Unexpected error: Image is not in qcow2 format

[PaulVM]

An old Proxmox 2.x server with a Win 2008 VM that works fine from some years had physical problems (Mother Board).
Copied VM image to another temporary server (old PC with an old Promox 2.3 installation used for tests), and it works fine.
Trying to activate the same image (verified checksum), to a new 3.x or 4.x server, results in the error in subject.
Actually, the initials bytes of the virtual disks aren't like a standard .qcow2 image (QFI...); more similar to a RAW disks.
Tried to set the format as raw in the .conf without results (The VM starts, but loops not recognizing a valid boot sector).
Tried to qemu-img convert raw to qcow2, same results.
But it is working fine in the 2.3 temporary server!!!
What's happening?

Probably I try to clone the disk from the temporary server to another virtual disk, but I can't understand the situation.
Any hints?
Below full start error.

Thanks, P

P.S.: just in case ... where I can download a Proxmox 2.3 install disk?

---------------------------------------------
qm start 181
Running as unit 181.scope.
kvm: -drive file=/var/lib/vz/images/181/win2k8c73GB.qcow2,if=none,id=drive-ide0,format=qcow2,cache=none,aio=native,detect-zeroes=on: Image is not in qcow2 format
start failed: command '/usr/bin/systemd-run --scope --slice qemu --unit 181 -p 'KillMode=none' -p 'CPUShares=1000' /usr/bin/kvm -id 181 -chardev 'socket,id=qmp,path=/var/run/qemu-server/181.qmp,server,nowait' -mon 'chardev=qmp,mode=control' -vnc unix:/var/run/qemu-server/181.vnc,x509,password -pidfile /var/run/qemu-server/181.pid -daemonize -name Win2k8 -smp '2,sockets=1,cores=2,maxcpus=2' -nodefaults -boot 'menu=on,strict=on,reboot-timeout=1000' -vga std -no-hpet -cpu 'kvm64,hv_spinlocks=0x1fff,hv_vapic,hv_time,hv_relaxed,+lahf_lm,+sep,+kvm_pv_unhalt,+kvm_pv_eoi,enforce' -m 6144 -k it -device 'pci-bridge,id=pci.2,chassis_nr=2,bus=pci.0,addr=0x1f' -device 'pci-bridge,id=pci.1,chassis_nr=1,bus=pci.0,addr=0x1e' -device 'piix3-usb-uhci,id=uhci,bus=pci.0,addr=0x1.0x2' -device 'usb-tablet,id=tablet,bus=uhci.0,port=1' -device 'virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x3' -iscsi 'initiator-name=iqn.1993-08.org.debian:01:63bffbd2a61' -drive 'file=/dev/cdrom,if=none,id=drive-ide2,media=cdrom,aio=threads' -device 'ide-cd,bus=ide.1,unit=0,drive=drive-ide2,id=ide2,bootindex=200' -drive 'file=/var/lib/vz/images/181/vm-181-disk-1.qcow2,if=none,id=drive-ide1,format=qcow2,cache=none,aio=native,detect-zeroes=on' -device 'ide-hd,bus=ide.0,unit=1,drive=drive-ide1,id=ide1' -drive 'file=/var/lib/vz/images/181/win2k8c73GB.qcow2,if=none,id=drive-ide0,format=qcow2,cache=none,aio=native,detect-zeroes=on' -device 'ide-hd,bus=ide.0,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0,id=ide0' -drive 'file=/var/lib/vz/images/181/vm-181-disk-2.raw,if=none,id=drive-ide3,format=raw,cache=none,aio=native,detect-zeroes=on' -device 'ide-hd,bus=ide.1,unit=1,drive=drive-ide3,id=ide3' -netdev 'type=tap,id=net0,ifname=tap181i0,script=/var/lib/qemu-server/pve-bridge,downscript=/var/lib/qemu-server/pve-bridgedown,vhost=on' -device 'virtio-net-pci,mac=32:1C3:5F:C1:47,netdev=net0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x12,id=net0,bootindex=300' -netdev 'type=tap,id=net1,ifname=tap181i1,script=/var/lib/qemu-server/pve-bridge,downscript=/var/lib/qemu-server/pve-bridgedown' -device 'e1000,mac=D2:2E:79:CC:20:4C,netdev=net1,bus=pci.0,addr=0x13,id=net1,bootindex=301' -rtc 'driftfix=slew,base=localtime' -global 'kvm-pit.lost_tick_policy=discard'' failed: exit code 1

 

[LnxBil]

What is the output of

qemu-img info /var/lib/vz/images/181/win2k8c73GB.qcow2

 

[PaulVM]

It reports that the image is in raw format.
And it is right.
Despite the name says it is a qcow2 and in the in the config file it is indicated as qcow2, it is a raw image.
Proxmox2 probably don't care of this
My main mistake was to believe in what I had found in the config file, and also that changing it to raw format (name and parameter in config), the VM doesn't boot.
The problem vanished replacing the original row:

bootdisk: virtio0

with:

bootdisk: ide0

Now the VM boots as expected in the Proxmox 4 new server.
The only remaining problem was the I had to reactivate windows license because it recognized a different hardware.

Is there a way to limits this kind of problems (hardware changes that require reactivation), in the migration from Proxmox 2.x to 3.x or 4.x?

Thanks, P.

 

[LnxBil]

The problem vanished replacing the original row:

bootdisk: virtio0

with:

bootdisk: ide0

Now the VM boots as expected in the Proxmox 4 new server.

Oh yes, bootorder. Normally F12 is fixing this "on-demand". But it is a common mistake to forget to change the bootorder. Happens to me all the time.

The only remaining problem was the I had to reactivate windows license because it recognized a different hardware.

Is there a way to limits this kind of problems (hardware changes that require reactivation), in the migration from Proxmox 2.x to 3.x or 4.x?.

Proxmox has always been a qemu-based emulation, so the hardware should not change at all (if the VM is untouched of course).

 

[tom]

...

P.S.: just in case ... where I can download a Proxmox 2.3 install disk?
...

see http://download2.proxmox.com/temp/pve/proxmox-ve_2.3-ad9c5c05-30.iso

 

[PaulVM]

see http://download2.proxmox.com/temp/pve/proxmox-ve_2.3-ad9c5c05-30.iso

Thanks. Archived ...
Searching in old downloads, I had found also olds 1.x images, but just miss any 2.x images; now my "collection" is complete ;-)

Oh yes, bootorder. Normally F12 is fixing this "on-demand". But it is a common mistake to forget to change the bootorder. Happens to me all the time.

That is the way I discovered the "problem" ...

Proxmox has always been a qemu-based emulation, so the hardware should not change at all (if the VM is untouched of course).

I copied the original 181.conf
At the end, only changed the image file name in .raw and added ",format=raw" (and the "bootdisk=ide0" row obviously).
Tried both in 3.x and 4.x with same result: windows recognized some new hardware and requests to reactivate the license. While, moving the image to the temporary 2.x server that had a real different hardware (AMD processor instead of Intel, SATA disks instead of SAS, give no problems).
Not a real problem, but I am curious of understand the logic under this event.

This the original 181.conf:

bootdisk: virtio0
cores: 2
ide0: STOR:181/win2k8c73GB.qcow2
ide2: cdrom,media=cdrom
keyboard: it
memory: 4096
name: Win2k8
net0: virtio=32:1C3:13:C1:4A,bridge=vmbr0
net1: e1000=D2:2E:79:3C:2A:7C,bridge=vmbr0
onboot: 1
ostype: win7
sockets: 1

May be many defaults in 2.x are very differents than in 3.x/4.x

Thanks, P.