vmware converter needs the eventlog service to be running

I was P2Ving a Windows 2000 machine (yes, i know), and the Vmware Converter tool kept on asking to push the vmware converter agent.

Turned out, my client had disabled the eventlog service.  Just make sure the eventlog service is running before you do a P2V with the vmware converter.

According to Vmware only the following services need to be running for a P2V :

• Workstation
• Server
• TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper

troubleshoot P2VError SNAPSHOT_FAILURE(-1) when doing a P2V with vmware converter

Possible fixes for Windows XP and Windows 2003

• XP and Windows 2003 : check the volume shadow copy service in services

Possible fixes for Windows 2000

• Upgrade vmware converter to latest version
• try not resizing the disks
• run a chkdsk
• install the converter with a local admin account on the host you want to P2V
• defragment
• ignore pagefile or do not ignore pagefile
• deinstall other imaging tools (ultraback, acronis,…)
• if all else fails, use another imaging tool

investigate the logfiles on both the server running vmware converter as on the target!!!

for example i found this in a failled converter log :

[#2] [2008-09-24 14:29:53.625 'App' 2824 verbose] [snapshotVolumeFactory,148] Creating snapshot using vsnap
[#2] [2008-09-24 14:29:53.625 'App' 2824 verbose] [snapshotVolumeVSNAPWin32,124] Vsnap does not have admin rights

=> in this case, uninstalling the converter, and pushing it again with a local admin fixed this.