I looked thru this document before starting this testing and decided I wanted to move the converted machines to a repository were they could be accessed at any later date.
This is what I have been testing with some success.
I will look thru the document again and see if sending the conversion directly to the ESXi server will make any difference but my guess is not. What I did should have worked and regardless of which method I use the vmkfstools will have to be run to inflate the vmdk drive. If this is not done then the disk type 7 error occurs.
Oddly enough when in Vsphere client I right click on the imported vmdk file in the data base and try to use the inflate option there is fails. Can't remember the error message. Yet when I run the inflate command from the command line using vmkfstools it completes OK?? Wonder why?
From my Google searches VMware converter was just recently made compatible with ESXi 5.1so it seems there still some issues that need addressed. I will update this thread next week as I am done for the weekend. I want to know if the XP SP3 test cycle will work or not.
Thanks for your reply!
Lee