import vmware Winnt4 in to PVE 8.3.0

[Alexio6922]

Hi!
I have a VMware virtual machine with a WinNt4 workstation SP6.
that runs on VMware Workstation 17 Pro.

I want to import a VMDK file into PVE 8.3.0.

Follow the step to do:

I've create the VM on PVE using the default configuration.
I've Import disk using the standard command:
qm importdisk <numVm> disco.vmdk <storage name> -format qcow2.

When I try to start the VM, it does not work.
The disk is not bootable.

Is there a fix or trick to solve this situation?

----------------------------------------------------------------

follow the configuration vmware vmx file:


.encoding = "windows-1252"
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "20"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
memsize = "312"
ide1:0.fileName = "auto detect"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv = "FALSE"
svga.autodetect = "TRUE"
pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"
mks.keyboardFilter = "allow"
displayName = "Clone of Windows NT"
guestOS = "winnt"
nvram = "Clone of Windows NT.nvram"
deploymentPlatform = "windows"
virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

ide0:0.fileName = "disco.vmdk"
ide1:0.autodetect = "TRUE"

isolation.tools.hgfs.disable = "TRUE"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
uuid.location = "56 4d 9c a7 1c 15 7d 82-a9 c7 20 ac 2d 7c 3a 62"
uuid.bios = "56 4d 9c a7 1c 15 7d 82-a9 c7 20 ac 2d 7c 3a 62"
ide0:0.redo = ""
pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"
scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "16"
ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "32"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0C:29:7C:3A:62"
ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

extendedConfigFile = "Clone of Windows NT.vmxf"


ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"
tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

sharedFolder.option = "alwaysEnabled"
sharedFolder.maxNum = "3"
sharedFolder0.present = "TRUE"
sharedFolder0.enabled = "TRUE"
sharedFolder0.readAccess = "TRUE"
sharedFolder0.writeAccess = "TRUE"
sharedFolder0.hostPath = "C:\appo"
sharedFolder0.guestName = "condiviso"
sharedFolder0.expiration = "session"

svga.maxWidth = "1024"
svga.maxHeight = "768"
svga.vramSize = "16777216"

serial0.present = "TRUE"
serial0.fileName = "COM1"
serial1.present = "TRUE"
serial1.fileName = "COM2"

hgfs.mapRootShare = "TRUE"
vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "16777216"

checkpoint.vmState = ""


sharedFolder1.present = "TRUE"
sharedFolder1.enabled = "TRUE"
sharedFolder1.readAccess = "TRUE"
sharedFolder1.writeAccess = "TRUE"
sharedFolder1.hostPath = "C:\Shared"
sharedFolder1.guestName = "Shared"
sharedFolder1.expiration = "never"

serial2.present = "TRUE"
serial2.autodetect = "FALSE"

serial2.fileName = "COM3"
serial3.present = "TRUE"
serial3.fileName = "COM4"

sharedFolder2.present = "TRUE"
sharedFolder2.enabled = "TRUE"
sharedFolder2.readAccess = "TRUE"
sharedFolder2.hostPath = "C:\"
sharedFolder2.guestName = "macchina fisica"
sharedFolder2.expiration = "never"

fileSearchPath = "."

scsi0:0.fileName = "disco.vmdk"
floppy0.present = "FALSE"
sound.present = "FALSE"
vmxstats.filename = "Clone of Windows NT.scoreboard"
numa.autosize.cookie = "10012"
numa.autosize.vcpu.maxPerVirtualNode = "1"
scsi0:0.redo = ""
monitor.phys_bits_used = "45"
cleanShutdown = "TRUE"
softPowerOff = "FALSE"
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.startConnected = "FALSE"
ide0:1.deviceType = "cdrom-image"
ide0:1.fileName = "WinXP-2017.iso"
ide0:1.startConnected = "FALSE"
ide0:1.present = "TRUE"
tools.upgrade.policy = "useGlobal"
pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"
pciBridge4.functions = "8"
pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"
pciBridge5.functions = "8"
pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"
pciBridge6.functions = "8"
pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"
pciBridge7.functions = "8"
vmci0.present = "TRUE"
hpet0.present = "TRUE"
acpi.smbiosVersion2.7 = "FALSE"
acpi.mouseVMW0003 = "FALSE"
vmxnet3.serialNumberV2 = "FALSE"
cpuid.coresPerSocket.cookie = "1"
vmotion.checkpointSVGAPrimarySize = "16777216"
vmotion.svga.mobMaxSize = "16777216"
vmotion.svga.graphicsMemoryKB = "16384"
vmci0.id = "763116130"

-----------------------------------------------------------
follow the .conf file of vm PVE configuration


root@-------:/etc/pve/local/qemu-server# cat 120.conf
boot: order=ide2;net0
cores: 1
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
ide2: none,media=cdrom
machine: pc-i440fx-9.0
memory: 1024
meta: creation-qemu=9.0.2,ctime=1752601366
name: WinNT
net0: rtl8139=BC:24:11:E7:CD:69,bridge=vmbr1,firewall=1
numa: 0
ostype: w2k
smbios1: uuid=a76f0ead-ba33-430a-aa3d-ec9164e97ad2
sockets: 1
vmgenid: 41dad175-7174-486e-b435-ac9d749a383

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------

 

[alexskysilk]

boot: order=ide2;net0
cores: 1
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
ide2: none,media=cdrom
machine: pc-i440fx-9.0
memory: 1024
meta: creation-qemu=9.0.2,ctime=1752601366
name: WinNT
net0: rtl8139=BC:24:11:E7:CD:69,bridge=vmbr1,firewall=1
numa: 0
ostype: w2k
smbios1: uuid=a76f0ead-ba33-430a-aa3d-ec9164e97ad2
sockets: 1
vmgenid: 41dad175-7174-486e-b435-ac9d749a383

You dont have your imported disk mapped to any bus; if you look on the GUI you will see it sitting there at the bottom unassigned. Once you DO map it, you would need to change your boot order to reflect it.

 

[Alexio6922]

Hi

I've try again to import vmdk file and linked to Vm in PVE

now the config file is this

-------------------------------
boot: order=ide0
cores: 1
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
ide0: FBNA7-NAS-VM:120/vm-120-disk-0.qcow2,size=2G
ide2: none,media=cdrom
machine: pc-i440fx-9.0
memory: 1024
meta: creation-qemu=9.0.2,ctime=1752601366
name: WinNT
net0: rtl8139=BC:24:11:E7:CD:69,bridge=vmbr1,firewall=1
numa: 0
ostype: w2k
smbios1: uuid=a76f0ead-ba33-430a-aa3d-ec9164e97ad2
sockets: 1
vmgenid: 41dad175-7174-486e-b435-ac9d749a3834
-----------------------------

when try to start VM the error is:

error to reading disk
no boot

 

[LnxBil]

The machine and the currently running VMware hypervisor are so old that you can consider running the current setup but just nested in PVE. Setup e.g. a linux machine, install VMware player or workstation of the used VM generation and just migrate the VMwareVM to the new nested VMware setup. The performance degradation should not be that hard with an OS from 30 years ago.

 

[alexskysilk]

looks like there was an issue with the disk conversion. Flatten the parent vmdk and copy it directly instead of converting it.