How To Convert an Acronis Backup File To a VMWare Image

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How To Convert an Acronis Backup File To a VMWare Image
Overview

You can use VMWare Converter 5.1.0 or higher to convert an Acronis backup file (TLB file) to
a VMWare image. However VMWare Converter only supports Acronis True Image Echo 9.1
and 9.5, or Acronis True Image Home 10 or 11. This is not the same as Acronis 11.

To accomplish the conversion if the Acronis backup image from any version other than the
supported versions listed above, you must first convert the TLB file to a VHD (Virtual Hard
Drive) file and then convert the VHD file to a VMDK file. The VMDK file can then be used to
create your VMWare image.

To convert from a TLB format to a VHD format, you will need to use Acronis True Image 2014
or higher. If you dont have this utility, there is a free 30 day trial which will allow you to
convert the TLB file to a VHD file. If you are going to be doing this often, you may want to
purchase this utility.

After you have the VHD file, you then can use a free utility named StarWind V2V Image
Converter to convert the VHD to VMDK format.


Converting Acronis TIB backup file to Microsoft VHD Virtual Hard Drive file

Acronis backup solutions use proprietary disk image and archive format that has a TIB file
extension. Data in TIB files can be compressed, encrypted and protected with password.
First thing you need to do, is to convert the TIB image to VHD Virtual Hard Drive format.
Older versions of TIB files created by Acronis True Image version 10 and 11 (released in 2006
and 2007) can be converted by the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone directly to VMDK
disk format.
1.) Download and install the Acronis True Image to your computer. It is available as a trial
that works 30 days after installation.

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/trueimage/










How To Convert an Acronis Backup File To a VMWare Image
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2.) Start Acronis True Image

Figure 1: Acronis True Image main window


3.) Click on the Tools and utilities tab. Scroll down in the list of tools and select Acronis
backup conversion option.

Figure 2: Acronis True Image tools



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4.) Select the backup archive from the table, or click on Browse button and select the .tib file
you want to convert and click on Next button.

Figure 3: Acronis True Image conversion tool select .tib file
How To Convert an Acronis Backup File To a VMWare Image
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5.) Select location for new VHD file and click on Next button.

Figure 4: Acronis True Image conversion tool select destination
6.) In the summary window click on Proceed button.

Figure 5: Acronis True Image conversion tool summary
How To Convert an Acronis Backup File To a VMWare Image
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7.) Wait till the conversion will be finished.


Converting VHD Virtual Hard Drive to VMware VMDK Virtual Machine Disk format

VMware Workstation is not able to use the VHD disk format as a virtual drive for its virtual
machines, but with free StarWind V2V Image Converter you can simply transform a VHD disk
to a VMware VMDK file format.
1.) Download and install the StarWind V2V Image Converter.

http://www.starwindsoftware.com/converter

2.) Start V2V Image Converter and Click on the Next button. Select source file, in our case
the converted TIB backup.

Figure 6: V2V Image Converter select source

How To Convert an Acronis Backup File To a VMWare Image
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3.) Select new image format, in our case the VMWare growable image.

Figure 7: V2V Image Converter select image format

4.) Virtual disk type set as a SCSI drive.

Figure 8: V2V Image Converter select kind of disk

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5.) Select output destination and name. Click on Next button and wait until the conversion is
finished.

Figure 9: V2V Image Converter select destination file


How To Convert an Acronis Backup File To a VMWare Image
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Create a new virtual machine in VMware Workstation
Now you have prepared a bootable virtual disk for VMware Workstation.

1.) Open VMware Workstation and select File menu New Virtual Machine option.
WMware will open the New Virtual Machine Wizard.

Figure 10: VMware Workstation create new virtual machine

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2.) Select Custon (advanced) option and click Next.

Figure 11: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard

3.) Select Virtual Machine compatibility (virtual machine features) and click Next.

Figure 12: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard hardware compatibility
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4.) Select I will install the operating system later option and click Next.

Figure 13: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard guest operating system
5.) Select guest operating system which is the same that was installed on the system from
where you created the Acronis TLB image and click Next.

Figure 14: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard select OS
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6.) Set the virtual machine name and location and click Next.

Figure 15:VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard set name and location
7.) Set processor configuration and click Next.

Figure 16: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard processor settings

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8.) Set memory size and click Next.

Figure 17: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard set memory size
9.) Set network type and click Next.

Figure 18: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard network settings

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10.) Select I/O controller type to BusLogic (Recommended) and click Next.

Figure 19: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard controller settings

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11.) Select Use an existing virtual disk option and select the .vmdk file from your hard
drive and click Next. You may get a message asking if you want to Convert existing
virtual disk to newer format?. You can either choose to Keep Existing Format or
Convert. If you convert to the latest format, then this image will only be able to be
opened in this version of VMWare or higher. If you choose to keep the existing format
then it is backwards compatible and will work in older versions of VMWare.


Figure 20: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard select disk


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12.) You will get a review of the new virtual machine. You can click on Customize
Hardware if you want to make any changes. If everything looks good, then click on the
Finish button.

Figure 21: VMware Workstation Virtual Machine Wizard summary window

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13.) And that's it. Click on Power on this virtual machine option and wait until the system
boots up.

Figure 22: New Virtual Machine ready to power on