8
ESXi 5.1 supports 9
ESXi 5.5 supports 10
ESXi 6.0 supports 11

so 8 or 9 ?

the differences between 10 and 8/9 is:-

number of logical processors, from 64 (10) to 64 (9), 32 (8)
number of cores  from 64 (10) to 64 (9), 32 (8)
SATA controllers are only available in 10.
Maximum Video Memory in 10 and 9 is 512MB, 128MB in 8.
Nested Hypervisor support available in 10 only.
vPMC support in 10 and 9 only.
> 2TB disks

So, unless you are using 64 vCPU or Cores, SATA controllers, 512MV video RAM, Nested Hypervisor enabled, vPMC and 2TB disk or larger...

you'll be fine downgrading to 8.

VM is using none of this... Still part of me would love to know  a know good VM fail with convert at 98% will the "unable to create "\\.\vstor2-mntapi20..........\$Reconfig$" ... I like to konw why things break... :-)