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Convert VMWare to Hyper-V (vmdk to vhdx)
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vmdk_vhdx.md

VMDK to VHDX

Follow steps:

If you counter following error:

ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk : The entry 1 is not a supported disk database entry for the descriptor.

In my case it was entry 4

Follow these steps:

  1. download and extract dsfok tools
  2. use dsfo.exe "c:\temp\disk2.vmdk" 512 1024 descriptor1.txt to extract the descriptor
  3. edit the descriptor file in Notepad++: comment the above mentioned line (as I added the extra single character (#) I also deleted one NULL character from the end to keep the file size of 1024 bytes (not sure if this is needed).
  4. use dsfi.exe "c:\temp\disk2.vmdk" 512 1024 descriptor1.txt to inject the descriptor back into the VMDK
  5. repeat these steps for the other disk (my VM has two .vmdk files)
  6. reissue the ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk command
@PeteNetLive
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PeteNetLive commented Jan 23, 2019 •
edited
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Agreed this is also true for ESX / vCenter
Conversion Error ‘Unsupported Disk Database Entry’

Pete

@MiklerGM
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You might want to comment more lines if you've got the error like this:

ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk : The entry 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 is not a supported disk database entry for the descriptor...

I solved mine by commenting more lines as it was proposed here

#ddb.uuid.image = "a04130d0-757c-40ae-8cc3-1edee81175ed"
#ddb.uuid.modification = "b2a87052-e73a-4921-bb84-f522111b78f9"
#ddb.uuid.parent = "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000"
#ddb.uuid.parentmodification = "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000"

@vlad-tsaryov
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in my case it was enough to comment line ddb.nfcBlockTrack = "true"

# The Disk Data Base
#DDB

ddb.adapterType = "lsilogic"
ddb.deletable = "true"
ddb.geometry.cylinders = "5874"
ddb.geometry.heads = "255"
ddb.geometry.sectors = "63"
ddb.longContentID = "9f0f12ac184820322aedc4e852612eed"
#ddb.nfcBlockTrack = "true"
ddb.toolsVersion = "2147483647"
ddb.virtualHWVersion = "10"

@CNBarnes
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Thank you (everyone). This is exactly what I was looking for!

@CNBarnes
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Well... I spoke too soon. The converted .vhdx disk won't boot - it shows up as a MBR partition instead of a GPT. Any idea how this happened, or how to get it to be a GPT filesystem?

@yarick
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yarick commented Jul 24, 2019

Modern VMDK files have a small descriptor file and separate data files. They will look like:

  • MyDisk.vmdk <- the descriptor
  • MyDisk-s001.vmdk, MyDisk-s002.vmdk etc. <- data files

In this case I simply needed to comment out the line:

#ddb.toolsInstallType = "4"

There was no need to use dsfo/dsfi tools to extract this from the disk. Tested on VMware Workstation 11.

Thanks!

Here is what worked for me to convert from VmWare Fusion 11.1.0 on OSX

  • Comment Out
#ddb.toolsInstallType = "1"
  • Command Line
ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath '.\Virtual Disk.vmdk' -destination E:\VM\win10\win10.vdhx -VhdType DynamicHardDisk  -VhdFormat vhdx

@brady1408
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If anyone comes here in the future and can't convert a disk due to a very generic

ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk : Access to the path is denied.

This was caused by Sophos trying to prevent ransomware attacks, but Sophos did not trigger an alert it just silently killed the process.

Adding an exclusion for the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter did the trick for me.

@lighterowl
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lighterowl commented Sep 24, 2020 •
edited
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The converter is no longer officially supported by Microsoft and the link available everywhere (download/details.aspx?id=42497) doesn't work anymore.
Fortunately, there's a Chocolatey package that contains a direct link to the installer. I mirrored it here.

@re-buurst
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@xavery - thanks, you saved me today by hosting that package. I could not find it anywhere on the internet. All the links are 404

@rahilwazir
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Author

@xavery - Thanks, I have updated the Gist.

@LarryAnglin
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Between steps 1 and 2 should be a step 'Run the downloaded installer'.

@bhavikgajera
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Software download Link is not available http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/1/E/91E9F42C-3F1F-4AD9-92B7-8DD65DA3B0C2/mvmc_setup.msi

If you know other link then please update it.

@rahilwazir
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@bhavikgajera the downloadable link is working fine.

@JonathanVQP
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As of July 6, 2021, even with the MS Virtual Machine Converter, I could not convert my vmdx files to vhdx. I am using VMware Workstation 16 Pro (16.1.2 build-17966106).

@deathzombee
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deathzombee commented Jul 24, 2021 •
edited
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Software download Link is not available http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/1/E/91E9F42C-3F1F-4AD9-92B7-8DD65DA3B0C2/mvmc_setup.msi

If you know other link then please update it.

@bhavikgajera

in powershell run curl http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/1/E/91E9F42C-3F1F-4AD9-92B7-8DD65DA3B0C2/mvmc_setup.msi -o mvmc_setup.msi

@duli0810
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Download de software Link não está disponível http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/1/E/91E9F42C-3F1F-4AD9-92B7-8DD65DA3B0C2/mvmc_setup.msi

Se você conhece outro link, por favor, atualize-o.

https://github.com/duli0810/PowerShellPublic/tree/main/ConverterOVAparaVHDorVHDX

@sukesh-ak
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sukesh-ak commented Aug 28, 2021 •
edited
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Use qemu and its easy single command-line for conversion.
https://cloudbase.it/qemu-img-windows/

Steps
https://gist.github.com/sukesh-ak/9a633c48ceefe9560b8f2eb5d8fcff72

@duli0810
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Use qemu and its easy single command-line for conversion.
https://cloudbase.it/qemu-img-windows/

Steps
https://gist.github.com/sukesh-ak/9a633c48ceefe9560b8f2eb5d8fcff72

Show, interesting.... did not know this method.
In reality it is similar to MVMC, with a single command after extracting the .ova

ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath "" -VhdType DynamicHardDisk -VhdFormat vhdx -destination ""

With "qemu" does not generate the error "is not a supported disk database entry for the descriptor." ?

@sukesh-ak
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Use qemu and its easy single command-line for conversion.
https://cloudbase.it/qemu-img-windows/
Steps
https://gist.github.com/sukesh-ak/9a633c48ceefe9560b8f2eb5d8fcff72

Show, interesting.... did not know this method.
In reality it is similar to MVMC, with a single command after extracting the .ova

ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath "" -VhdType DynamicHardDisk -VhdFormat vhdx -destination ""

With "qemu" does not generate the error "is not a supported disk database entry for the descriptor." ?

No it worked smoothly.. no errors pretty straight forward command.

@sukesh-ak
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This also works but due to some reason not working on Win11 after recent updates.
You can try on Win10, maybe it works there still.

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe" clonehd --format vhd "disk001.vmdk" disk-OS-v2.vhd

@duli0810
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This also works but due to some reason not working on Win11 after recent updates.
You can try on Win10, maybe it works there still.

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe" clonehd --format vhd "disk001.vmdk" disk-OS-v2.vhd

Cool... I'll test it.... thanks sukesh-ak !

@sakar97
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sakar97 commented Sep 16, 2021

Hi, Does qemu delete all the VMware environment dependencies tools also while converting .vmdk to .vhd? or it cloned exactly the same file in a different format?

@sukesh-ak
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Hi, Does qemu delete all the VMware environment dependencies tools also while converting .vmdk to .vhd? or it cloned exactly the same file in a different format?

Just converted the disk file format to new format. That's all.

@sukesh-ak
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Read the instructions here
https://gist.github.com/sukesh-ak/9a633c48ceefe9560b8f2eb5d8fcff72

@MathBernier
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I was looking forward for a straight solution, that did the trick! Thank you!

@GUTIERRES-RS
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For me it worked like this:

STEP 1 - Download and Install: http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/1/E/91E9F42C-3F1F-4AD9-92B7-8DD65DA3B0C2/mvmc_setup.msi

STEP 2 - Run power shell as administrator.

STEP 3 - PS> Import-Module 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter\MvmcCmdlet.psd1'

STEP 4 - PS> ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath "D:\Virtual Machines\Windows 10 x64\Windows 10 x64.vmdk" -VhdType DynamicHardDisk -VhdFormat vhdx -destination "D:\Virtual Machines\Windows 10 x64\Windows 10 x64.vhdx"

Don't forget to check the syntax of commands and punctuation etc... And enjoy

@duli0810
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I made two videos about it:

https://youtu.be/KfF8LoI9fM8

https://youtu.be/kL0dbD5T1tI

If you like it help in the growth, subscribe 👉 http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh6CzOE6aWxy_5RYG4To88g?sub_confirmation=1

On Github I also have a step by step

https://github.com/duli0810/PowerShellPublic/tree/main/ConverterOVAparaVHDorVHDX

https://github.com/duli0810/PowerShellPublic/tree/main/Converter%20.VHDX%20%5C%20.VHD%20%20em%20.VDI%20(VirtualBox)%20%7C%20QEMU

@IchBinGROOT
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This all looks very promising, did anyone ever write a script that automates this process? I‘d like to install Whonix in Hyper-V but didn’t get it to work so far

@SkybuckFlying
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Does not work:

3.1 Command 1:

Import-Module 'G:\Tools\Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter\MvmcCmdlet.psd1'

3.2 Command 2:

ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath "D:\Virtual Machines\Windows 11 (VM 4, Official, RAD Studio 11 Alexandria, Windows 11 Updated, Reactivated)\Windows 11 x64.vmdk" -VhdType DynamicHardDisk -VhdFormat vhdx -destination "G:\Virtual Machines\Windows 11 (VM 4, Official, RAD Studio 11 Alexandria, Windows 11 Updated, Reactivated, Converted to VHDX)\Windows 11 x64.vhdx"

Error:

ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk : No suitable drive was found at path (D:\Virtual Machines\Windows 11 (VM 4, Official,
RAD Studio 11 Alexandria, Windows 11 Updated, Reactivated)\Windows 11 x64.vmdk).
Parameter name: path
At line:1 char:1

  • ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath "D:\Virtual Machine ...
  •   + CategoryInfo          : WriteError: (Microsoft.Accel...nversionService:DriveConversionService) [ConvertTo-MvmcVi
 rtualHardDisk], DriveNotFoundInPathArgumentException
  + FullyQualifiedErrorId : DiskConversion,Microsoft.Accelerators.Mvmc.Cmdlet.Commands.ConvertToMvmcVirtualHardDiskC
 ommand

ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk : One or more errors occurred.
At line:1 char:1

  • ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath "D:\Virtual Machine ...
  •   + CategoryInfo          : WriteError: (Microsoft.Accel...nversionService:DriveConversionService) [ConvertTo-MvmcVi
 rtualHardDisk], AggregateException
  + FullyQualifiedErrorId : DiskConversion,Microsoft.Accelerators.Mvmc.Cmdlet.Commands.ConvertToMvmcVirtualHardDiskC
 ommand

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