V2P using VMWare workstation

[andrew4728]

Hey guys/gals. Please let me know if this is not the correct place to post this topic.

I have been using MS Sysprep and Acronis to create and distribute WORKSTATION images in my organization. This has been working fine for us, however, I want to start using VMWare workstation to create the images, and then distribue them to physical workstations. The problem I am having is everytime I place the image on a workstation and boot it up, I am getting the blue screen 7b error message (0x0000007b).

This error usually occurs when your mass storage device drivers are missing. Which is stumping me because I am using the sysprep -bmsd which is populating my sysprep.inf with all the standard winxp mass storage drivers. if I create the image off a physical computer and distribute it to my test machines, it works fine. but if I built it exactly the same in VMWare and distribute it to the same test machines, it gives me 7b.

Any ideas what the heck I am doing wrong? Let me know if you need anymore information from me. Thank you so much!

softwares used:
VMWare Workstation version 6.0.3 build 80004
WinXP Pro SP2 volume
BartPE boot disk w/ Acronis True Image Echo Workstation
sysprep 2 (WindowsXP-KB838080-SP2-DeployTools-ENU.cab)

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

It may be easier to build the physical...then P2V it into your virtual env. and then make whatever mods...and then deploy it from there....or is this what u were doing and it would BSOD

 

[ArizonaGeek]

There are third party software vendors that will allow V2P but it is almost impossible to do with anything that isnt specific for it. Check out Storage Craft's Shadow Protect or Plate Spin's Power convert. Neither are fairly cheap. We're using Shadow Protect (the IT edition is the schizzle!) I can take any hard drive from any machine and put it in another, boot to the Shadow Protect CD, run the HIR (hardware independent restore) and it starts up no issues. Both can do P2V, P2P, V2P, V2V and just about any combo you can do.

Anyway it can be done but not cheap and not without third party software.

TechyMcSe2k has it correct, easier to go P2V.

Cheers
Rob

The answer is always "PEBKAC!

 

[andrew4728]

Are you saying it would be easiest to P2V an image, then modify it virtually, then V2P it back to physical? That seems odd.

Also, the organization I work for is nonprofit, meaning no cash avail for any nifty programs. I'm basically trying to find a freeware way of doing this.

Does anyone know why the image from VMWare is giving me 7b bsods when I put the image on a PC even though I've added all native mass storage drivers from windows? The PCs I'm distributing to use ide or sata drivers that are included in windowsXP.

Thanks guys/gals!

Andrew

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

If you are building images for physical boxes; then why do you want to start from a Virtual? There are plenty of cheap tools out there to go Physical to Physical. Ghost, even Acronis has a way of imaging for free...but I don't think this forum allows us to divulge that info (how to do it).

 

[andrew4728]

Yea I understand that, and that is working out fine for me. The only reason I want to go virtual to physical is so I have a standard piece of hardware available to create my images from. The way I currently have to do it is grab ahold of a PC that is at my desk because of technical issues, and try to make the image from that pc. I don't like the idea of creating our windows images from a PC that could be having problems. I just thought it would be nice to be able to create the images from VMs, that way they are created from the same exact platform each time. Also VM is much more flexible, quicker. There are many reasons why I am interested in this. Is it absolutely necesary? no. Could it be a waste of my time? possibly.

Either way, I am interested in it and the searching on the web I have done has come up with VERY little V2P articles, and mostly P2V articles.

VMWare has a walkthrough, which is pretty much exactly what I am doing (but for win2k). VMWare doesn't support it, but they did provide a document that indicates it should work. That is one reason why I am pursuing this so much.

VMWARE walkthrough :

http://www.vmware.com/support/v2p/index.html

If anyone has any ideas or info regarding why I might be getting these 7b errors, I would appreciate any help you can provide. Thank you!

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

You need to find out if the storage controller on your physical machines can use the built in XP or if the hardware vendor has one that you can add to your image.

I know this says "deployvista", but the article is XP

http://www.deployvista.com/Blog/tabid/70/EntryID/18/Default.aspx

Missing [SysprepMassStorage] Section Causes STOP 0x7B Error Message on Windows XP Sysprep Images

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303786/

Add mass storage drivers to a Windows XP configuration set

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318812

Limited OEM driver support is available with F6 during Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 setup

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314859