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Disk2VHD error 'Unable to create target file"

Answered Disk2VHD error 'Unable to create target file"

  • Thursday, December 13, 2012 6:20 AM
     
     
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    I was trying to create a VHD image using disk2vhd. this is what happens,

    I have an old server (very very old) which does not have any USB ports and also does not have any expansion slots or extra space of any HDD. 

    The only solutions i can come out with is to plug an external HDD onto another server and share it out. 

    Only the Old server, I map the shared drive and proceed to run disk2vhd. after a while approximately about 5 mins, it come out with an error, "unable to create target file" there isnt any form of error code and i also tried googling for the error message but I couldnt find much info on it. 

    Now, the ext hdd works fine. the server cannot be down. I need to virtualise the old server to move it as a vm on hyper V. 

    Does anyone have any better solutions or any idea why is there such error message? 

    Thanks for the kind patience

     

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  • Thursday, December 13, 2012 9:18 AM
     
     
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    What operating system is it on this old server?

    Here is a guide for P2V with System Center VMM 2012 and p2v http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh427293.aspx

     
  • Thursday, December 13, 2012 4:37 PM
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    Disk2VHD runs in the system context, your drive mapping is in the user context.  The program does not have access to your drive mapping.

    Also, you need to get support in the disk2vhd download area.  Most likely you will not get great support here.

    That being said; What is the OS of the machine?  You claim it is old hardware, so I am guessing that it is some very old OS with some very fragile application that everyone is afraid of touching.

    Brian Ehlert
    http://ITProctology.blogspot.com
    Learn. Apply. Repeat.
    Disclaimer: Attempting change is of your own free will.

     
  • Friday, December 14, 2012 4:40 AM
     
     
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    Sorry forget to add that info in. The server is running on 2003 standard with SP1. 

    yes, the system is so old where no one dares to touch it. and thats why I am stuck with no ideas of what to do.



    • Edited by Knight_liew Friday, December 14, 2012 5:25 AM typo
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  • Friday, December 14, 2012 8:07 AM
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    Hi,

    Does the disk on the Windows 2003 SP1 server have enough space to store its VHD?

    We can even use Disk2vhd to create VHD file on local volume, if the disk have enough space, you may create it on local.

    As “BrianEh” mentioned, Disk2VHD runs in system context, driver mapping runs in user context. And the error “unable to create target file” is more like permission related error.

    I have a question, is this Windows 2003 SP1 server in a domain?

    If the server is in a domain, you can add its computer account to the share folder, and grant it full control permission.

    If the server is not in a domain, you can only use Disk2VHD in the local disk.

    For more information please refer to following MS articles:

    Virtually Painless - Using Disk2VHD to reduce time to solution
    http://blogs.technet.com/b/askperf/archive/2010/01/05/virtually-painless-using-disk2vhd-to-reduce-time-to-solution.aspx
    Unattended Err Msg: Setup Was Unable to Create the Following...
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/169632
    Hyper-V: P2V with Disk2VHD
    http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/9790.hyper-v-p2v-with-disk2vhd-en-us.aspx

    Lawrence

    TechNet Community Support

     
  • Friday, December 14, 2012 12:39 PM
     
     
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    HI Lawrence,

    Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately the server is not in any domain and the server have very low HDD space and not enough to store the VHD. Thus i am out of ideas. Perhaps the next best choice is to get a SAN device and attach a LUN into it and create vhd from there.