Unknown error returned by VMware Converter Agent

[hamed_m80]

Hi everyone;

I'm having a problem with the new VMware Converter (3.0.0.39557) as I did have the same problem with the previous versions. I manage to setup the software successfully on the machine which i'd like to migrate into my virtual infrastructure and in the "Import Machine" wizard I also can successfully detect and connect to my Virtual Center or any of my ESX servers as the destination. But in either case, after the wizard finishes and the task starts, it will stop on 97% progress and show the following error: "Unknown error returned by VMware Converter Agent".

My source machine is a Compaq server with Windows 2003 enterprise OS and I have checked this with couple of other servers, and have had the same problem.

I have monitored the process through Virtual Infrastructure Client and noticed that the VM is created and after completion, it is destroyed. I also have tried the solution on http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=565746 but didn't help me.

Has anyone else experienced the same problem, and is there any solution to it?

Thanks

[vmrulz]

I opened SR 370130 with VMware to add fuel to fire.. I opened it as a minor severity so hopefully they will get back to me this century..

[erachner]

An update --

At least in my own case, the problem appears to be caused by bad clusters on my hard disk. One of the bad clusters on my disk is at the specific location reported in Converter's agent log ("Error 23 reading 20480 bytes starting from 3153686528 from the source volume").

I was able to determine this by using Event Viewer to check the results of chkdsk/autochk in my system's Application log. It's listed under "WinLogon".

\- Eric

[erachner]

Yeehaw --

My problem is solved. The issue was, as suspected, bad clusters on the system hard drive. Although Windows' built-in chkdisk/autochk utilities were no use, I was able to get the disk sorted out by running Spinrite.

Following that, the conversion went successfully on the first shot.

\- Eric

[VMRoger]

Hi eric, you problem was resolved but what operating system have ??? and the disk utility from operating system (scandisk or chkdsk) not work ??? or chkdsk detect this error but don't was solved??? you know other disk application to repair error disk ??? Because the licensing of Spinrite are 90 $...

Thanks

[bretti]

What does Spinrite do? I've never heard of that program before... Sounds like Chkdsk on steroids? What does it do more than Chkdsk.

[Ramon]

... i'm almost hesitant to mention this, however i was suffering the same problem, and how i fixed it was to remove the RO flag on boot.ini file of the disk i was converting, re save the file, and then the problem went away?? it was late, and i can't apply any logic to why this would fix the problem, suffice to say it got me over the hump.

\-- ramon

[hnguyenxs]

Hi Everyone,

Got the same problem on 2 W2K SP4 machines. This is how I finally successfully convert both machines:

1/ Make sure that you physically log on the machine, not remote TS in.

2/ Uninstall the Converter, then reinstall it.

3/ Run chkdsk /f

4/ Reboot the machine.

5/ Login physically.

6/ Run Converter.

So far it works on both failed machines.

HN

[nofuss]

unfortunately this did not work for me.

[hamed_m80]

Here is a related thread for those having trouble with dynamic disks;

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=584189򎧽[/u]

VMWare has confirmed the problem a bug (bug ID 148447)

[Pilbeam]

Hi,

I was imaging a Dell PowerEdge server and found the same issue here.

The resolution was [/b]not[b][/b] to include the recovery partion when selecting the disks to image.

S

[aleph0]

Hi all,

I'm facing a problem with convert physical HP BL35p with NO SCSI disc on board.

I'm able to convert these servers with VMware Converter 3.0 but when I try to power on virtual machine it do not want to.

so I've solved in this way:

\- add a new virtual disc on the machine

\- boot the machine from a live CD OS (bartPe)

\- recreate the partition as primary on the newly added virtual disc

\- clone the exixting logical partitions to the newly created primary.

\- with diskpart set as active the right partition end then do a fixmbr on that disk

\- reboot and disconnect live CD.

Now all works fine

cheers

mf

[aleph0]

Find out another procedure using Acronis:

\- convert the physical machine to virtual

\- boot with Acronis Disc iso image

\- convert the logical partitions on Dynamic disk to Primary partition with Acronis

\- set active

\- reboot disconnecting Acronis

all work fine

cheers

hth

mf

[PhilLein]

I'll add one more twist to this. I am getting the same; Unknown Error in VMWare Converter Agent problem when I try to convert to any of my new blades. HOWEVER, I have an HP 760 that I CAN do the conversion to of the same machine with no problems.

Go figure....

[mccreeryjl]

I have had two conversions resolved by this process now: "I uninstalled the agent, rebooted, reinstalled the agent and rebooted again. I opened the Converter software and deleted the previous Import Machine task and created a new task."

The installer doesn't seem to work correctly on the first try, but does okay on the second try!?

[PhilLein]

OK, I found the log file for the convert in %windir%\temp\ . The problem was DNS. The blade I was trying to push to was not registered in DNS but the other server was. So I solved MY problem... Hopefully this will help others.

[FritzFreund]

Ok, I am having kind of the same issue. But, I think it is not a specific error. This error seems to be a catch all. I did find this error in the system logs of the server I am trying to hot convert.

The WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service service depends on the DHCP Client service which failed to start because of the following error:

The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

I have not yet tryed to enable DHCP because it is a live server. When I can get on the system at night I will give it a try and let you all know.

[fentos1]

My 2 cents worth!

I had this problem last night - 97% failed - Error 2 reading 65536 bytes starting from 20565532672 from the source volume.

I didn't feel it was a disk error as the machine been imported is a VM - checked the event log and noticed event id 24 - There was insufficient disk space on volume C: to persist the shadow copy of volume C:. Diff area file growth failed.

So free space will do this also.

Disk was 20gb - 1.83 free - but I was also trying to extend volume to 25gb in conversion - I've kicked it off again with maintaining disk size to see if it was the growth of disk that upset the shadow copy.

[fentos1]

running converter again without resizing the disk worked for me.

[Laura_Genetti]

I had the same problem as fentos1 (error 2 ......) and solved by freeing up some space in the drive. Thanks fentos1!

[cranky]

OK, I had "Unknown error returned by VMware Converter Agent" come up as Converter attempted to take a Snapshot of the first volume. Only error in the log was "vim.fault.NotFound". Firewall was already opened, file permissions liberalized, and antivirus disabled. I went into Services and turned on Volume Shadow Copy, Remote Registry, Distributed Link Tracking, and others I had turned off for performance reasons. Now my conversion is going smoothly. Hope this helps someone.