P2V Conversion for Windows 3.1 Box

[jmchristopher]

I have a customer who would like us to P2V his Windows 3.1 box because of some old, *but still usefull*:smileylaugh:, applications which he is running on there.  I looked at the specifications for the vCenter Converter, and Windows 3.1 isn't a supported OS for this, although VMware does support Windows 3.1.  How can I go about converting this machine to a VM?

Thanks!

[vmroyale]

Hello.

Note: This discussion was moved from the VMware Workstation community to the Converter community.

Wow, and I complain about having to P2V Windows 2000 boxes!

Good Luck!

[continuum]

Damn - while you moved it I  posted a very long answer to it and lost it ... grrrr...

[vmroyale]

My apollogies Ulli.  I figured that you would be the one to respond to this though.

[continuum · Accepted solution]

Wow - someone still using Win3.1 in production ? - cool

I volunteer to help remotely if necessary

Anyway - here is the procedure ...
Forget Converter - it will not help.

Plan A: requires a Ghost or Acronis LiveCD

boot Win 3.1 machine into the LiveCD and create a full disk image and store it in network
next create a new VM with a IDE disk slightly larger than the original
boot new VM into Ghost or Acronis LiveCD and restore image via network

on next boot make sure the disk boots from disk and cross your fingers

Plan B: requires a Knoppix LiveCD or a BartPE LiveCD or similar

boot Win 3.1 machine into the LiveCD and create a zip-archive of the contents of the bootdrive and store it in network
next create a new VM with a IDE disk slightly larger than the original
boot new VM into a DOS floppy-image
run fdisk to partition the drive - reboot
run format C: and sys C: to make the drive bootable
next boot into LiveCD and unzip the archive you created before - copy the archive from network

on next boot make sure the disk boots from disk and cross your fingers

Plan C: remove the harddisk and attach it inside an USB-enclosure to a machine that runs VMware Workstation or VMplayer 3

this is the way with the best chances but it requires a few steps ...
I explain when you decide to try this road

[continuum]

Brian Atkinson wrote:

My apollogies Ulli.  I figured that you would be the one to respond to this though.

Don't worry - just a bad timing
I also forgot to copy my post to file first - so it is my fault that it was lost

Ulli

[jmchristopher]

Thanks!!  I was supsecting something like that, but I wasn't sure what the details were.  I am going to try plan A, and I think I'll be off and running!

Thanks for your help...

[colavoce07]

Hi, if you don't mind, could you elaborate on the steps for plan c?

[continuum]

yep

I assume you have already removed the disk from the original machine

• get an external USB enclosure that accepts IDE-disks
• plugin that USB-device to a current host running VMware-workstation or VMplayer
• create a new VM and assign a physical device instead of a regular vmdk
• select the USB-device here
• name the new vmdk "import.vmdk"
• do not power on the VM yet
• open a cmd and go to the WS-install directory
• run vmware-vdiskmanager.exe -r "full path to\import.vmdk" -t 0 "full path to\new.vmdk"

when this is done you can then use the "new.vmdk" for the new VM and no longer need to have the USB-enclosure attached.

[colavoce07]

thank you so much for your prompt reply. Will these commands be available from vmware fusion somehow?

[continuum]

Hmm - I do not know for sure ???

are you trying to P2V Windows 3.1 ?

[colavoce07]

yes i am. I am repairing a friends computer. It run's on a dying artifact of a pc, and he only needs one application off of the drive. For the sake of ensuring i have a backup plan, i want to p2v the entire drive. I am not sure the best way to do this as the pc does not have network connectivity, but it does have an ethernet port. I just got an enclosure, and will try connecting it directly to my mac. I have a winxp sp3 vm, a working but barebones win 3.11 vm (unrelated), and a win7 vm. I thought i might try making an image first, and then testing to see if I might be able to copy the app to any of those vm's and have it work via compatibility mode somehow. It probably won't work that way though, which is why I would love to hear how i can just p2v the machine a more direct way. i am definitely looking forward to trying it. Thanks very much for your prompt response again, I really appreciate it.

[colavoce07]

quick update, the enclosure works flawlessly. so i have access to the complete drive...

[continuum]

let me know if the suggested procedure does not work with Fusion

we could easily work around it with different procedures but the suggested one is by far the easiest one so try it first

[nonowahyudi]

I want to ask you about clone windows 3.11 to VMWare. I have a windows backup 3.11 folder and i want to run it on VMWare. How do i go about it ?.
Thank You