VMware Cloud Community
PeteHelgren
Contributor
Contributor

Clone direct from disk

I have a Windows NT Workstation box that has gone casters up and I'd like to revive it as a virtualized box. I downloaded VMWare Server and the converter tool but I can't determine how to take an existing disk and clone it using converter. My plan is to temporarily stuff the hard drive from the Windows NT box into my server and then create a VM from it but I can't find anything about doing it that way e.g. Direct from disk.

It looks like the cold clone route is the way to go but since there isn't any PC to boot to the CD with, I am not sure how to proceed. Every instruction seems to require an "image". Can I treat the entire hard drive as an "image" and proceed? I am sure this must be a common occurance. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks

Reply
0 Kudos
4 Replies
asatoran
Immortal
Immortal

You can cold or hot clone. Normally you cold clone because you want to P2V the C: drive, but don't want to install Converter. In your case, you choose the source as the "local physical machine", but only specify the second hard drive, instead of the C: drive (or whatever your boot drive is.) Since it's the "local physical machine", that is why you do not need an image file. And since you're not converting the currently running Windows, that's why hot clone could also work.

Reply
0 Kudos
continuum
Immortal
Immortal

peter

create a new VM in VMserver and add the existing harddiskyou have as physical disk.

Let the new VM wizard create the vmdk for the physical disk.

Use the commandline vmware-vdiskmanager and convert the new vmdk (the reference to the physical disk) into a regular vmdk.

Then swap disks in the new VM and run converter "configure existing VM" against that VM

___________________________________

description of vmx-parameters:

VMware-liveCD:


________________________________________________
Do you need support with a VMFS recovery problem ? - send a message via skype "sanbarrow"
I do not support Workstation 16 at this time ...

Reply
0 Kudos
PeteHelgren
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks. I'll have to take a dry run at this because I am not quite sure of the exact steps you and asatoran suggest. It seems that what I want to do is possible, the issue is the details.

I create the VM (easy) and then you said that I "add the existing harddisk you have as physical disk." Do you mean as a physical disk to the Host server or did you mean a physical disk to the VM (which I am not sure about). Then I am supposed to let the wizard create a vmdk for the physical disk. In this case, the physical disk is partioned into two logical drives. Will VMWare recognize this? (I doubt it). So, as asatoran suggests, I will just chose the "This local machine" in converter and select the physical drive to build the VM from.

It sounds like it is fairly easy. I'll give it a try and then get back to you.

Thanks to you and asatoran for the help.

Reply
0 Kudos
PeteHelgren
Contributor
Contributor

I went ahead and used the remote option and after a little head banging in understanding the instructions, got the old imaged cloned (I think).

Thanks again

Reply
0 Kudos