WMVare hard disk file startup problems

[Richard.Hallgren]

Hi,

I've just downloaded virtualbox after hearing a lot of good things about it! I've started the client and pointed it to one of my old WMVare hard disk files (running a Windows 2003 server in there) ... All I then see is a gray progress bar working it's way from left to right and then this are quite. I'm I missing something? Do I have to convert the hard disk file in some way?

Richard

[mpack]

I've never used VMware, so I don't know for sure, but I'd be surprised if the VBox VM emulated the same hardware as a VMWare VM. So, the effect would be the same as if you had taken the hard drive out of one Windows PC and installed it in another with entirely different hardware... ie. you'll be lucky if it boots (and even if it does, you'll probably have activation problems because the "hardware" is different).

The first problem for booting is the correct choice of hard disk controller - if the OS can't properly talk to the drive then it isn't going to be able to boot. After that the VMware guest additions are likely to cause problems.

If you want to persist you should start by getting the HDD controller right, then booting up in safe mode and perhaps try a "repair installation". Obviously you should make a backup first, and have your W2K3 install CDs handy.

[TerryE]

Actually you are a little better off because by default VMware sets up uniprocessor, etc. but if you are changing IDE drivers you still need to do the MergeIDE tricks, etc.