Converting an existing XP machine to a VMware ESXi Virtual Machine and having boot issues?
Posted by jpluimers on 2022/05/02
A while ago I wrote about Stop 0x0000007B after converting an existing XP machine to a Virtual Machine (ESXi, Hyper-V, or other).
After this, the machine still had boot issues (a grey or black screen after boot, unless booted via Grub from a rescue CD).
The solution in retrospect was simple, but I only figured out after the fact what the solution had done.
Of course this gave me a facepalm moment, as back in the days, this was exactly the warning I gave everyone when installing Windows XP on ESXi anyway: use a SCSI buslogic based virtual disk, not an IDE or SATA virtual disk.
The reason is that Windows XP does not like the IDE/SATA disk that VMware provides. Windows Vista and up are less of a problem.
This is indeed what my practical solution did:
- VMware Converter 4.x creates a VM with an IDE/SATA disk (as it cannot talk to the more recent ESXi versions at all because of API changes)
- VMware Converter 6.x creates a VM with a buslogic SCSI base disk (and it can create it directly on your ESXi rig, though it will use a directory in the root of your data store, even if you prefer it somewhere deeper in the directory tree)
References:
- [Wayback] P2V Windows XP – VMware Technology Network VMTN (showing VMware Converter 6.x steps)
- [Wayback] P2V Windows XP Won’t Boot – VMware Technology Network VMTN
…
did you create a IDE-based VM ?
That will not work – though it is offered as an option. Converter uses a bluff here
…
try again first – use Buslogic when asked for the controller.
If that does not work either try Converter 3.0.3 next
if that still fails post
boot.iniand a screenshot of diskmanagement of the XP-source…
SCSI was the answer.
Thanks.
…
–jeroen
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 
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