Using VMware Converter conversion fails at 99% with the error: Unable to determine guest OS or sysimage.fault.OsVersionNotFound

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Conversion fails at 99%
• Configuration task fails to complete
• The virtual machine is created on the destination
• When the virtual machine is started the boot process fails with an error:
  • ntoskrnl.exe file is missing or invalid
  • Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem.
    Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.
  • STOP 0x7B INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
• When the Configure Machine feature in Converter is used again on the new virtual machine it fails with the error:
  • Unable to determine guest OS
• You may receive one or more of the following errors during conversion:
  • [extendedOsInfo,190] msdos.sys is non-existent or inaccessible
    [extendedOsInfo,203] FAILED parsing NTFS or Win9x_DOS partition
    [diskSet,549] Guessing which volume is system volume...
  • Image processing task has failed with MethodFault::Exception: sysimage.fault.OsVersionNotFound
  • sysimage.fault.ReconfigFault

Environment

VMware vCenter Converter 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Converter 4.2.x
VMware Converter 3.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.3.x

Resolution

This issue occurs when the boot.ini file is not pointing to the correct partition where the operating system resides, or the boot.ini file ARC path is not supported by VMware Converter.

 

You can verify if you are having this issue by launching an editor on the boot.ini file on the system drive you are trying to convert. Typically this is located on your c:\ drive, but can vary depending on installation. Compare the contents of your boot.ini to the example below.

This is a sample of an unsupported boot.ini file's ARC path:

signature(41ab2316)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)

To correct this issue, repair the boot.ini file using one of the steps below and run the Configure (reconfiguration) function in VMware Converter on the newly created virtual machine.

 

If you have a Windows Setup disc for the version of the Windows operating system you are trying to convert:

1. Boot the virtual machine with the Windows Setup disc and start the Recovery Console.
2. Type bootcfg /rebuild from the Recovery Console.
3. Complete the process to rebuild the boot.ini file.
4. Type exit to quit the Recovery Console.
   
   Note: You must not just reboot the virtual machine with the power controls in VMware, because the changes to boot.ini will be discarded, and then ESX/ESXi will not recognize the operating system. Always type exit to quit the console.

For more information on using the Recovery Console to repair the boot.ini file, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477 , Method 2.

Note: The preceding link was correct as of April 25, 2011. If you find the link is broken, please provide feedback and a VMware employee will update the link.

 

If you do not have access to a Windows Setup disc, you can use another functioning Windows virtual machine as a helper virtual machine as an additional option:

Note: A helper virtual machine refers to any virtual machine that is able to be used to add the virtual disk of the newly converted virtual machine to the inventory of the helper. This requires downtime of the virtual machine that is being used as the helper.

1. Ensure the machine that was converted is powered off.
2. Power off the helper virtual machine that will be used to edit the contents of the virual hard disk on the newly created virtual machine.
3. Edit the configuration or settings of the helper virtual machine and include the virtual hard disk of the new virtual machine as a secondary disk.
4. Power on the helper virtual machine.
5. From the Windows operating system of the helper, use a text editor to edit the boot.ini file in the root of the virtual disk of the new virtual machine.
6. Correct the boot.ini file parameters. A typical valid boot.ini file contains the following partial lines of information:
   
   [boot loader]
   timeout=30
   default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
   [operating systems]
   multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows"
   
   
   
7. Power off the helper virtual machine.
8. Boot the converted virtual machine and verify that it now boots.
9. When verified, remove the disk from the helper virtual machine.
   
   Warning: Ensure that Remove from virtual machine is chosen. Do NOT select Remove from disk under the Removal Options section.

If the problem persists, or if the BOOT.INI file was valid, try performing the reconfiguration task again on the virtual machine that resulted from the previous conversion attempt.

 

For more information related to troubleshooting conversion issues, see Troubleshooting VMware Converter when conversion fails at reconfiguration.

For related information, see Troubleshooting missing driver and Windows file errors during reconfiguration.