When performing a P2V (Physical to Virtual) conversion using VMware Converter, the process may get stuck at:
“Waiting for the destination virtual machine to boot up as the converter helper server.”
This usually indicates that the Helper VM failed to boot correctly, preventing the conversion from proceeding.
Possible Causes
- Helper VM failed to boot (ISO not properly mounted, compatibility issues).
- Incompatible disk controller settings (Windows and Linux require different SCSI/SAS configurations).
- Network issues (Helper VM cannot communicate with the Converter server).
- Storage issues (Helper VM cannot access the target ESXi datastore).
- UEFI/BIOS mode mismatch (Source system and virtual machine boot mode conflict).
Solutions for Windows
1. Manually Mount the Helper VM ISO
- Upload converter-helper-vm.iso or converter-helper-vm-x64.iso to the ESXi Datastore.
(These files are located at:C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone\on the Converter host.) - Open the Helper VM console in ESXi and manually mount the ISO from the Datastore.
- Restart the Helper VM.
2. Adjust Disk Controller Settings
- Windows Server 2003 → Select LSI SCSI; otherwise, the VM may fail to boot.
- Windows Server 2008 and later → Select LSI SAS for compatibility.
3. Ensure Helper VM Network Connectivity
- Open the Helper VM Console in ESXi and check if it has a valid IP address.
- Disable firewall or security software on the source system and the target ESXi host.
Solutions for Linux
1. Pre-Conversion Settings
- Use LSI SCSI for disk controller (otherwise, the VM may not boot).
- Disable the “Reconfigure” option in VMware Converter settings (this avoids conversion failures).
- Choose “Virtual Machine Version 7” to ensure better compatibility.
2. Fix Network Adapter Issues After Conversion
After conversion, the system might not detect the correct network interface. Fix it by:
- Renaming
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth2to/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0. - Editing
/etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rulesand updating the MAC address for eth0.
Common Issues & Fixes
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Helper VM stuck at boot | Manually upload and mount converter-helper-vm.iso from the ESXi Datastore. |
| Windows VM fails to boot after conversion | Ensure correct disk controller: LSI SCSI (2003), LSI SAS (2008+). |
| Conversion fails at “Reconfigure” step | Disable “Reconfigure” in VMware Converter settings. |
| Network not working after Linux conversion | Modify /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules to correct the MAC address. |
| Boot failure after P2V conversion | Boot into recovery mode and repair the GRUB bootloader. |
Conclusion
If VMware Converter P2V is stuck at “Waiting for the destination virtual machine to boot up as the converter helper server,” try the following:
- Manually mount the Helper VM ISO from the ESXi Datastore.
- Use the correct disk controller (LSI SCSI for Windows 2003, LSI SAS for Windows 2008+).
- Ensure the Helper VM has network connectivity.
- For Linux, disable “Reconfigure” and fix network adapter settings post-conversion.
By following these steps, you can increase the success rate of P2V conversions and avoid common issues. 🚀