IDE controller error after using vCenter Converter Standalone

[homerun]

I usually get the following two error messages when clicking the "Edit Settings.." of the vm created using the "Convert Machine" operation:

"An IDE controller is found but the virtual machine does not support this option."

After clicking the "OK" button, I get this:

"A flat backing option was not found"

After clicking OK, the the Virtual Machine Properties open, and Hard Disk 1 is summarized as "unsupported".

This has occurred when converting a source type of Powered on machine to a VMware Infrastructure virtual machine as well as a source of VMware Infrustructure to another VMware Infrustructure virtual machine.

What may be causing this and can the VM be editted to prevent this. This occurred using a Windows 2003 powered on machine source and an XP Pro Sp3 virtual machine running on ESX. XP was directly installed as a VM using an ISO file. The converted XP machine does power up to a GUI. I have tried other powered on machines but the convert operation fails early, probably because these were multibooting machines.

Thanks,

Homerun.

[DSTAVERT]

A VM with version 4 Hardware does not support IDE hard disks. Try upgrading the VM hardware to version 7

[homerun]

Right on dstavert! Thanks.

So, the converter creates the clone at version 4 which caused the problem. After reading your reply, I soon discovered the VM version noted in the upper right hand corner of the VM propery page. Yes, I am a VMware newby. Searching for how to convert from version 4 to version 7 kept coming up empty. Finally I saw the "Upgrade Virtual Hardware" command when right clicking the vm, but wasn't sure if it performed this operation.

So I converted a Version 7 NT4 practice vm to another vm before messing with more important clones. Interestingly, I didn't get an IDE error on the NT4 converstion, but it was set to version 4 and the "Upgrade Virtual Hardware" did indeed upgrade it to Version 7. I had two other vms I had previously converted that were still set at version 4, so I converted them to version 7. One, a windows 2003 did not cause the IDE error even at version 4. Also, when converting the the NT4 vm, I carefully watched for an interaction in the Converter that would allow me to select Version 7, but did not see it. I have always accepted the default Version 7 when creating VMs with vSphere Client.

Homerun

[DSTAVERT]

Glad that helped. The NT4 reference is interesting. Others will be interested in your experience with the NT4 clone.