Converting XP Box issue: Unable to find System Volume

[internethandle]

Hi there, I've found a number of previous threads on this forum regarding this issue, but none of the solutions presented have helped me. I'm trying to convert a Windows XP box and it's failing around 95% with the error "Unable to find the system volume, reconfiguration is not possible."

I've included the .vmx file for the VM, the boot.ini on the physical machine, a screen shot of the disk partitions from booting to a gparted disk, the diagnostic logs from the conversion, and a screen shot of where the VM gets when booting.

I have already tried deleting the fat16 partition using gparted and then editing the boot.ini to point to partition 1 then reconfiguring using the converter which resulted in the same error. Oh, and I'm using Converter Standalone 5.0.1 builld-875114.

I'm at quite a loss right now and I need to get this done as soon as possible, any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!

[POCEH]

Are you try to change the disk controller? Try to change to BusLogic and convert again. HTH

[internethandle]

The disk controller is IDE. As far as I understand BusLogic and LSI are only for SCSI controllers, right?

[POCEH]

Correct! Change the VM's disk controller to SCSI. HTH

[internethandle]

From what I can see, this kb is the procedure to change a disk controller from IDE to SCSI. Yet we are running ESXi 5.0, and apparently you are unable to SSH to ESXi. Is there another work around available?

[patanassov]

Another way is to redo the conversion, and change the controller in the wizard (options page -> devices -> other -> disk controller).

[internethandle]

Awesome! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try converting again and let you know if it worked.

[internethandle]

I tried the conversion again with the recovery partitioned deselected, and the disk controller set to SCSI BusLogic. It failed conversion again, so I checked the boot.ini using GParted, it was set to multi(0) which I changed to scsi(0) and attempted to reconfigure, it failed again.

I've included the gparted disk configuration, a screen shot of the boot.ini viewed through vi in GParted, the vmx for the VM, and the converter logs.

[continuum]

See this post
http://communities.vmware.com/thread/434953?tstart=0
boot from the floppy-image attached in that post - that should have a boot.ini that fits your case.
If that can make you boot - you can adjust your boot.ini

This one is fine for a VM with one scsi-disk using the first scsi-controller

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="2k3 hd0 part 1" /noexecute=optout /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="2k3 hd0 part 2" /noexecute=optout /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="2k3 hd0 part 3" /noexecute=optout /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="2k3 hd0 part 4" /noexecute=optout /sos