Table of Contents
Physical Windows servers still exist in 2026, often as the last box in a rack running an application nobody wants to reinstall. Moving one into vSphere is routine when planned properly: the disk contents are copied while the source is running, the resulting VM is booted with VMware’s virtual hardware, and the old physical drivers and agents are cleaned out. This guide covers Windows Server 2019, 2022 and 2025 sources landing on ESXi 8.0 U3 or 9.x, either through vCenter Converter Standalone (still maintained by Broadcom for these targets) or through an image backup restored into an empty VM, which is the method we use when Converter cannot run on the source.
Applies to Windows Server 2019, 2022 and 2025 to ESXi 8.0 U3 or 9.x
Short answer: Install vCenter Converter Standalone on the source server or a helper machine, choose “Powered on » This local machine” (or remote with admin credentials), point it at the vCenter or ESXi host, size the disks and virtual hardware, and run the conversion with “Synchronise changes” enabled so a final delta copy happens at cutover. Afterwards, boot the VM with the network disconnected, install VMware Tools, remove hardware-vendor agents and hidden devices, reactivate Windows, then reconnect the network and decommission the physical box.
Pre-checks on the source
- Run
chkdsk C: /scanand let the backup run one last time; a conversion copies file-system errors faithfully. - Note the disk layout with
diskpart»list diskandlist vol. Dynamic disks, software RAID and BitLocker-protected volumes need special handling: decrypt BitLocker first (manage-bde -off C:), and prefer converting dynamic volumes to basic where the application permits. - Confirm the boot mode. UEFI sources become EFI VMs; BIOS sources become BIOS VMs. Converter handles both, but the VM firmware setting must match.
- Record the IP configuration (
ipconfig /all > C:\ipconfig.txt) because the virtual NIC will be a new adapter. - Check the Windows licence type. OEM licences bound to the physical hardware do not transfer legally; you will need volume or retail keys for the VM.
- Stop or plan to stop write-heavy services (SQL, Exchange, file shares) during the final sync.
Convert with vCenter Converter Standalone
Install Converter on the source (simplest, avoids remote agent issues) and start a new conversion. Source type: Powered on » This local machine. Destination: VMware Infrastructure virtual machine, with the vCenter or host address and credentials. Then in the options page:
- Data to copy: select volumes, resize the system volume if the physical disk is mostly empty, and choose thin provisioning.
- Devices: set CPU count and memory to match the workload, not the physical box. Pick the paravirtual SCSI controller only if the source already has the pvscsi driver installed; otherwise use LSI Logic SAS and switch later.
- Networks: attach the NIC but untick “Connected at power on”.
- Advanced: tick “Install VMware Tools” and “Synchronise changes” with a scheduled final sync; leave “Remove system restore checkpoints” ticked.
Converter creates a VSS snapshot, streams blocks to the destination, and at the scheduled time performs the final sync and can power the source off.
Alternative: image backup and restore
Where Converter is unsupported or blocked by security policy, take a bare-metal image with your backup product (Veeam Agent, Windows Server Backup with wbadmin start backup -allCritical -backupTarget:\\nas\p2v -quiet), create an empty VM with the right firmware and disk sizes, boot it from the backup product’s recovery ISO or the Windows Server installation media, and restore the image. Windows Server Backup restore from WinRE handles the driver injection for the virtual disk controller automatically on 2019 and later.
Post-conversion clean-up
Boot the VM with the NIC disconnected and:
set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
devmgmt.mscIn Device Manager » View » Show hidden devices, remove ghosted physical NICs, RAID controllers and USB devices. Uninstall vendor management agents (iLO, iDRAC, OpenManage, storage tools). Install or update VMware Tools, then assign the old IP configuration to the new adapter. If the old NIC’s IP refuses to release with “already assigned to another adapter”, the hidden device removal above clears it. Reactivate Windows with the new key:
slmgr /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
slmgr /atoIf the server is a domain member, the computer account trust survives because the SID and machine password are unchanged. Domain controllers should never be P2V’d; build new ones and demote the physical one instead.
Verify
Before reconnecting the network, confirm all volumes are present with the correct letters, services are set to start, and event logs are clean of disk errors. Then connect the NIC, confirm connectivity, run the application’s own health checks, and keep the physical server powered off but intact for at least a week.
Common pitfall
Leaving the physical server on the network after cutover creates duplicate names and IPs, and if it is a file server, split-brain data. Power it off immediately after the final sync. The second common problem is a VM that blue-screens with INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE because the storage controller driver is missing; boot from the Windows ISO and inject the LSI or pvscsi driver with dism /Image:C:\ /Add-Driver /Driver:D:\drivers\pvscsi.inf, or switch the controller type in the VM settings.
P2V Windows Server at a glance
Official documentation: Broadcom TechDocs (VMware), Windows Server documentation, Linux man pages.
Related guides: Upgrade vCenter Server Appliance 8.0 to 9.x with the Migration Assistant · Migrate VMs from VMware to Proxmox VE 9 after the Broadcom licensing changes · Upgrade ESXi 8.0 U3 to ESXi 9.1 with esxcli and Lifecycle Manager.
Frequently asked questions
Does vCenter Converter Standalone support ESXi 9 as a destination?
Yes; the current Converter releases target vCenter 8 and 9 and ESXi 8 and 9. Check the release notes for the exact source operating systems supported by your build, because older Windows versions have been dropped.
How long does a P2V conversion take?
The initial copy runs at the speed of the source disks and the network, commonly 1–3 hours per terabyte over gigabit. The final synchronisation copies only changed blocks and usually takes minutes, which is what keeps the cutover window short.
Can I undo a P2V and go back to the physical server?
Yes, as long as the physical server was only powered off, not wiped. Power off the VM, power the physical machine on, and any data written to the VM since cutover must be copied back manually.
Maintenance record
This guide changes servers, data or security settings, so we re-check it against current versions on a fixed schedule. Take a backup or snapshot before you start.
- Maintained by
- srvScripts editorial team
- Supported versions
- Windows Server 2019, 2022 and 2025 to ESXi 8.0 U3 or 9.x
- Last full review
- Next review