--- title: "VMware to Proxmox: Import Wizard to Convert a Virtual Machine" url: "https://edywerder.ch/vmware-to-proxmox/" type: "post" published: "2026-02-15T13:27:27+01:00" modified: "2026-06-28T20:19:47+02:00" author: "Edy Werder" --- --- This guide is tailored for homelab enthusiasts and small-business IT administrators who need to migrate virtual machines from VMware ESXi to Proxmox VE. With recent Broadcom licensing changes affecting VMware, many users are looking for cost-effective, flexible alternatives. ![VMware to Proxmox. Use Import Wizart to Convert a Virtual Machine](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/VMware-to-Proxmox-1067x600.png) --- **Editor’s Note:** This article was updated in June 2026 to reflect the latest Proxmox VE Import Wizard workflow for migrating VMware ESXi VMs. A “Common Issues After Migration” section has been added. The manual conversion method remains included for reference. If you want to move a VM from **VMware ESXi to Proxmox**, the easiest way today is the **built-in Import Wizard** in the Proxmox web interface. This importer was introduced with **Proxmox VE 8.2** and has improved since then. It lets you connect to your ESXi host, select a VM, and import it without the old VMDK command-line dance. In this guide, I’ll show the wizard method first (the one most people should use). I keep the manual method further down for edge cases and for readers who want to understand what happens under the hood. **Quick Answer: VMware to Proxmox (ESXi Import Wizard)** - In Proxmox: **Datacenter → Storage → Add → ESXi** - Make sure the VM on ESXi is **powered off** and has **no snapshots** - Ideally, uninstall VMware Tools and install VirtIO drivers (Windows) - Import the VM, then install **QEMU Guest Agent** - Expect a NIC rename or network reset, so note your IP settings first --- ## Introduction: VMware to Proxmox migration Moving a VM from VMware ESXi to Proxmox VE is straightforward today because Proxmox includes a built-in Import Wizard (introduced in VE 8.2 and improved since). This guide focuses on the wizard method first. It is the fastest way for most homelabs and small environments because you can import directly from the Proxmox web UI instead of manually copying VMDKs. I recommend testing the migration with one or more test VMs before moving the production environment. A few expectations before we start: the VM must be powered off, and imports often fail if the VM has **snapshots**. Also, the migration can reset the network interface, so it’s smart to note your current IP settings first. Proxmox uses VirtIO for storage and network drivers, often requiring changes for Windows VMs, while Linux usually requires no changes. Windows may require reactivation due to hardware changes during migration. Although I haven’t experienced it yet. After the import, I’ll show the small “cleanup” steps that make the VM feel native on Proxmox, such as enabling **VirtIO** (Windows) and the **QEMU Guest Agent**. For completeness, I keep the older manual method further down for edge cases. Once your VMs are running on Proxmox VE, I recommend setting up [Proxmox Backup Server](https://edywerder.ch/proxmox-backup-server/) for ongoing backups. --- --- ## VMware Workstation: Can you import it too? The import wizard only works with VMware ESXi. If you’re running VMware Workstation Pro, the wizard won’t apply to you. That said, the manual method should still work, because Workstation VMs are typically just VMDK disks plus a VM configuration, and Proxmox can import VMs from OVF (and also import VMDK disks manually). Note: I haven’t personally tested this process with Workstation, so consider it an *untested but likely option*. If you try it, I’d love to hear your results so I can update this guide for others. --- If you try this approach, please leave a comment on the article — your feedback will help me confirm and refine the guide for other readers. --- ## Step-by-Step: Convert VMware to Proxmox VE with the Import Wizard Proxmox VE brings together everything you need—VMs, containers, storage, and clustering—in one web-based interface. But let’s skip the theory and get practical. Below, I’ll walk you through the exact steps to import a VMware VM into Proxmox using the new wizard. ### Step 1: Add the ESXI repository to Proxmox - Navigate to ‘Datacenter’, ‘Storage’, and click the ‘Add’ button - You should see the entry for ESXi ![Proxmox adding ESXi storage](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/Proxmox-adding-ESXi-storage.webp) - It’s time to add your ESXi repository to the Proxmox environment. - For the ID, use letters, not numbers. - Use the IP address and credentials of your ESXi server. You can add the VCenter IP, but Proxmox states that the migration will take longer. - I don’t use a certificate for my ESXi; I checked the ‘skip.’ I like that Proxmox added this feature. ![Add ESXi repository to Proxmox](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/Add-ESXi-repository-to-Proxmox.webp) If your inputs were correct, you will see the ESXi storage, see the image below. ![Proxmox with ESXi repository](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/Proxmox-with-ESXi-repository-scaled.webp) ### Step 2: Import a VMware ESXi VM - The new ESXi storage is available on each Proxmox node - Click on it, and on the right side, you will see all the VMs available. - I import my ‘Test Server,’ which is a Windows Server. ![ESXi repository showing on each Proxmox node](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/ESXi-repository-showing-on-each-Proxmox-node.webp) --- Before clicking **Import**, a few things to mention - Make sure the VM has no snapshots. Snapshots are a common cause of import failures. - Power off the VM on ESXi**.** The standard workflow expects the source VM to be powered off. - Remove VMware Tools (Windows). It helps avoid leftover VMware drivers and services after the move. - Pre-install VirtIO drivers before you migrate (Windows)**.** This saves steps during cutover because the drivers are already installed in the guest os when you switch the VM to VirtIO in Proxmox. - Migration can reset the network interface**.** Note your IP settings first, or temporarily switch to DHCP to avoid locking yourself out. - If you use BitLocker or another disk encryption tool, consider decrypting the drive before migration. It reduces the risk of recovery prompts or boot surprises after virtual hardware changes. Pro tip: Install VirtIO drivers while the VM is still on ESXi (Windows) ESXi does not use VirtIO devices, but having the VirtIO drivers installed in Windows ahead of time makes the Proxmox cutover smoother. After the import, you can switch disk and NIC to VirtIO without doing extra driver gymnastics. --- ![VirtIO ISO drivers fro Proxmox - Install drivers and Qemu guest](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/VirtIO-ISO-drivers-for-Proxmox.webp) Click the ‘Import’ button, and the import wizard will appear. The wizard will recognize the settings from the ESXi VM. ![Proxmox Import Guest General](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/Proxmox-Import-Guest-General.webp) ![Proxmox Import Guest Advanced](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/Proxmox-Import-Guest-Advanced.webp) **Note on “Live Migration” in the Import Wizard** In the *General* tab, you’ll see a live migration checkbox. This doesn’t mean you can migrate a powered-on VM directly from ESXi to Proxmox. Instead, if enabled, Proxmox will boot the VM as soon as it has migrated “enough” of the disk and continue streaming the remaining data in the background. I don’t recommend using this option for two reasons: **Practical workflow**: after a migration, most admins want to tweak VM settings (controllers, VirtIO drivers, CPU/RAM) before the first boot. Starting too early just adds risk. **Performance and data safety**: With live migration, the VM’s disk I/O is slower during the transfer, and if the process fails, any changes made mid-migration are lost (though the original VM on VMware remains intact). In most cases, it’s cleaner and safer to let the migration finish completely, adjust settings, and then boot the VM in Proxmox. --- - Click the ‘Import’ button to start the migration process. ![Proxmox Import Guest transfer](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/Proxmox-Import-Guest-transfer.webp) ![Proxmox Import Guest transfer finished](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/Proxmox-Import-Guest-transfer-finished.webp) In the right image, you see the task finished successfully ### Step 3: Start the converted VM Now, it’s time to boot up the converted VM. The new VM will be visible on the left side. As you can see from the picture below, the Windows VM booted, and the SCSI controller is type VirtIO. ![converted VM is booting](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/converted-VM-is-booting-scaled.webp) ![Proxmox virtual machine settings](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/Proxmox-virtual-machine-settings.webp) Pretty neat, right? Proxmox has really simplified the VMware migration process. **Curious what hardware I run Proxmox on?** I created an Amazon storefront with all the gear I use and recommend. [Visit my Amazon Storefront](https://www.amazon.com/shop/edyus/list/1YOVY1DPQY53A?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d) --- ### Fine-Tuning Windows VMs After Import If your imported Windows VM crashes at boot or you simply want the best performance, adjusting the controller and disk bus type can make a big difference. 1. **Adjust the Controller and Boot Disk** 2. **Prepare for VirtIO Performance** 3. **Use Single SCSI for the controller** 4. **Switch Disks SCSI single** Please see my article [How to Install Windows Server on Proxmox with VirtIO Drivers](https://edywerder.ch/windows-server-on-proxmox/) **Note:** If you’re not chasing every bit of performance, you can leave your disks on SATA and the VM will still run reliably. These steps are primarily for users who want to fine-tune their settings for optimal speed. Be sure to check out my article on how to install the [Proxmox equivalent of VMware Tools.](https://edywerder.ch/proxmox-vmware-tools/) --- ### Fine-Tuning Linux VMs After Import For Linux VMs (such as Ubuntu and Debian), the process is much easier than for Windows because VirtIO drivers are already included in the kernel. - After importing, you can safely switch the disk bus to VirtIO SCSI and the network card to VirtIO (paravirtualized) right away. - The only adjustment you may need is updating the **network interface name** so the VM keeps the same static IP: - On **Debian**, edit `/etc/network/interfaces` (e.g., change `ens192` → `ens18`). - On **Ubuntu**, edit the netplan config under `/etc/netplan/*.yaml`. - Finally, install the QEMU Guest Agent for better Proxmox integration: `sudo apt update` `sudo apt install qemu-guest-agent -y` - Then enable it in the Proxmox GUI under VM → Options → QEMU Guest Agent. That’s it — no extra driver installs or controller tricks are needed. Linux VMs usually boot and run smoothly right after migration. ### Common Issues After Migration Most VMware ESXi VMs boot fine on Proxmox VE after import. But a few things come up regularly. **NIC rename.** The network adapter gets a new name in the guest OS. On Linux, update /etc/network/interfaces (Debian) or the netplan config (Ubuntu) to match the new name. On Windows, just reassign your static IP in Network Settings. **Windows reactivation.** Possible, because the virtual hardware looks different to Windows licensing after migration. I haven’t hit this myself, but worth knowing before you migrate a production VM. **VirtIO SCSI not available at boot.** If you skipped pre-installing VirtIO drivers on the ESXi host, the migrated VM boots on SATA. That works fine. Switch the disk to VirtIO SCSI after the drivers are installed for best performance. **Snapshots blocking the import.** If the import wizard throws an error, check for snapshots on the source VM first. 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It’s now obsolete, but it highlights how much more complicated migration used to be — and why many people hesitated to make the switch to Proxmox. --- ## Step-by-Step: Convert VMware to Proxmox (Manual Method) I assume you have already installed Proxmox and configured local storage. The sample Proxmox installation used in this article is on a Dell PowerEdge T630. I have 6 disks attached to a Dell PERC Adapter. I use Proxmox VE 8.1 --- ![Proxmox disk configuration](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Proxmox-disk-configuration-1200x501.jpg)Proxmox disk configuration --- ### Step 1: Locate the VM(s) in your VMware environment Enable the SSH service in VCenter or ESXI. It’s best to SSH directly with Putty or Kitty. --- ![VMware to Proxmox](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/locating.image_proxmox-694x600.png) --- 1. cd /vmfs/volumes is where the datastore is located 2. locate the storage where the VM reside 3. in my case, it is on the storage ‘Dell_SAS, cd /”Dell SAS” 4. I want to convert the VM ‘WindowServer2022’ 5. We need to move both vmdk files to Proxmox --- ### Step 2: Transfer the files with scp to the Proxmox environment Go to the Proxmox environment and open the ‘shell’ console ``` scp -v root@192.168.1.56:/vmfs/volumes/5f57b3e1-433e2c24-0b26-2cea7f5aa14f/WindowsServer2022/WindowsServer2022-flat.vmdk /mnt/lvol/images/WindowsServer2022-flat.vmdk ``` for the flat vmdk file, repeat the same step for the vmdk file (shown in the picture above. My destination location is /mnt/lvol/images, which I configured earlier (not the scope of this article). SCP transfer may take a while, depending on the size of the vmdk files. Shut down the VM before the transfer and delete any snapshots. It is also a good idea to deinstall the VMware tools from the VM. --- ### Step 3: Create a Proxmox VM with the GUI There are two key considerations: select the correct BIOS and choose SATA as the type for the hard drive. The size of the hard drive doesn’t matter. My virtual machine has the ID 100 --- ![Proxmox VM](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Proxmox-VM-1123x600.jpg)Proxmox VM --- ### Step 4: Import the VMDK disk ``` qm importdisk 100 /mnt/lvol/images/WindowsServer2022.vmdk VMdata -format raw ``` --- ![disk imported](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/disk-imported-1200x130.jpg) --- ![unused disk](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/unused-disk-1144x600.jpg)Proxmox VM with converted disk, but not enabled yet --- The converted vmdk disk will automatically appear as ‘Unused Disk’ in the Proxmox GUI. Now highlight it and click ‘Edit’. Make sure the ‘bus/type’ is SATA too. A converted Windows VM would not boot in Proxmox without SATA as the bus type. In the next step, we are going to install the VIRTio drivers. --- ![converted disk attached](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/converted-disk-attached-1116x600.jpg)Proxmox VM with the newly converted disk enabled --- Go to ‘Options’, change the boot order, and ensure the newly attached disk is enabled. --- ![boot order](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/boot-order-1200x483.jpg)boot order --- ### Step 5: Start the VM and install the VirtIO drivers You can download the VirtIO drivers from this page. [Windows VirtIO](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Windows_VirtIO_Drivers). Depending on how you set up the local storage, you can upload the ISO directly to the Proxmox store --- ![VMware to Proxmox ISO Images](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ISO-Images-1200x494.jpg)ISO Images in the LVM store --- and attach them to the CD-ROM in the VM ![VirtIO ISO attached to CD-Rom](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/VirtIO-ISO-attaced-to-CD-Rom-907x600.jpg) --- Now we are ready to start the VM for the first time on the Proxmox environment. ![Vmware to Proxmox](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Vmware-to-Proxmox-1200x453.jpg)VMware to Proxmox --- We can now install the Windows drivers. Since I already attached the VirtIO driver ISO, it is mounted in the Windows VM. In most cases, it is the 64-bit driver’s virtio-win-gt-x64 to execute After installation, shut down the VM, and then you can change the SATA bus/type of the attached hard disk to ‘VirtIO’ for best performance. Also, you can remove the disk that was created when we set up the Proxmox VM. --- Windows crashes during boot-up with VirtIO driver I have seen instances where Windows crashed at boot-up when the VirtIO driver was installed. A solution is to add another hard drive with the bus/type ‘VirtIO.’ Windows loads the VirtIO driver for the new HD. After that, you can remove the second HD and change bus/type to ‘scsi’ for the first Hard Disk. --- ![VM after conversion](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/VM-after-conversion-1124x600.jpg)Proxmox VM after conversion --- --- I would appreciate your feedback. Was this article helpful? Please share your opinion with me in the comment section below. Or, if you prefer a more personal touch, feel free to email me directly at info@edywerder.ch. Your thoughts and insights are always appreciated. ## Before you go … If you found the guide on transitioning from VMware to Proxmox insightful, you might be interested in a more in-depth comparison between these two platforms. I recommend checking out [Proxmox vs ESXi](https://edywerder.ch/proxmox-vs-esxi/), which delves into the strengths and weaknesses of each. This comparison will provide a clearer understanding of how Proxmox stacks up against VMware’s ESXi, helping you make an informed decision for your virtualization needs. This article is precious if you consider which platform best aligns with your technical requirements and business objectives. ## Related Articles - [Best Server for Home Lab](https://edywerder.ch/wp-content/uploads/Best-Server-for-Home-Lab-featured-image-1024x512-px.webp) - [Proxmox Upload ISO: Step-by-Step Guide (GUI + CLI)](https://edywerder.ch/proxmox-upload-iso/) - [Proxmox Containers vs VM](https://edywerder.ch/proxmox-containers-vs-vm/) - [Proxmox System Requirements: How to Choose the Right Server for Your Business](https://edywerder.ch/proxmox-system-requirements/) --- ## Full Disclosure Any purchases made from clicks on links to products on this page may result in an affiliate commission for me.  Please keep in mind that the quantity or price of items can change at any time. As an Amazon  Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Als Amazon-Partner verdiene ich an qualifizierten Verkäufen As an eBay Partner, I earn from qualifying purchases. Als eBay-Partner verdiene ich an qualifizierten Verkäufen.