IP address already in use error on a converted virtual machine

Products

• VMware

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• You cannot assign a static IP to a converted virtual machine
• On a converted virtual machine, you see the error:
  
  IP address already in use

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

1. Remove the duplicate hardware.
   
   For information on removing the duplicate hardware, see Networking Error, IP Address Already Assigned to Another Adapter (1179). If the steps in this article do not resolve this issue, or if there are no devices listed when you show hidden devices, proceed to Step 2.
   
   
2. Take a full backup of the registry. Do not skip this step.
3. Click Start > Run, type regedit, and click OK.
4. Right-click My Computer and click Export to backup the registry.
5. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces.
   
   You see a list of GUIDs for each NIC that the system is aware of.
   
6. To determine which GUIDs are currently active on your system, click Start > Programs > Accessories, then right-click Command Prompt and click Run As.
7. Enter the credentials for an administrative account.
8. In the command prompt, type:
   
   net config srv
   
   
9. Check this against the system that was converted. GUIDs that existed on the previous machine should not exist on the converted machine.
10. If the device is no longer a required part of the system, you can delete the entry.
    
    Note: If an entry is deleted in error, restore the registry.
    
11. When the entries have been cleared, you can assign a static IP.
    
    Note: If the physical system is no longer available, check the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\NetworkCards\ registry key to determine the nomenclature and GUID of the affected network interface and compare it with the registry key in Step 5.