Has VMWare Workstation become incompatible with VMWare Server?

I have a few VMs created in VMWare Workstation 6.5, which have been upgraded to version 7 compatibility. I can copy them to a PC running VMWare Server 2.0.2, and add them to the inventory of VMs with no problems. However, VMs created in VMWare Workstation 7.1.2 will make VMWare Server crash when I try to add them to the inventory.

According to the VM creation wizard, VMs created in Workstation 7.x should be compatible with Server 2.x, but something is very wrong here. Have the new Workstation versions become incompatible with Server? Would downgrading to Workstation 7.0.0 circumvent the problem?

Batibix

Posted 2011-01-18T22:53:33.163

Reputation: 143

Why did my question get moved from Serverfault, where there are 139 questions tagged VMWare-server, to this place, where there are only 20 questions with that tag? I thought that a question regarding servers belonged at Serverfault. – Batibix – 2011-01-18T23:28:39.207

Maybe you should ask on FS meta? – AndrejaKo – 2011-01-19T00:11:28.360

Answers

The short and easy answer: Do not copy vmware virtual machines between different platforms. The support for this is limited. Use vmware converter instead. It will ensure the virtual machine is compatible with the vmware product you want to use.

pehrs

Posted 2011-01-18T22:53:33.163

Reputation: 357

I'd love an option in VMWare Converter that lets me just convert the VMX file, since that's the culprit. Still, Converter does the job. When I need to move a VM to the server, I'll run Converter and then replace the original VM with the converted one. That leaves me with a VM that I can freely move back and forth between the server and workstation, since VMWare Workstation can run a Server VM, but apparently not the other way around since Workstation 7.1.x. – Batibix – 2011-01-19T16:08:26.177