Bad block on source

[lensv]

When I try to make a P2V with VMware Converter it fails with the message that the source drive has bad blocks. I have run chkdsk.exe on the computer in question and it has "fixed" the problem (no more bad blocks on the volume), but VMware Converter still seems to see the disk as faulty. Is there a way to get around this... or am I f*cked?

[lensv]

Alright!

Screen dump and log files are coming here...

[xe]

Your VM is stuck in minisetup. Did you use Guest Customization?

[lensv]

The answer to that question is yes. Just don't tell me that I must start all over again and make a new conversion. I had a lot of troubles creating this VM and I'm doubtful that I'll have the same luck again.

It just has to be a way to make this work. Since I can startup the machine in fail safe mode the installation shouldn't be too damaged to be repaired?!?

[xe]

OK. If you can boot into safe mode I believe there is a way to back out of the sysprep. You will need the sysprep.exe file however and run it in the VM win safe mode (I think it's actually called factory.exe), but I'm a bit rusty on it. Anyone else feel free to elaborate on this.

[victorg]

lensv,

Are you using a localized version of windows? Which language do you have in ControlPanel->Regional&Language Options->Advanced->Language for Non-Unicode Programs ?

[lensv]

ERROR - Please delete!

[lensv]

The system is an english installation with swedish localization...

Unfortunately I must tell you that I have messed up my VM. After trying to repair it from the Windows XP installation CD I got completely stuck at the "blue screen" (could no longer enter fail safe mode either). The worst part is that I've somehow managed to delete the original copy of the clone, which I had in a "safe" place

So, I'm back at square one after all. I shall try to make a new clone with Converter 4 later today...

[lensv]

Alright, after a few failures I managed to make a new clone of the physical machine (this time a file-level clone was successful), so now I'm back on track... Well, at least I'm back to where I was before. The only new thing at this moment is that I have tried to run sysprep on the VM, but that didn't help... I'm still stuck at the blue screen. What else can I try?

[lensv]

Victorg or XE... Do you have any (new) ideas what I should do to make this work?

[victorg]

I dont think you can get past sysprep. I would suggest repeating P2V process without customization and change all the settings manually.

I have forwarded this problem to the appropriate people for investigation.

[lensv]

How about these regional settings... Could they be causing the problem?

[xe]

I agree. Actually I thought that's what you were going to try if you did another conversion.

I can't really say for sure what causes this error message because I can't find any information on it and why it happens. I doubt it is a regional setting because that would not affect the unicode status of any files.

It is possible that this message indicates a corrupted file. Considering the trouble you're having at getting the conversion off the source intially, it isn't reaching too far to conclude that it is a corruption issue. I've also seen sysprep failures that were related to OEM preparation and certain combinations of service pack levels or drivers.

What you can do is, convert with out customization and then perform the post-conversion customizations manually. Changing IP address and host name is done easliy. If you need to change the SID use NewSID. It's also possible to run sysprep, however it may fail again... create a snapshot point before trying it and don't forget to remove the snapshot if you are satisfied with the results.

[lensv]

Do you really think that this is a Sysprep issue... I find it hard to believe that it would be possible to start the machine up in safe mode if the "Sysprep-setup" isn't finished with its job (?)

[xe]

Sysprep is not run when you start in Safe Mode. From your screen shots the error is definately from Sysprep, which runs before the OS is fully loaded using "mini-setup". Is this an OEM supplied copy of Windows? Have you tried the conversion again?

[lensv]

This is not an OEM version. It's a Multi Volume License that is used for the installation on this machine...

As for the second question - I've had no time for any new conversions so far, but actually, I would rather like to know why this happens and what the message really means (and most of all, how to get passed it).

[victorg]

This is not really a sysprep problem, but rather Converter problem. We are saving sysprep.inf file in localized encoding and sysprep expects Unicode. What you can try to do is mount the disk using VMware DDK or connect the disk to another working VM and find c:\sysprep\sysprep.inf. Open it in notepad and save with Unicode encoding.

[lensv]

Regarding sysprep.inf... I guess that I can change the content when I boot up in safe mode as well (I'm not at the machine right now, but I shall try that later).

A question to "xe" - Is there a special reason why you recommend to remove the snapshot as soon as the results are satisfying (except for saving space)?

[xe]

Keeping on a snapshot reduces I/O performance. A snapshot is actually like a "redo-log", it's not a full copy. When one is created both the master and the snapshot log file are parsed to recreate the disk. Removing the snapshot consolidates the log back into the master.

[lensv]

Okay, so the built-in backup function in VMware Fusion (which uses lots of different snapshots) is not recommended to be used then?

Back to this case... I just booted up my VM in safe mode, but I couldn't try the last suggestion. There is no sysprep.inf on this system at all! Is that file supposed to be created automatically by VMware Converter?

[lensv]

Now I have made a new sysprep.inf and I have also saved it with unicode encoding, but that didn't help either (still stuck at "Configuration file is not unicode"). Could this message be related to something else?