Converter unable to connect to remote machine

[GUTTERbOY]

Background info:

Local machine is running Vista Business

Remote machine is a Win2003 server that we've been hosting some stuff on, We want to build a VM off of this so we can host it on our existing VMWare setup, and close the account with the third party who's currently hosting that machine.

Anyway, when I attempt to run the converter, I get the following message after entering the server info:

"Unable to connect to the remote VMWare Converter Agent. the remote host is not accessible using Microsoft Network Services. it might be down or firewalled."

I've found the recommendation about disabling Simple File Sharing- this does not appear to apply to 2003, as the option mentioned in a tutorial to disable it does not exist on this machine. I note that the Authentication dialog says to enter a DOMAIN\user name... do I need to maybe enter something besides the admin user name I use to RDP into the machine?

Web services on the machine work fine, and I can remote in with no trouble. Anything I need to be looking at here?

Thanks!

[AWo]

C$ and IPC$ available?

[GUTTERbOY]

Can you explain further? I'm not understanding what you're referring to...

Thanks!

[AWo]

On every Windows host are some administrative hidden shares. I can imagine that the Converter connects to one of them. You can find them under "Manage Computer > System > Shared Folders > Shares". They are called IPC$, ADMIN$ and C$.

[polysulfide]

He means navigate to and using an account with admin credentials.

Make sure you are running the conversion as an account with administrative credentials on the 2003 Server. Aslo make sure that a software firewall isn't running on each system. If its a Vista-ism you could run the converter from your Virtual Center server (if you have one) or create an XP VM and run it from there.

If it was useful, give me credit

http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/polysulfide

VI From Concept to Implementation

[GUTTERbOY]

OK, those shares are available. I also checked and made sure that the credentials I was using are for a an admin user...

[polysulfide]

Did you verify that the Windows firewall is off on both systems?

[GUTTERbOY]

Yup, no firewall either here nor there.

[GUTTERbOY]

OK, had to leave this for a few days to work on other things... any other ideas what's going on here? Stuff I should check out?

I'd had some networking issues on this machine about the same time- still can't get Server Console to connect to my hosts- so I tried the converter from a different machine, but got the same results as before...

I guess the next network troubleshooting step may be to try this from my laptop at home tonight... maybe our "office" network here is causing some issues.

[ScottTR]

I had the same issues. Once I connected computer management from the VC server to the target the converter installed and ran. The converter target was an older W2K server.

[Wimo]

Another thing to try is to install the converter directly on the server you are trying to convert.

[valot]

Hi all,

I had the same issue when I tried to virtualize a Laptop with XP Pro installed on.

I resolve this issue by increasing the irpstacksize on the laptop to 18 instead of 15 (decimal).

To increase the irpstacksize parameter ==>

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. Type regedit, and then click OK.

3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

4. In the right pane, double-click the IRPStackSize value.
   
   NOTE: If the IRPStackSize value does not already exist, use the following procedure to create it:

1. In the Parameters folder of the registry, right-click the right pane.

2. Point to New, and then click DWord Value.

3. Type IRPStackSize.
   
   IMPORTANT: Type "IRPStackSize" exactly as it is displayed because the value name is case-sensitive.

5. Change the Base to decimal.

6. In the Value Data box, type a value that is larger than the value that is listed.
   
   If you created the IRPStackSize value using the procedure described in step 4, the default value is 15. It is recommended that you increase the value by 3. Therefore, if the previous value was 11, type 14, and then click OK.

7. Close the Registry Editor.

8. Restart the computer.

I hope this can help somebody.

[billnight]

Had similar problem. Per the hint, turns out "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" was not installed. Added the service under the NIC properties, everything is working.