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Hobarmn5
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FAILED: Unable to find the system volume, reconfiguration is not possible.

While converting a Server 2003 server to an ESX 3.5 server I received this message after 95% Complete. Error Reconfiguration failed. With a status of: FAILED: Unable to find the system volume, reconfiguration is not possible.

I'm using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.1

Anyone run into to this problem and find a solution?

Attached is the Log file.

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Br1x1
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I'm doing it.

In the afternoon I'll have the result.

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Br1x1
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I've another strange idea....

I could make an  image of the disk with acronis true image and try to import that.

What do you think about?

In 2011 I imported a Unix sco 5 machine into a 4.1 esxi.

I don't remember exactly the procedure I used but I can make a test.

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Br1x1
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Conversion of VM failed.

At the same point 98%, during reconfiguration it fails.

Now, as far as I know, remain only the conversion from tib image.

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continuum
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Trying to convert the existing vmdk to tib and then convert the tib back to vmdk makes no sense.

Your problem is that you have an unusual disk layout - wonder how you managed to set the bootable flag to an extended partition ???

I would fix the partitiontable in the alrewady existing VMDK  - I think the order of the partitions is reversed.

Try this tool - if you do not have anything else that you are comfortable with
http://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html


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

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Br1x1
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Tx very much for suggestions.

Ehem ... isn't my work.

They told me that some years ago mail server crashed.

They bought a pc with a recovery partition for the old OS.....

They installed win 2003 on the partition D without repartitioning the disk.

That's the result.

Yesterday evening I make a ghost clone and I tryed to make some partition changes with acronis disk director but without results.

Today at launch pause I make another clone of the server disk and I can make other tests.
What exactly you suggest to do with partitions?

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continuum
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Do you have a decent Windows 2003 LiveCD ?
If yes - I would like to see this myself via teamviewer


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

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Br1x1
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No I haven't a win 2003 liveCD.

I'll try to making one.

Edit.. Sorry I've some versions of Hiren's Boot cd.

What do you think about?

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Br1x1
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Very good work Continuum.

Conversion completed successfully.

Tank you very much!!!

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continuum
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short summary of what I did:
copy ntldr, boot.ini, ntdetect.com from the boot partition to the large one
edit boot.ini
delete the 15 Gb partition at the start of the disk
convert the extended partition into a primary one
resize the large partition so that it fills the empty space at the beginning
rebuild mbr
set symmpy driver to start 0

run "configure machine" from Converter again


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

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DBee
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Okay, so I've been dealing with this BS for a day or two now.

My particular situation seems to involve this, from vmware-converter-worker-1.log

2013-09-08T16:45:04.953-04:00 [04564 info 'Default'] Disk signature found 1101734678, disk size in sectors 314693632, sector size 512

2013-09-08T16:45:04.953-04:00 [04564 info 'Default'] Partition found type Unknown(222) name:Unknown start:2048 size:112640  primary

2013-09-08T16:45:04.953-04:00 [04564 info 'Default'] Partition found type HPFS/NTFS(7) name:HPFS/NTFS start:114688 size:314572800 active primary

2013-09-08T16:45:04.953-04:00 [04564 info 'Default'] Disk with signature 1101734678, recognized partitions 2

Here's the problem.  The original partition table (and physical disk) has partition 1 starting at the 64th sector (sector 63), not the 2049th sector (sector 2048) and ending at sector 112454 (the 112455th sector), giving an implied size of 112454 - (63 -1) = 112392 sectors.  This is the dell utility partition (type 222=0xDE), and this is the way it came from the factory.

The "cylinder" size implied by the way Dell partitioned the disk is 63 sectors per cylinder (e.g. 112392 = 63 * 1784 [exact]).  However, using fdisk from sysreccd, removing the partitions (without writing and saving) and adding partition 1 back gives a choice for the (default) starting point of the partition as sector 2048, and any earlier sector is disallowed.

One surmises that Converter tried to make the virtual partition table the same way, but then failed to adjust the size and position of the new virtual partitions to reflect the new "implied" cylinder size of 2048 sectors.  E.g., 114688 = 56 x 2048 (exact).  Will look at the underlying data...

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DBee
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I tried converting the system using a pre-allocated disk.  This time, the numbers look right:

2013-09-08T23:40:25.671-04:00 [04948 info 'Default'] Disk signature found 1101734678, disk size in sectors 293121990, sector size 512

2013-09-08T23:40:25.671-04:00 [04948 info 'Default'] Partition found type Unknown(222) name:Unknown start:63 size:112392  primary

2013-09-08T23:40:25.671-04:00 [04948 info 'Default'] Partition found type HPFS/NTFS(7) name:HPFS/NTFS start:112455 size:292977405 active primary

2013-09-08T23:40:25.671-04:00 [04948 info 'Default'] Disk with signature 1101734678, recognized partitions 2

I haven't looked at the data yet (I will), but I imagine it's fine.

So... this leads me to believe that the problem may be the fact that this is an XP system that I added a second physical disk to, and installed Win 7 on it.  When I boot, it goes to the Win 7 boot screen with "Older Windows Installation" and "Windows 7", which presumably means the boot sector points to this bootloader, not the boot.ini on the XP disk, much as described in:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=103750...

"This issue occurs when converting a physical machine that uses Boot Configuration Data or BCD (Windows Vista, 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2). In this case, the physical machine may have some type of system, hidden, or recovery partition that results in inaccurate BCD configuration data after the conversion and causes the virtual machine reconfiguration process to fail."

Going to see if I can find my Dell XP install CD... and do what it says there.

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POCEH
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Probably the problem is your existing boot.ini file, please upload log bundle to see what's happen.

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DBee
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Attached.  Also boot.ini.

Not included here, but earlier I thought the partition(2) might be a problem, so I also tried replacing boot.ini with the attached boot.ini.change, and not including the utility partition in the conversion.  No joy.

To recap:

Dell box, ide disk(0) has dell utility partition, partition 2 bootable to XP Pro.

Added second disk, installed Win 7 Ent on that disk for dual boot.

Bootscreen now goes to BCD, not boot.ini (i.e. choices are now "Older Windows" and "Windows 7")

Booting into XP to run converter on running machine.

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POCEH
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Hmmm dual boot configurations are not supported by Converter.

In your case - try to delete boot.ini and run conversion again.

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DBee
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Okay, that is running now.  So, the idea is that Converter will generate a new boot.ini and MBR to go with it for the VM?

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POCEH
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In case of Win7 the BCD is proper boot configuration that will be modified, in case of WinXP the boot.ini will be modified.

Lets wait you reconfig phase... (yn)

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DBee
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So... the original MBR will be used?  Isn't that what currently points to BCD?

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POCEH
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Yes, the original MBR willl be used, but active Windows is detected and preserved from BCD and registry configuration.

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DBee
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To clarify:

ide disk(0) is 1:dell partition 2:XP
ide disk(1) is 1:Win 7

When the machine boots on its own, it goes into the BCD screen, not the boot.ini screen.  There *are* BCD files in a directory \boot on the XP filesystem, which I presume were installed there by the Win 7 installer, and IIUC, to which the MBR currently points.

I also presume that I want the VM to have an MBR that points to boot.ini.

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DBee
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Welp, we'll see in ~39 min.  Smiley Happy  Thanks for the help, BTW.

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