Virtual machines are useful in many ways. You can use it to try out new operating systems, test experimental software, run older applications, etc. Two of the most widely used virtual machine software programs are VMware and VirtualBox. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but the best thing is that you can easily switch your virtual machines between them: convert VMware to VirtualBox and vice versa. You’ll never have to restructure the same virtual machine in different software again.
Good to know: Can’t decide between VMware and VirtualBox? Learn which virtualization software is best for you in 2024.
Migrate from VMware to VirtualBox
Before beginning the migration process, ensure that the virtual machine you want to export is completely powered off and not in a “suspended” state. This applies to both VMware and VirtualBox. You need to convert your VMware virtual machine (.vmx) file to an “.ovf” file. OVF is an open standard for packaging and distributing virtual machines and is supported by both VirtualBox and VMware.
Export the desired VMware virtual machine file to an .ovf file by opening your VMware directory and the OVFTool folder. Press Shift + Right-Click, then click “Open PowerShell window here.”
Use the following command and press Enter in the PowerShell window. Change the path of the .vmx file you want to export and the destination for the new .ovf file based on the corresponding paths in your system.
ovftool “F:Setupskali-linux-2023.2-vmware-amd64kali-linux-2023.2-vmware-amd64.vmwarevmkali-linux-2023.2-vmware-amd64.vmx” f:ExportedKaliLinux.ovf
Once you execute the command, the system will start writing the OVF package to the marked destination. Depending on the size of the VM, it may take a few minutes to complete.
Also Read: Installing Proxmox VE 8.1 on VMware Workstation 17
Note: If you are using the paid version (e.g. VMware Workstation Pro), you can also export the VM as an OVF file by navigating to file and then select Export to OVF. Just enter the name and path for the OVF file and you’re done.
Now that you have successfully exported the OVF package to the desired location, launch VirtualBox and click Import or File -> Import Appliance.
In the Import virtual appliance In the Browse window, click the Browse button, select the exported OVF file, and click Next.
The next screen shows the Device settings. VirtualBox will show you all VM settings. Leave them as they are; You can always change them later. Click on Finish keep going.
The import process will take some time. Once the import is complete, your imported virtual machine will be in the VM VirtualBox Manager. Select the VM and click begin to turn on the VM.
You have successfully converted your VM from VMware to VirtualBox.
Troubleshoot import errors in VirtualBox
If you receive import errors, follow the steps below.
- Open the exported OVF file in Notepad, find all occurrences of “ElementName” and replace them with “Caption”.
- Find the instance “vmware.sata.ahci” and replace it with “AHCI”.
- Using this online tool, find the SHA1 hash value of the exported OVF file and replace the old hash value with the new one in the exported file. You can open it with any text editor.
When you’re done making changes, try importing again. This should fix the import errors. If not, you should probably restart the above VMware to VirtualBox conversion process from scratch.
Also read: Introduction to Proxmox VE 8.1 – Part 1
Diploma:
Both VMware and VirtualBox are excellent virtualization tools for Windows users. Depending on your preferences, you can use both to try out different operating systems or run risky software. You can easily export your favorite VMs – convert VMware to VirtualBox.
References:
How to Convert Virtual Machines from VMware to VirtualBox and Vice Versa
https://hetmanrecovery.com/recovery_news/how-to-transfer-a-virtual-machine-from-the-virtualbox-hypervisor-to-vmware-hyper-v-and-vice-versa.html
https://medium.com/time-is-a-gentleman/how-to-convert-vmware-virtual-machines-to-virtual-box-1dd387c5c625