Looking for tips on converting ACTIVATED VMware VMs to Hyper-V

hsehestedt · Nov 29, 2022

I have this weird love/hate relationship with VMware Workstation Pro. I'm trying to permanently part ways with VMware and switch over to Hyper-V. Unfortunately, there is one big issue with that plan ...

I have 42 (!) VMware Workstation configs saved on my system that are all activated with Win 10 or Win 11. I've spent about 3 hours trying to convert some VMware VMs to Hyper-V and only managed to successfully convert one machine. Here is what I am doing:

I install Win 10 or Win 11 on a VMware Virtual Machine and ensure that it successfully activates. I then create a disk image backup of that VM and restore it to a Hyper-V machine. I run the troubleshooter to tell it that I have recently changed hardware. This fails saying that this operation is not valid for this type of machine. I suppose it is complaining about the fact that it is a VM and not a physical machine. I know that this works for a physical machine, but it seems to fail on VMs.

As I noted earlier, I did manage to get one VM to convert. I have no idea why that one worked vs the others which fail. Clearly, there must be some difference.

Anyone have any tips or suggestions?

I really want to get away from VMware Workstation, but not if I have to abandon 42 activated machines.

NOTE: Before anyone asks, I know that by telling you that I have 42 activated machines you are going to think that I somehow have illegitimate activations. I can ensure you that every one of these is a legally, legitimately activated VM!

Bree · Nov 29, 2022

hsehestedt said:
I really want to get away from VMware Workstation, but not if I have to abandon 42 activated machines.

This is the same issue as changing the hardware on a real machine, and should be possible tosolve using the same methods.

I'd first link your VMWare VM to your Microsoft account by switching from a local account sign-in to a Microsoft account (if you haven't already done so). Then move the installed Windows to a Hyper-V VM (using Reflect or similar). If it doean't activate at first sign in with your Microsoft account, then run the Activation Troubleshooter and tell it 'I've changed hardware'.

NavyLCDR · Nov 29, 2022

Do you have unique product keys for all of the VMs? You could change the installed product key to the generic product key in the VMware VM. Then convert it to Hyper-V, then use the unique product key again to reactivate it.

Kari · Nov 29, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
Do you have unique product keys for all of the VMs? You could change the installed product key to the generic product key in the VMware VM. Then convert it to Hyper-V, then use the unique product key again to reactivate it.

That's how I would do it.

Another option is to switch to a Microsoft account on every VM, get the licence tied to a certain MS account. Then, simply install W11 on a Hyper-V VM, and use a saved license in your MS account.

Kari

jimbo45 · Dec 4, 2022

hsehestedt said:
I have this weird love/hate relationship with VMware Workstation Pro. I'm trying to permanently part ways with VMware and switch over to Hyper-V. Unfortunately, there is one big issue with that plan ...

I have 42 (!) VMware Workstation configs saved on my system that are all activated with Win 10 or Win 11. I've spent about 3 hours trying to convert some VMware VMs to Hyper-V and only managed to successfully convert one machine. Here is what I am doing:

I install Win 10 or Win 11 on a VMware Virtual Machine and ensure that it successfully activates. I then create a disk image backup of that VM and restore it to a Hyper-V machine. I run the troubleshooter to tell it that I have recently changed hardware. This fails saying that this operation is not valid for this type of machine. I suppose it is complaining about the fact that it is a VM and not a physical machine. I know that this works for a physical machine, but it seems to fail on VMs.

As I noted earlier, I did manage to get one VM to convert. I have no idea why that one worked vs the others which fail. Clearly, there must be some difference.

Anyone have any tips or suggestions?

I really want to get away from VMware Workstation, but not if I have to abandon 42 activated machines.

NOTE: Before anyone asks, I know that by telling you that I have 42 activated machines you are going to think that I somehow have illegitimate activations. I can ensure you that every one of these is a legally, legitimately activated VM!

Hi there
Forget any "Conversion tools"
What I did was as follows -- I'm sure others might have simpler or easier methods - but this one worked for me.

Project prep : Boot the VM, and ensure you have Macrium (Free at least) and create the ISO for the stand alone recovery option. Have an external USB disk and a USB stick available.

1) attach a physical windows disk (USB device is good) to the VM and ensure it's formatted ntfs i.e Windows native format. Attach as a physical disk -- not as "VM disk space".

2) mount this disk with diskpart so it has a letter and is acessible to the VM

3) uninstall vmware tools (optional but probably a good idea)

3) Image the disk to the windows physical disk. The reason for doing this is that you don't want when creating your new VM to have the old VMWare disk I/O format etc.

4) attach a USB stick to the VM and make it bootable from the stand alone recovery iso with rufus etc.

5) shut down the vm from vmware etc.

6) create your new VM on the platform you want --- don't boot just yet.

7) attach the disk you created the macrium image from the old VM as a physical disk

8) set the initial boot to boot from the usb stick with the macrium stand alone recovery and boot it

9) from the Macrium command line (it's essentially winpe) using disk part create a small 100mb EFI partition on the VM disk and format the rest as a single partition. Assume letters S for the small EFI partition and W for the Windows partition (empty).

10) restore the Windows image to the windows partition .

11) now get back into the macrium command mode so you should e in something like x:\

12 ) install the windows bootloader :

cd: W:\windows\system32

w:

bcdboot w:\windows /s S: /f UEFI

13) shutdown the new VM

14) change the config to remove the physical windows disk, the USB device and to boot from the new vm disk.

15) depending on the vm platform you might need some windows hardware updates but Windows is pretty good at finding appropriate updates.

The problem I had was in getting a NIC to work to get some updates - however I attached a USB->wifi device to the VM to get the appropriate updates. If you can before dumping the VM image try and install a "proper" nic on the VM rather than rely on the VMWare "Virtual NIC's".

If this all goes pearshaped then as a last resort (you'll need a spare Windows system machine though), restore the VM to a physical Windows machine, use macrium to "fix boot problems" , then dump the new physical image to your VM -- this is a bit more long winded than the ist method.

Method 1 worked fine for me on KVM/QEMU -- and I've converted a couple of KVM/QEMU VM's to HYPER-V. (And the other way around so works both ways).I don't have a W11 VMware workststion VM to try this on though as I've given up essentially on VMWare workstation as its a lot inferior to HYPER-V and KVM/QEMU both of which are robust, efficient and FREE !!!!.

Cheers
jimbo