I have a laptop the wont boot due to a defective motherboard. The harddisk is good and the filesystem has no errors. This laptop ran some some software that had to activated based on a "computer" fingerprint challenge/response and the company is no longer in bussines. A reinstallation on a new computer cant be done without a new activation key. What I would like to try is to convert this drive to a virtual machine so the software can be used again (asuming it doesnt check for this fingerprint everytime it runs).
Is there a way to make a virtual machine from a removed drive using another computer?
Will moving this disk to another laptop (with completely diferent hardware) and running a bootable version of P2V work?
> It would be easier to connect the drive as an external drive using a usb adapter.
Do that. Next create a new VM named old-notebook.vmx
Add physical disk - specify the USB-disk - call new disk "usb-import.vmdk"
Next run vmware-vdiskmanager against the newly created "usb-import.vmdk".
> vmware-vdiskmanager.exe -r "usb-import.vmdk" -t 1 "imported-disk.vmdk"
Next exchange "usb-import.vmdk" with "imported-disk.vmdk" in the vmx-file of the new VM
Finally run converter against 'old-notebook.vmx' and let it configure the drivers.
No need to use ghost at all. When done you can test the new VM and when it works - throw away the old disk.
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Ghost the disk, restore to a newly created VM, run VMware Converter to convert the VM to a new VM. Should work fine.
mike
I tought about that but the version of ghost I have can only image the drive if I boot from CD. I guess I could try putting the drive in a newer laptop and booting from the GHOST CD. It would be easier to connect the drive as an external drive using a usb adapter. Can newer versions of GHOST image slave/external drives while running in WINDOWS?
thanks for the help
Ghost32.exe can run from WinPE (BartPE) CD-ROM and create disk image on a network share.
> It would be easier to connect the drive as an external drive using a usb adapter.
Do that. Next create a new VM named old-notebook.vmx
Add physical disk - specify the USB-disk - call new disk "usb-import.vmdk"
Next run vmware-vdiskmanager against the newly created "usb-import.vmdk".
> vmware-vdiskmanager.exe -r "usb-import.vmdk" -t 1 "imported-disk.vmdk"
Next exchange "usb-import.vmdk" with "imported-disk.vmdk" in the vmx-file of the new VM
Finally run converter against 'old-notebook.vmx' and let it configure the drivers.
No need to use ghost at all. When done you can test the new VM and when it works - throw away the old disk.
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Im testing this tomorrow. If importing the drive as an external usb drive doesnt work I'll then try the GHOST image aproach.
Thanks for the help
If it doesn't work 0 you do something wrong - I have done this several times
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He did not say that does not work.
He said "If it does not work, ..."
Yes - and I meant: if it does not work tomorrow - you made a mistake ...
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description of vmx-parameters:
This is what I did.
Plugged in the HDD via USB adapter
Created a blank VM in VM Workstation.
Added a secondary HDD, using a physical disk, using the now USB external HDD
Edited the VMX to have the scsi0:0.fileName to be the name of the secondary HDD.
Ran VM Convertor's 'Configure Machine' program on the VM
Exported VM to ESXi server.
Boots up A-OK