Server 2012 + Exchange 2013 stuck on "getting devices ready"

[sgatke]

We have an Exchange 2013 server running on Windows 2012, working fine on ESXi 5.5
However, we are moving to Proxmox and are in the process of converting all virtual servers.
Normally this works fine with the qemu-img convert -f vmdk xxx.vmdk -O qcow2 yyy.qcow2 command. The VMDK files got converted with no errors and attached to the newly created virtual server.
However, when booting up it gets stuck on the blue Windows logo with the message "getting devices ready". The wheel is spinning around so it is not a complete freeze. After more than 30 minutes the screen is still the same.
Has anyone experienced a similar error and knows how to fix it?

 

[msalwe]

its always advisable to backup the server and restore it on a fresh windows server vm with same specifications as the converted VM will expect the same hardware it was running on and will freeze if it won't get the same hardware devices. that's my experience that when doing it your way windows normally gives BSOD or some other error as you are experiencing. As windows thinks of hardware failure when it won't get the same hardware.

 

[sgatke]

Thanks for your feedback.
Currently we are only using image-based backup (Veeam), so a backup & restore on new Windows install would not work well. Which backup solution would you recommend for this scenario? Remember it is an Exchange Server.

I eventually shut down the Proxmox virtual server, removed the NIC to have it completely off the network, and started up the converted machine again and left it. Several hours later when I checked on it again, it had reached the log-on prompt.
In the meantime I had to start up the original ESXi server again to re-establish mailflow, but at least it seems possible to get it running on Proxmox - we just have to plan for additional downtime while converting and setting up the Proxmox version.

 

[msalwe]

take backup inside the running server using default windows server system backup options. The saved backup should be then copied if you chose to store on the server itself while creating backup. Then install fresh windows server inside a VM boot the server and chose restore. It will ask for backup file. Give the copied backup and it will restore perfectly. It may take time but this backup will be restored correctly on the newly created VM.