Summary:
I am trying to migrate two VMware virtual machines from Linux VMware server 2.01 to a VMware infrastructure install running VMWare ESXi 5.1.0. When I try and use the Standalone converter to convert the VMware virtual machine to 5.1 I get the error "Unable to Obtain Hardware information for the selected machine". I have followed the various suggestions on how to deal with this issue and am still Unable to import the machines.
More info:
I have a Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit) server and a Microsoft Windows Server 2008 (32-bit) server VMWARE virtual Machine image I am trying to migrate.
To do this I shut the machines down and copied the entire machine folder from the Linux server to a Windows 2008 R2 enterprise machine.
I have then run the VMWARE standalone converter (by right clicking on it and running as administrator)
I have gone into "convert machine" and selected "VMware Workstation or other VMware virtual machine"
I have gone and selected the vmx file from the machine I wish to import
Upon selecting "View Source Details" and or "next" I get that error: "Unable to Obtain Hardware information for the selected machine"
I COULD run the Stand Alone importer on the machines however I would rather use the offline images. The import process changes all the hardware and the change in hardware means reapplying the windows license keys. Which means "what else is going on in the important software we use if windows is now thinking the hardware has changed THAT much?"