After conversion, it automatically installs VMware Tools, adjusts HALs (for Windows), and reconfigures network adapters. You can also resize disks, change SCSI controllers (LSI Logic SAS vs. BusLogic), and even reconfigure the target datastore on the fly. This saves hours of manual cleanup. The Bad – Where it shows its age 1. Windows‑only GUI for the full installer Yes, there’s a Linux CLI version (converter‑tui), but the feature‑rich GUI runs only on Windows. If you’re a pure Linux admin, you’ll either need a jumpbox or get comfortable with command‑line flags. The GUI also feels like it hasn’t had a design refresh since 2015 – it works, but it’s clunky.
If VMware ever kills this tool, many small-to-medium businesses will be in serious trouble. For now, keep a copy of the standalone installer on your admin USB drive – you will thank yourself someday. vm ware converter
Unlike older imaging tools, VMware Converter can perform a live, online conversion while the source server continues running. You can set a replication schedule, let the initial sync run for hours (or days over slow WAN links), and then do a final sync + cutover with just a few minutes of downtime. For 24/7 production environments, that’s a game changer. This saves hours of manual cleanup