Creating a pre-allocated VM image fails with file I/O error?!?

[mmoser]

I am trying to virtualize my old XP system so that I can run it as a VM-guest on my new Windows 7 system (using VMware Player 3.0.0).

To do so I downloaded the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone v4.0.1. In a first attempt I created a not-preallocated image of my physical system. The VM creation as such worked ok, but when I later tried to run that so created image this was so ridiculously slow (just booting that VM to the login-prompt took 20+ minutes! That's about a factor of at least 50 slower than the original system (running on the very same HW!)) that I scrapped that immediately.

A friend suggested I might give it another try using a pre-allocated image, since that should speed up all disk operations in the VM considerably.

But whenever I start the conversion task to virtualize my old physical system using the pre-allocated option, always after a few seconds I am getting the message:

FAILED: A file I/O error occurred while accessing 'D:\oldXPsystem\oldXPsystem.vmdk.'

I tried that task now with two different hard disks (one SATA HD, which is the actual target destination where I later want to store the new VM, the other a big external USB HD). But with boths disks I got these strange file I/O errors. Needless to say, that both drives can be accessed (i.e. both read and written!) without the slightest problem and they are also big enough to hold the VM image to-be-generated. So what could be the reason for these odd file I/O errors? Why does converted fail to work properly when using the pre-allocated mode?

Michael

[continuum]

try to convert format with vmware-vdiskmanager - comes with Workstation or VMserver.

Then you do not need to import again




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[mmoser]

Alas, I already deleted the non-preallocated image version for space reasons. Since my HD doesn't have enough space to hold TWO images of my old system (plus the new system), in preparation of the creation of the pre-allocated image I deleted the first image. I guess this would also prevent me from converting it, since that would also require enough space for TWO images, wouldn't it?

I guess there is no chance to attack the original problem, i.e. why this thing always returns only file I/O errors when trying to create an image in pre-allocated mode? Are there maybe older versions of the converter that didn't exhibt that bug? What version would you suggest?

Regards,

Michael

[continuum]

you are not using FAT32 filesystem ?

Which version of Converter I suggest ?

You need three:

one Coldclone CD - preferably not the one from VMware but either LiveXP or MOA

one Converter 3.0.3

one Converter 4.0.1 or whatever the latest version is.

For Win2000, XP and 2k3 I try 3.0.3 first.

For Vista and higher or Linux I try 4.0.1 first.

Personally I always try Coldclone first

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VMX-parameters- VMware-liveCD - VM-Sickbay

[mmoser]

No - I am using NTFS.

And I was using Converter 4.0.1 - but that's the version that always fails with this stupid file-I/O error.

I'll see whether I can get hold of that "Coldclone CD" that you mention. Is that also a VMware product or by some other vendor?

Cheers,

Michael

[continuum]

VMware makes a ready-to-use-CD and I make a do-it-yourself-kit to create one yourself.

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