Converter Standalone 4.3.0 Issue - Get "the specified parameter was not correct" & no source volumes listed

[dondraper]

Sorry - hopefully an admin can move this to the correct forum. I could find no community forum labeled Converter so no clue where to post this message.

My first time to attempt to use Converter. Using the latest version of Converter 4.3.0 to try a P2V using the source machine. This is a Dell D820 business laptop running Windows 7 Ultimate x64. I am choosing source machine and all defaults. Destination product is VMware Workstation 7.x and target files are either local or to a USB drive (tried both). At the last step I get a yellow bar with the error "the specified parameter was not correct '' " but the following quotes are empty and presume suppose to say the parameter name. Only thing I see that is suspicious is that if I click Edit in the "Data to Copy" section, the list of volumes and empty and assume it should not be. The sample video for tips on using Converter on the VMware support sites show a volume listed here. I tried the same approach on a completely different system running Vista SP2 and still the no volumes appear so perhaps this normal?

Any idea what I am doing wrong? I did export the logs and look and it does appear no volume information was captured (lots of <unsets>) but again, just guessing. Any advice would be greadly appreciated.

Thanks,

Don

[robertwbrandt]

I was having the same exact problems, until I logged in as the LOCAL administrator

Not a Domain Administrator

Not a Domain Admin

Not a Local user in the Administrators group

It has to be the LOCALMACHINE\administrator user!

I am unsure whether this is a Windows or VMware problem, but regardless ... Weak!

Bob

[ferhatkt]

Did you try cold cloning?

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/docs/vmwdocs/coldcloning.pdf

[twoodvm]

The issue is in the local security policy.

Under 2008 Admin Approval Mode was disabled by default, but under 2008 R2 Admin Approval mode is enabled by default for all admins except the built in.

This is defined in the following location

Local Security Policy:Local Policies: User Rights Assignment

The two policies of interest are:

User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account: Disabled

User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode: Enabled

With the above settings Converter should work remotely using the local Built-in Administrator account, or it will work locally if you us the "Run As Administrator" option.

If you change the second setting to "Disabled" and reboot, then converter should work remotely or locally using any Administrator account.

[finndo]

Having the same issue, but even more retarded, the converter server is running in a VMware VM on workstation 7.x the machine I am trying to convert is a laptop, both have Win7 x64 ult installed.  there are no drives listed in the source details when run this way.  BUT if I install the full VMware converter on the laptop and run on the local machine instead of remote, it finds the drives without issue.

It is working fine (did not have to do run as admin either) when run from the local machine and copying to the remote server storage location, but will not run from the remote location as it cannot find any HDDs.

sounds like a VMware issue they need to work on, especially since it has been going on for years, at least according to a google search that shows it happened before win7 even launched...

[krismcewan]

thats no use if you P2V a DC which has no local admin

[krismcewan]

i tried about 4 different versions, injected all the drivers,

still wouldnt identify the network card.

never got as far as seeing if it could see the disk

[twoodvm]

Have you tried installing converter locally on the DC?

Though usually its not adviseable to P2V a DC, rather rebuild.  Or do a cold conversion where you won't encounter this issue.

[krismcewan]

yep tried every permutation.

I know not to P2V a Dc but the customer wont rebuild it as he doesnt have the skills.  I do but unwilling to as its not within scope of work and its unknown exactly whats all on the DC.

cold clone couldnt get the nics setup.  burned through 4 disks trying different drivers.

makes it worse is that there is a shit load of dependancies on this server so when its down the support phoen rings off the hook.

server is only 6 months old and i have a sneeky feeling its to do with the EFI partition..

[twoodvm]

Do you have a generic intel NIC available, something the P2V CD already has drivers for? You could install that into the server for the purpose of the P2V.

[krismcewan]

nope nothins available

i had 2 quad intel 1000 cards delivered to turn the server into an ESX host and used those drivers, still doesnt pick them up.

it has me tearing my hair out.

[twoodvm]

Do you have acronis or ghost that you could use to image the server?

[krismcewan]

used acronis backup server for windows this morning and converter doesnt recognise the image.  i only have a trial and it doesnt have a universal restore option

trying advanced server now,

tried using ghost last night but the version i have didnt boot.

[krismcewan]

just to let you know ACRONIS advanced backup doesnt work. Converter doesnt recognise the file

i am now tryign acronis home but im not holing much hope for that since its a server

[krismcewan]

Acronis True Image 10 or 11 wont install on a server.

so im back at Square 1.

[majorpay]

Not to kill your hopes and dash your dreams here, but the converter sucks.  Seriously.  At one point (about 4 to 5 years ago), it was an awesome tool that you just ran on a machine and it made a perfect replica (or maybe it was because I was doing it to a Win XP machine?), but at this point, it is positively hopeless and completely useless.  This complaint has been long standing and I guess it hasn't changed.  I love VMWare products, but this one is a dud.

Abandon all hope!

[AlexTheGreat]

When running  VCenter Converter, using the local Administrator account detected the HD just fine for a Win 2008 migration.

Thanks for this info!