Re: [Qemu-devel] [Bug 907994] Re: converting VDI to IMG

[Stefan Hajnoczi]

On Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 02:13:01PM -0000, Stefan Weil wrote:
> Which version of QEMU do you use?
> You can run QEMU with the original (=vdi) image (and use -snapshot, then QEMU 
> won't write to the image), too.
> 
> A Windows blue screen or a start menu is a clear indication that the image 
> conversion was successful.
> Therefore I assume that this is not a QEMU related problem but a Windows 
> problem.
> 
> Windows does not like when you move installation images from one machine to 
> another
> one with different hardware. That's what you do when you move from VirtualBox 
> to QEMU.

It's worth adding that there are guides on migrating from one
virtualization solution to another (sometimes called "v2v").  With
Windows it is especially painful but can be done if you prepare the
image ahead of time with the appropriate registry changes, drivers, etc.

Search around for information on migrating.  Here's info from VMware to
KVM but the process should be similar for vbox too:
http://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Migration_of_servers_to_Proxmox_VE#VMware_to_Proxmox_VE_.28KVM.29

Or you could try out virt-v2v (from what I can tell it's still under
active development and maybe a little early to use it):
https://www.redhat.com/archives/libguestfs/2011-December/msg00061.html

Or simply install a fresh VM under QEMU and move the data files over if
migrating seems like too much work.

Stefan