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m4biz
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Failed to start the (P2V) VM on ESXi server

Hi.

1) I've virtualized (P2V) a physical Windows server 2003 machine by means VMWare Converter.

Then I've tried to import it and run in VMWare Workstation12 and all works without issue.

(with exception of this - skippable - error:

2017-04-10_184123.png

2) Than I've changed hardware compatibilty by means VM > Manage:

2017-04-10_183940.png

so that the VM will be compatible wirh my ESXi 5.1 server

3) At this pont I've copied all VM's file to the ESXi 5.1 datastore

4) Then I've tried to start the copied VM on the ESXi 5.1 server but this error (not skippaple) is showed on the screen and I can't start the VM on the ESXi 5.1 server 

2017-04-10_183410.png

Any idea?

Thanks in advance

Ing. Cosimo Mercuro http://cosimomercuro.wordpress.com/
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2 Replies
continuum
Immortal
Immortal

You created the VM with Workstation-compatible VMDKs. ESXi needs a different VMDK-format.
Try to convert the vmdks with vmkfstools -i.
Syntax would look like this:
cd /vmfs/volumes/datastore-name/directory-of-p2v-vm/

vmkfstools -i current.vmdk new.vmdk

Anyway - attach your vmx-file to your next reply.
I would have expected that it first complains about an incompatible vmdk for scsi0:0


________________________________________________
Do you need support with a VMFS recovery problem ? - send a message via skype "sanbarrow"
I do not support Workstation 16 at this time ...

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m4biz
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hi continuum,

Thanks for your reply.

An additional information:

even when I start the P2V machine from inside VMWare Workstation I see a similar message:

2017-04-11_154703.png

But - differently from ESXi server, in this case I can succesfully skip the message and connect to the VM that works without issue.

Attached to this post the requested vmx file

I hope this will be useful

Ing. Cosimo Mercuro http://cosimomercuro.wordpress.com/
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