How do I create a VM from a VHD file using VMWare Player?

[mikechallis]

I have created a .vhd file using disk2vhd that contains my system disc (a Windows 7 installation). I would like to create a VM using VMware Player from this image, but I have been unable to do so. Can anyone help me?

Many thanks,

Mike

[WoodyZ]

You should convert it to a .vmdk type file.  Have a look at: StarWind V2V Converter

[mikechallis]

Thanks - that looks good - except that my VMware Player seems only to accept .iso files when creating a VM; how do I get it to accept a .vmdk image?

Mike

[WoodyZ]

Create the VM using "I will install the operating system later." and then when the VM has been created edit its settings to remove the existing empty virtual hard disk (.vmdk) and then add the one you created from the .vhd!

[mikechallis]

Many thanks - it seems to be easy to miss the obvious sometimes when battling with new software 🙂

Here's a summary of today's experiments - all on a Windows 7 host machine.

Starwind 8.0 sadly failed to convert my .vhd file, complaining as follows:

  Invalid file format (11)[2]

  No "conectix" cookie present

The .vhd file was made a few days ago using Microsoft's utility disk2vhd, so I'm surprised there was a problem - now posted on Starwind's forum ...

But I found another product to convert which did not reject my .vhd : WinImage. It took several hours, but the result seems ok.

My first attempts to replace the empty .vmdk file with my own failed - my guest OS (also Windows 7) started loading, but soon afterwards the

dreaded BSOD appeared and I had to reset the VM.

I then realised that this might be because my system disc comes from an IDE drive, so attached it as an IDE rather than SCSI device,

and all was well - I now have a fully-functioning guest Windows 7 on my Windows 7 host. Thanks!!

But what I really need is the same on my Windows 8.1 machine, and there I do not have sufficient internal disc space to hold the .vmdk

file, so it will have to be on an external USB drive, and I'm not at all sure that this will work. So tomorrow's experiments will start with an

attempt to create a VM from the same .vmdk file as today on my Windows 7 host, but from a USB external disk instead. Only when/if

this is successful shall I start over again on my Windows 8 host.

I feel I'm making some progress - but isn't it complicated??

Best wishes

Mike

[WoodyZ]

But what I really need is the same on my Windows 8.1 machine, and there I do not have sufficient internal disc space to hold the .vmdk file, so it will have to be on an external USB drive, and I'm not at all sure that this will work. So tomorrow's experiments will start with an attempt to create a VM from the same .vmdk file as today on my Windows 7 host, but from a USB external disk instead. Only when/if this is successful shall I start over again on my Windows 8 host.

I run VM's from all types of external storage so that shouldn't be an issue.

I feel I'm making some progress - but isn't it complicated??

As to complicated, you're the one making it complicated.  Just use VMware vCenter Converter Standalone to ceate a VM going directly from P2V without the rigamarole!

[mikechallis]

Thanks for the suggestion. This is what VM Converter Standalone says:

  "The source computer has GPT disk(s). Conversion of live computers with GPT disks is not supported."

(It's true that I have internal drives that are GPT).

So that doesn't seem to be a viable way forward.

[mikechallis · Accepted solution]

You were quite right about running my VM from a USB external drive - no problems at all.

Today's experiments confirm that:

a)  I can run my VM on Windows 7 and on Windows 8 from a USB external drive

b)  VMPlayer can create .vmdk files greater than 2TB in size (on both Windows 7 and Windows 8 hosts)

c)  I can attach my Data.VHDX file on my Windows 8 host

d)  I can set that up as a shared folder inside my VM on Windows 8

e)  I can copy files from that shared folder to a drive on my VM.

This certainly closes this discussion - many thanks for your help.

Mike