Install Errors with VMware Tools Following Successful P2V with Converter

[Shepcon]

I have just performed a P2V conversion using vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1 with a legacy Dell PowerEdge R2950 running Windows Server 2003 R2 with SP2.  The conversion completed 100% successfully and I'm able to boot the converted VM on my ESXI 6.7 U1 host.  However, I'm unable to install the VMware Tools to the VM to complete the driver setup for the NIC.  I'm running the latest build of VMware Tools of 10338.  I'm getting the following pop-up error in vCenter when I attempt to install VMware Tools:

"The required VMware Tools ISO image does not exist or is inaccessible."

I presume the issue is due to running such an old version of Windows Server 2003 on the converted VM.  Is there a way to manually install this version of VMware tools or possibly an older version of VMware tools so that I can get the NIC drivers to complete?  The original server is using a motherboard NIC by Broadcom. 

Thanks for any input.

Ken

[dbalcaraz]

If it's a W2k3 it should work no matter the version or edition.

Aren't you able to mount the VMware tools?

If not, the usual ways I think that they use VMware tools.

A thing you can do is, to create a new vmdk, attach it to another server, put the VMware tools package there, then attach it to your server.

And try to install it from that hd.

This, it should work.

[Shepcon]

I am able to mount the VMware tools ISO to the Windows 2003 VM.  However, when I attempt to install VMware tools manually by browsing the CD and going to D:\Setup.exe, I am getting "D:\Setup.exe is not a valid Win32 application."  The VM is a 32bit version of Windows Server 2003 R2.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Ken

[bluefirestorm · Accepted solution]

Windows 2003 VMs cannot use the 10.1.x and above VMware Tools.

https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2016/10/introducing-vmware-tools-10-1-10-0-12.html

The last version that you can use for WIndows 2003 is version 10.0.12 (10252).

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?downloadGroup=VMTOOLS10012&productId=491

Use the WinPreVista.iso.

[admin]

I tested it and it still does not work

[Shepcon]

I was able to resolve the issue by installing VMware Tools 10.0.12.

  Thanks for the help.

Ken

[gemppit]

Did you convert (P2V) Windows 2003 R2 physical directly to Vsphere 6.7U1 using vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1? Any issues other than vmtools install version?