CarltonR's Posts

I assume that the Foxit Reader app still works in the Win 10 clone, all but without your customized configurations.   Assuming this is the case, then would suggest that the issue may well reside with the Foxit Reader application, in that it is seeing the cloned instance as a new install, and as such is 'resetting/cleaning up' and removing any customized configuration.   As I'm sure your aware there are certain Foxit Reader licencing restrictions, i.e. 'up to 3 personal devices' per key, and therefore what you are seeing may be tied up with the way in which this is managed.

The only thing I would add was that the time I tried, admittedly some time ago, to perform a P2V using the Standalone Converter on a Win XP Pro physical box, it failed to do so.  I was able to install it, but it failed to complete, error massage, et al.  Now, it might have been down to the setup.  Ended up having to create a new VM, fortunately I had the necessary software and licencing keys.   However, if you read the 'VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1 Release Notes' Win XP is not on the lists.   Post Note: Can't quite remember the exact Converter version I used, possibly 6.0.0 or 6.1.0.

@jziobro with regards your earlier comment to @kasper that you are "not installing Windows 11, I am upgrading machines to Windows 11, so all those clever little registry hacks for installing Windows 11 simply don't work for me either." I have tested upgrading Win 10 VM's to Win 11 using the .vmx managedvm.autoAddVTPM = "software" entry without any issues.  This was against two separate Win 10 VM builds, namely 1909 (Nov 2019) and 20H2 (Oct 2020) using the released version of Win 11 (not an insider build) unpacked iso. [The only thing I did encounter, and unrelated to the TPM, was that my processor 'model' did not met with the Win 11 prerequisites, so for this I had to add a line to the registry to overcome it]

I see . . . when you checked the VM's Windows 'Device Manager' are you saying that there is no 'Security devices' entry in the list.   Also check the vmx file for these two entries encryption.keySafe = "vmware:key/list/(pair/(phrase/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" encryption.data = "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"   As an aside, I assume that it is an TPM 2.0 module that is fitted, and that the VM was not encrypted.

jziobro . . . I'm not sure what you mean when you say "it did not work", what didn't work, was it the result of the .vmx file change or "updating the machine", whatever that means ! If you are referring to the former, it is important to note a few of things, firstly, it requires VMware v16.2.0, secondly, it will only work on an unencrypted VM, and lastly, that you have to close the tab within the VMware app for it to be actioned, so: create a new or using an existing unencrypted VM if open, close the VM tab from within the VMware Workstation app edit vmx and add the managedvm.autoAddVTPM = "software" line to it then power on the VM. I have a question if I may,  do you actually need to have TPM, as you don't need it to be able to install Win 11 or upgrade to it from Win 10.  As it only requires a couple of registry changes to be able to do so.  

Following on from this, assuming that a TPM in not required for your software development, then you don't actually have to encrypt the VM or use the 'new feature' to be able to install/upgrade or run Win 11.   Installing or upgrading to Win 11 only requires a small Registry change, either when performing a clean installation or prior to an upgrade to overcome Microsoft's compatibility checker.  It is pretty straightforward, and normally adds no more than 20 seconds to the initial setup stage.

"It is a hack" . . . I don't disagree, I'm sure that a more elegant solution could be implemented, but as outlined in Roy's Tweet it it a "new experimental and currently undocumented feature".  It is clearly [I hope] an interim solution, but just a stopgap.   With Regards to working with existing VMs running Win 11 (I assume this is what you meant to say, although it may well also apply to Win 10) is that you could remove encryption.  I have done so on an number of VM's without any issues.  It would appear that you then have two options, you could leave as is, as Win 11 boots without a TPM module (probably not recommended) or add the required line to the .vmx file. As follows: Power off the virtual machine Select the encrypted virtual machine and enter the password On the virtual machine select Settings. Select the Hardware tab and Remove the TPM from the list Select the Option tab, and select Access Controls, press the Remove Encryption button, re-enter the password when asked (decryption may take some time depending on the size of the VM) Once complete close the VMware Workstation tab associated with this VM edit the vmx and add the managedvm.autoAddVTPM = "software" line then power on the VM and test.   It goes without saying that you should take a clone of the original VM and test on this first.

It’s available . . . thanks to wila for spotting this Twitter Link  . . . it worked a treat, and Win 11 installed with no issues . . . VMware v16.2.0.   When checking the the VM's hardware settings the TPM has been added to the list, and has been recognised within Win 11 Computer Management (Secure devices) .    There is however one VMware consideration which I was unaware of, but perhaps I should have been, is that to get the VMware app to read the vmx file correctly you have to close the associated VM tab from within the VMware App, So, in brief : create a new VM and link it to the Win 11 iso file if open, close the newly created VM tab in the VMware Workstation app edit vmx and add the managedvm.autoAddVTPM = "software" line to it then power on the new VM and run through the Win 11 install.   And many thanks to all those involved in creating this.