Error : Permission to perform this operation was denied -- Log : Must be administrator to access physical computer

[GuyTC]

Hi

Im trying to migrate a VM using Converter 5.1 but I get the "Permission to perform this operation was denied" error message when i select the source machine (which is powered off) or when i click on the "view source details..."

I see the following error in the Convertor Standalone client log file "[05496 error 'wizardController'] Must be administrator to access physical computer"

The domain account I am using is a member of the Local Users group on the Convertor server and has Converter permissions on the source vCenter where the VM is.

Any ideas as to why I get this error?

VM Hardware version 9

2013-10-30T12:40:53.106+01:00 [05496 verbose 'wizardController'] Trying connection to VC server 'vcserver.domain.local' with user 'domain\domadminac'

2013-10-30T12:40:53.106+01:00 [05496 verbose 'wizardController'] Getting VIM connection to vcserver.domain.local...

2013-10-30T12:40:53.106+01:00 [05496 info 'wizardController'] Reusing existing VIM connection to vcserver.domain.local

2013-10-30T12:40:53.106+01:00 [05496 verbose 'ManagedMachineDataConnectionLogger'] Getting VIM connection to vcserver.domain.local...

2013-10-30T12:40:53.106+01:00 [05496 info 'ManagedMachineDataConnectionLogger'] Connecting to host vcserver.domain.local on port 443

2013-10-30T12:40:53.106+01:00 [05496 info 'ManagedMachineDataConnectionLogger'] localVersion is: vim.version.version8

2013-10-30T12:40:53.107+01:00 [05496 info 'ManagedMachineDataConnectionLogger'] Remote version is: vim.version.version8

2013-10-30T12:40:53.107+01:00 [05496 verbose 'ManagedMachineDataConnectionLogger'] [VimApi] Local and Remote Version are the same. Talking with version vim.version.version8

2013-10-30T12:40:53.107+01:00 [05496 info 'ManagedMachineDataConnectionLogger'] Authenticating user domain\domadminac

2013-10-30T12:40:53.107+01:00 [05496 verbose 'HttpConnectionPool-000006'] HttpConnectionPoolImpl created. maxPoolConnections = 1; idleTimeout = 900000000; maxOpenConnections = 1; maxConnectionAge = 0

2013-10-30T12:40:53.322+01:00 [05496 error 'wizardController'] Must be administrator to access physical computer

2013-10-30T12:41:29.461+01:00 [05496 verbose 'HttpConnectionPool-000005'] [RemoveConnection] Connection removed; cnx: <SSL(<io_obj p:0x0555e980, h:-1, <TCP '0.0.0.0:0'>, <TCP '10.XXX.XXX.XXX:443'>>)>; pooled: 0

2013-10-30T12:41:29.461+01:00 [06592 verbose 'HttpConnectionPool-000003'] [RemoveConnection] Connection removed; cnx: <SSL(<io_obj p:0x051c30c0, h:-1, <TCP '0.0.0.0:0'>, <TCP '10.XXX.XXX.XXX:443'>>)>; pooled: 0

2013-10-30T12:41:39.477+01:00 [04588 verbose 'HttpConnectionPool-000006'] [RemoveConnection] Connection removed; cnx: <SSL(<io_obj p:0x0555eba8, h:-1, <TCP '0.0.0.0:0'>, <TCP '10.XXX.XXX.XXX:443'>>)>; pooled: 0

Message was edited by: GuyTC changed "target vCenter" to read "source vCenter"

Message was edited by: GuyTC : corrected errors in original question. It turns out my domain account was NOT a member of the Local Administrators group on the Converter server. Adding my domain account to the Local Admins group on the Converter server fixed the error.

[patanassov]

This error relates to insufficient permissions on the source VM vCenter server.

Regards

[GuyTC]

Patanassov....Can you elaborate....

The domain account I am using is part of a domain group. This group is assigned to a role in vCenter. This role is 'defined in' the vCenter object (i.e. the root). The role is set to propagate....and i can see the role / group in all the permissions tabs - all the way down to the permissions tab of the VM itself.

If i look at the properties of the role itself - I can see it has the "All Privileges" box checked (none are shaded etc).

[patanassov]

You wrote that the domain account used is administrator on the target vCenter. The permission issue is about the source vCenter. If they are one and the same - my comment doesn't make sense, but they can be different.

[GuyTC]

It does sound a bit confusing now I re read it. To clarify - The target vCenter is also the source vCenter...I havent got to the stage of selecting the destination vCenter yet !!

I agree though - It still sounds like a permissions issue on the source vCenter. Are there any other logs I should look in (and what error message should I look for) to troubleshoot this further ?

[patanassov]

Permissions set on a lower level in the inventory override the more global ones (e.g. your user may have administrator role on datacenter level but read only role on host level). Take also into account that VMs inherit permissions both from their parent VM folders and from their containing hosts/clusters/resource pools.

You may have a look at this paper for details: http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-51/topic/com.vmware.ICbase/PDF/vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-51-securit..., chapter 6, Assigning Permissions.

HTH

Plamen

[GuyTC]

Adding my account to the Local Administrators group of the Converter server fixed the error

[woestyn]

What worked for me was just to rigt-click Vmware and choose : Run as adminstrator. I am so happy this worked for me.

[efortin64]

Run as administator - Works fine for me either

[jasjit2013]

yes, Run as administrator - working for me..thx all

[gostelecom]

Thanks a lot! Easy and really great working soultion

[jagauthier2112]

This is a little older of a thread, but I've just started using VMware and the converter.

I've used two versions to date. 5.1, and 5.5.

This issues does not seem to happen with 5.1, but does happen with 5.5.  It doesn't matter if the server is Linux, or Windows.

Running as Admin does not help.

So, consider this scenario.

1. Install converter.  Convert machine. Works.

2. Restart converter.

    Error from original poster occurs "Permission to perform this operation was denied."

3. Nothing seems to resolve this error.

4. Uninstall converter.

5. Go to step 1.

[chrisweatherfor]

I know this is an older post but for what it is worth....

I was having this same issue.  I reinstalled, even downgraded to an older build.  Launched the program using the "run as administrator" and tried logging into the local computer and running it as different users.  I even tried to preinstall the client before the P2V process.  All to no avail.  In the end I ended up running the program as myself but when selecting the server I wanted to convert and giving the credentials, instead of using a domain admin account I ended up using the server's (source) administrative account.  I assume any local admin account (non-domain account) would work.

     SERVER: {source server name}    

     USERNAME: {server name}\administrator

     PASSWORD: {admin password}

Hope this helps someone.  I waisted a couple days on this,

Chris

VMWare vCenter Converter Standalone 5.5.3

Local OS: Windows 8.1

Source OS: Windows Server 2008 R2

[jreininger]

FYI..

Chris W. 
We have a domain policy which disables the default local 'Administrator' account.

With that account 'disabled' I could not get converter to work.

I even tried to make a new 'root' account on the Window server, made it a local administrator and it kept failing with "Permissions to perform this operation was denied"

My domain account would not work either (which lead me to this posting in the first place)

So, I re-enabled the local 'Administrator' account, set the password then went back to converted and it was able to P2V the VM w/o issues.

[tlstout]

I have tried everything listed in this post, and everywhere else I have searched, but I am still getting this same issue.

I have tried putting my domain account in the local admin group of both source machine and converter server, I have tried using local admin accounts, and I have tried multiple versions of converter (5.1 and 5.3). My environment is vSphere 5.5, and does have some strict security settings in place, so I am leaning to that as a possible issue. What I have not been able to find is a listing of required User Right Assignments, or Security settings needed for converter to work as expected.

Anyone have any further information?

Terry

[POCEH]

Have you try to run the GUI 'as administrator'? When convert the 'local machine' the user should be 'administrator' or elevated administrator.

[tlstout]

Yes, both under local admin and domain admin logins. I can get the converter agent installed on the source machine when I start the convert server wizard, but after the agent installs, it is unable to get system details, which is where I get the access denied.

Like I said, I have a network with significant security settings in place, so I would be surprised if that was the issue. What I can't figure out, is what sort of permissions converter server, or agent, needs to to have permissions to work.

[POCEH]

The local administrator will not help you to access remote machines or remote VMs if you haven't rights to access for them,

In your case - you need to log in source machine as ".\Administrator" or administrator user and UAC disabled.

HTH

Can you upload the agent's log from source machine?

[marcoseduardo]

This solved my issue! Thank you.

This solved my issue! Thank you.

I had tried everything you could imagine.

Your tip worked like a charm.

Now in Portuguese (em português):

Pessoal, essa dica do amigo resolveu meu problema.

Eu estava há dias tentando converter uma máquina física em virtual, mas esbarrava nas permissões do windows.

Creio que a solução possa ter sido um conjunto de todas as configurações corretas, muitas delas citadas nesse tópico todo, mas que definitivamente fez a coisa toda funcionar foi essa última dica do colega.

Eu desabilitei o UAC da máquina (Win 7 que está sendo virtualizado) e coisa funcionou.

A UAC no Windows 7 (a ser virtualizado) sigam esses passos:

Ativar ou desativar o Controle da Conta de Usuário - Ajuda do Windows

[vw_bug73]

Thanks!! worked for me, nothing else did. chrisweatherford‌