Sep/10

How to convert a Microsoft VHD to a VMware VMK?

16 Comments · Posted by Christopher Keyaert in Opalis, OpsMgr / Scom, VMWare

Sometime, you have a Virtual Machine in a Microsoft VHD format and you would like to use it with your VMware Workstation application. So this little guide will explain how to perform this operation.

Pre-requisites

A Microsoft VHD File
VMware Converter 4 standalone (http://www.vmware.com/download/converter/)

Step 1

Create a working folder on one of your computer drive and paste your VHD file into it.

Step 2

For the conversion, VMware Converter needs a VMC file. A VMC is the configuration file of the Microsoft Virtual Machine, it’s in this file that you the all the settings of the VM.

So, download the VMC file that is available here (http://www.vnext.be/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/MyVM.Rename-to-dot-vmc.txt), rename the extension to .vmc and paste it to your working folder:

Open it with notepad and edit the path to your VHD file like below:

Step 3

Start VMware Converter 4 standalone

Click on Convert Machine:

Select source type : Backup image or third-party virtual machine
Virtual machine file : The path to your VHD file

Click on Next and choose the following parameters:

Select destination type : VMware Workstation or other VMware virtual machine
Select VMware product : VMware Workstation 7.0.x

Click on Next and choose the following parameters:
Adapt the parameters to your need, but be sure that Install VMware Tools is set to YES

Click on Next and review all the information:

Click on Finish and wait the end of the process:

After a few minutes, the process is complete:

Go to your working folder, enter in the new created folder and double click on the .vmx file.

VMware workstation will now start:

Review your Virtual Machine configuration and start your new VM:

After you’re first Log on, Windows will install the drivers related to VMware Workstation, so let the process continue and restart you virtual machine when it’s done:

When all the drivers have been installed and you virtual machine restarted, you will have to reactive your copy of Windows:

When the activation process ended, you could now enjoy your virtual machine with VMware Workstation:

Christopher KEYAERT

conversion · microsoft · vhd · virtual machine · vmk · VMWare

16 comments

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-09-22 · vNext.be · September 22, 2010 at 10:15 PM

[...] How to convert a Microsoft VHD to a VMware VMK? [...]
justb2 · January 18, 2012 at 7:41 PM

Great guide! This helped me out quite a bit. One thing to add: ensure you change both the absolute AND relative paths in the vmc file. Failing to do this will result in a “unable to obtain hardware information for the selected machine” error.
Alf · September 19, 2012 at 7:32 PM

Many Thanks for the .vmc Example File.
I searched for a long time before I found it here.

Kind Regards

Alf
Rob · November 7, 2012 at 6:47 AM

Excellent guide – was struggling until I came across this…easy to follow and only missing that one bit for the file editing as mentioned by justb2 – other than that awesome job. Thanks!!!
satya · November 9, 2012 at 3:45 AM

unable to obtain hardware information
How do I resolve?
bachka · November 20, 2012 at 4:28 PM

Great Guide! Thanks a lot! I’m trying now, .
starczek · December 4, 2012 at 2:14 PM

Dude! You’ve made my day!

Cheers!
Matt · December 8, 2012 at 6:41 PM

Thank you for this guide. I received the same “Unable to obtain hardware information” error. For me it was because I did not change the relative path in the VMC file. Hope that helps someone.
Venkat · December 9, 2012 at 5:46 PM

Thanks a lot, searching for this….
Nelu · January 8, 2013 at 10:36 PM

Hi
could someone help me with relative path?

tried from foder C:\test\ and vhd file is x.vhd

but is not working I got “Unable to obtain hardware information” error.

Thanks a lot
omair · January 16, 2013 at 4:36 PM

Nelu, the absolute and relatve lines should be exactly this:

C:\VMWARE VM\x.vhd1.vhd
x.vhd
omair · January 16, 2013 at 4:38 PM

correction* disregard first post, it should be this:

C:\test\x.vhd
x.vhd
Johnathan · April 27, 2013 at 8:12 AM

Hi, after I’ve changed the vmc file I can’y proceed to convert. I get this error “The Source configuration file is invalid, corrupted or not recognized.
Ahmed · April 30, 2013 at 1:06 AM

why he told be file corrupt or not recognize ???? PLZZ Some help.
Ahmed · April 30, 2013 at 3:27 AM

guys i remove all The things was in the txt file and i put this things .
1

<absolute type=E:\WorkingFolder\SLC-DC01.vhd
<relative type=E:\SLC-DC01.vhd
it thats right ???

Plzzzz FAST reply need it fasttt
Michael · May 9, 2013 at 1:12 AM

Hi Guys,
New to VMWare but know the basics from Hyper-V. I’m trying to convert some Microsoft course vhds so i can go through the books whenever I feel like it but I’m having dramas at Step 3 – where you browse for the .vmc file. I’ve changed the paths correctly but
I get this message:
“The source configuration file is invalid, corrupt or not recognised.”
Would that be because there is hardware information in the text file that is not specific to my hardware? ie:

4766-2618-8259-7919-4422-3097-95

{3F15A995-C0D7-4632-9A92-2DB9E803E523}
4766-2618-8259-7919-4422-3097-95

4424-6978-8046-8169-0206-7898-53
4766-2618-8259-7919-4422-3097-95

etc. There is a cmos entry aswell as network adapters. Do I have to go through my pc and obtain all this information and swap it for this to work? Or, as the above instructions imply, should it work with just the above tweak [change of path location]