Converting Windows 2008 R2 Core fails with the error: Unable to create a VSS snapshot of the source volume(s). Error code: 127 (0x0000007F)

Products

• VMware

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Unable to convert physical machine running Windows 2008 R2 core server operating system.
• Physical to Virtual operation fails at 1% with the error:
  
  Unable to create a VSS snapshot of the source volume(s). Error code: 127 (0x0000007F)
  
  
• The Converter agent logs contain errors similar to:
  
  YYYY-MM-DDT<time> [00280 error 'task-2'] Converter::NonAtomicVssVolumeSnapshotSet::CreateSnapshot: VSS snapshot failed: Unable to create a snapshot for volume \\.\Volume{7a12c0b6-9874-11e0-a11e-806e6f6e6963}. Error code 127 (0x0000007F)
  YYYY-MM-DDT<time> [00280 error 'task-2'] [CreateSnapshots] Failed to create non-atomic snapshots</time></time>

Environment

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.5.x

Cause

This issue occurs because the Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Core Server installation does not include 32-bit versions of the Volume Shadow Copy dynamic link libraries required by VMware Converter.

Resolution

To workaround this issue:

1. Copy the following files from a Windows 2008 R2 Standard, Datacenter or Enterprise installation to the same file location on the Windows 2008 R2 Core server that you are attempting to convert:
   
   
   • c:\windows\syswow64\vssapi.dll
   • c:\windows\syswow64\vsstrace.dll
     
     
2. Reboot the Windows 2008 R2 Core server (optional).
3. Restart the conversion process in VMware vCenter Converter.

Additional Information

Note: Only Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Core is missing these files. These files are present in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Core, Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Core and Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Core.