If you have created a virtual machine using VMware GSX Server 3.0 or 2.x, or another VMware product, and you want to move it to a different computer or to another directory on your host, you need to perform the following tasks.
Note: These instructions assume that you are using a virtual disk — stored in a set of .vmdk files on your host computer.
It’s always safest to make backup copies of all the files in your virtual machine’s folder (directory) before you start a process like this.
Be sure you know whether the virtual disk is set up as an IDE disk or a SCSI disk. You can check this in the Configuration Editor (Settings > Configuration Editor).
Also, note the size of the virtual disk you are moving. You need this information when you prepare the new host machine, as described in the next section.
Shut down the guest operating system. If the virtual machine is suspended, resume it, then shut down the guest operating system.
Note: Do not move a suspended virtual machine from one host to another.
If your virtual machine is using disks in undoable mode, it is best to commit or discard the changes when the guest operating system shuts down. If you cannot commit or discard the changes to your disk, read this note below.
If you have a network connection between the original host machine and the new host, you are finished with the preparations on the original host. Otherwise, you need to have a way of moving the virtual disk (.vmdk) files from the virtual machine’s directory to the new host. You could move them to a shared network directory, for example, or burn them to CD-ROMs if they are not too large.
If your disks are using undoable mode and you have not committed or discarded your changes, you must also move the redo-log (.REDO) file to the new host computer.
Make sure VMware GSX Server is installed and working correctly on the new host computer.
Run the Configuration Wizard and select the appropriate guest operating system for the virtual machine you’re moving.
Choose a virtual disk for your hard drive and use a drive size that matches the size of the virtual disk you plan to move.
Select all appropriate network, floppy and CD-ROM settings. Do not make any changes with the Configuration Editor at this point.
Save your settings and close VMware GSX Server.
In the folder (directory) just created for the new virtual machine, delete the brand new .vmdk files that were just created.
Locate the virtual disk files you’re moving and copy them into the new virtual machine directory.
Note: If your virtual machine is using disks in undoable mode and you did not commit or discard your changes before the move, you must also move the redo-log (.REDO) file to the new host computer.
Start VMware GSX Server again and open the new virtual machine you just created. Go to Settings > Configuration Editor.
Be sure the virtual machine is configured to use the virtual disk files you moved from the original host. You need to confirm that the new disk’s settings — IDE or SCSI and the file name for the first .vmdk file — match those that were used on the original host machine.
Click the + signs to expand the SCSI Devices and IDE Drives categories. Be sure that the virtual machine’s settings match those of the virtual disk you are migrating. If you need to remove a virtual disk from the configuration, select that disk in the list on the left, then click Remove in the panel on the right. To add a virtual disk, select the appropriate disk from the list on the left (for a boot disk, use either SCSI 0:0 or the IDE disk labeled P-M) and click Install.
Be sure the filename and path for the virtual disk match the actual filename and location for the first .vmdk file used by the virtual machine you are moving.
Once you commit or discard changes made to a disk in undoable mode, you can move your disk between Linux and Windows host operating systems. You can also move your disk to different locations on your computer and to other computers with the same host operating system.
However, if you cannot or do not want to commit or discard the changes made to your undoable disk, note the following:
Follow these steps to check the configuration and see whether or not you can move your undoable disk without committing or discarding changes:
Start VMware GSX Server.
If you are moving a disk in undoable mode from one computer to another computer, start VMware GSX Server on the computer that currently has your disk.
Open the configuration file for the virtual machine that uses the undoable mode disk you wish to move.
In the VMware GSX Server window, select File > Open and choose the configuration file of the virtual machine with the disk you want to move.
Start the Configuration Editor.
Select Settings > Configuration Editor.
Examine the entry for your virtual disk to see whether it includes a
full path to the first virtual disk file. For example, on a Windows host,
you might see a Disk File listing like this:
My Documents\My Virtual Machines\Windows Me\Windows Me.vmdk
Entries for SCSI disks are similar.
If your Disk File information resembles that above, with a full path to the first disk file, then as long as you have not committed or discarded changes to the undoable disk, note the following:
If your Disk File information does not contain a path, it looks like this:
Windows Me.vmdk
If your disk entry resembles the one above (just a filename with a .vmdk extension), you can move the disk and redo log anywhere you wish.
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