VMware Vcenter Converter Standalone issue - Windows 2003 not booting.

[joemailey]

I've converted a Windows 2003 machine to ESX 4, Windows 2003 was running on dell optiplex 765. No errors during the conversion and it completed fine.

When I try to boot the VM it doesn't boot and doesn't log any error messages either.

It just sits at a black screen with 1 dash on it -

I've converted 3 times now and still no success, I'm running out of ideas.

Any idea why it won't boot?

[AlexNG_]

Hi,

I think that win is unnable to acces the boot disk. Have you tried to boot the VM from a windows install CD/ISO? If not, you can do that and try to recover the system trhough the recovery console(RC). With that RC you can fix boot.ini, reread partition tables and so on....

Alex

[joemailey]

What do I do when I'm in the RC?

[AlexNG_]

Hi Joemailey

basically you can run some commands that will fix the boot... like fixboot fixmbr...

Take a look at this:

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Windows-Recovery-Console-from-XP-CD

or better:

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Windows-Recovery-Console-from-XP-CD

Alex.

[joemailey]

I have run both fixboot and fixmbr none of which have fixed the issue.

I have also tried chkdsk which didn't work either.

there is no disk in drive or file sysmtem not supported.

[AlexNG_]

if you type the command "help" it will show you what can be done.

One of that commands shows the disks and partition tables, I think it's diskpart or something similar... Are partitions ok?

Alex.

[joemailey]

Partition looks fine. Still no boot up.

[AlexNG_]

Dooh...

Partitions ok, but still no boot.. So maybe its related to SCSI driver, that win cannot load....

As a last chance, what i would do if I where you is install the VMware SCSI Driver on the phy machine, and try again with converter.... If that still does not work... you could try other P2V methods...

Or maybe someone can give you a hint about what and were to look...

Alex.