Troubleshooting a virtual machine converted with VMware Converter that fails to boot with the error: STOP 0x0000007B INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• Converter

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• If you use vCenter Converter to convert a virtual machine, the created virtual machine fails to start.
• Windows may boot to a blue screen with an error:
  
  STOP 0x0000007B INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

  
• You may also see the error:
  
  a disk read error occurred

Environment

VMware vCenter Converter
VMware vSphere ESXi 

Resolution

Validate that each troubleshooting step below is true for your environment. These steps provide instructions or a link to a document, for validating the step and taking corrective action as necessary. These steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution. Do not skip a step.

To troubleshoot a virtual machine made with Converter that fails to boot:

1. Verify that the initial conversion completed successfully to 100%. If the process failed between 97% and 99%, perform a Configure Machine operation on the new virtual machine. This reconfigures the virtual machine for the new virtual hardware to be installed. For more information, see Troubleshooting vCenter Converter when conversion fails at reconfiguration (1006294).
   
   
2. Verify that the virtual disk adapter emulation mode is set correctly in the VMDK file for the guest operating system in the virtual machine. For more information, see Adjusting the virtual SCSI adapter type in a VMDK file (1006621).
   
   
3. Confirm that no incompatible drivers were migrated into the virtual machine from the source. Certain drivers are not compatible with a virtualized environment because they rely on specific hardware to be available. When the operating system attempts to start the driver it may halt with a STOP error. For more information, see Applications and drivers that may not convert with virtual machines when using vCenter Converter (1006626).
   
   
4. If the problem persists, manually inject the SCSI driver files into the source to ensure the resulting virtual machine contains the required drivers and registry entries after conversion. 

Note: If your problem still exists after trying the steps in this article, file a support request with Broadcom Support.

Additional Information

Note: In some instances it has been reported that a different symmpi.sys may exist on the physical Windows Server 2003 than on the Windows Server 2003 VM that could boot.

• On the working Windows Server 2003 helper VM:
  • symmpi.sys had a size of 49KB and a date stamp of 2/18/2007.
• On the physical Windows Server 2003 server (and the non-booting VM)
  • symmpi.sys had a size of 102KB and a date stamp of 12/12/07.
  • This software was listed under Add/Remove Programs:
    Windows Driver Package - LSI Corporation (SYMMPI) SCSIAdapter (07/30/2007 1.25.10.00)

To resolve the issue, copy over the LSI Logic SCSI driver from the working and bootable VM to the non bootable VM, by attaching the vmdk to the working, helper VM. We did not have to run a Converter reconfigure task on the VM after copying over the working symmpi.sys - the VM booted when it was powered on.