Clone Virtual Machine Question

[digitlman77]

When you clone a vm using the vSphere 4.1 client, and it comes to the guest os customization, and it says "Windows customization resources were not found on the server.", what is it referring to? The vCenter server, the local PC, or the VM I am cloning?

Using the standalone converter, I know about putting the correct sysprep files in user folder, but I don't see how that comes into play here.

[Troy_Clavell · Accepted solution]

When you clone a vm using the vSphere 4.1 client, and it comes to the guest os customization, and it says "Windows customization resources were not found on the server.", what is it referring to? The vCenter server, the local PC, or the VM I am cloning?

The vCenter Host OS. You must place the sysprep files in the proper location.

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1005593

[digitlman77]

The vCenter server is running 2008 R2. The target system is 2003 server.

So, on the 2008 R2 server I put them in C:\Users\All Users\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter\sysprep\svr2003.

I still cannot change the settings. Do I need to restart vcenter after I do this?

[Troy_Clavell]

once the proper sysprep files are in the proper location on the vCenter Server, you should be able to use the customization wizard, without restarting anything.

[edwardob]

On top of the OS specific sysprep files you must also download the "sysprep.exe' file and load those files into the sysprep folder on the vc host.

So it is a multi part process.

Load the sysprep files into the sysprep folder.

Then you get the individual OS specific files and put them into their own folder as well.

The location you have is correct, you are just missing the "sysprep.exe" files. This is a self extracting file.

It sounds duplicated, but that is how MS has it set up.