Following VMware’s licensing changes after the Broadcom acquisition , plenty of homelab users are moving existing VMware VMs over to Proxmox rather than starting from scratch. A VMware to Proxmox migration preserves your existing virtual machines’ configuration and data, converting them into a format Proxmox can run directly.

Understanding VM Disk Formats

VMware VMs typically use the VMDK disk format, while Proxmox natively uses QCOW2 or raw disk formats. The core of any VMware-to-Proxmox migration involves converting between these formats, along with adjusting some VM configuration details that don’t map identically between the two platforms.

Method 1: Using Proxmox’s Built-In Import Wizard

Recent Proxmox VE versions include a built-in Import feature specifically designed for VMware migrations, capable of connecting directly to a VMware ESXi host or vCenter and importing VMs with considerably less manual work than older conversion methods.

1. In the Proxmox web UI, go to Datacenter → Storage → Add → ESXi.
2. Enter your ESXi host’s address and credentials.
3. Once connected, Proxmox lists available VMs directly from that ESXi host.
4. Select a VM and choose Import, specifying the target storage and node.

Proxmox handles the disk format conversion and network adapter mapping automatically during this process, making it the most straightforward path for anyone with direct access to a still-running ESXi host.

Method 2: Manual VMDK Conversion

If direct ESXi access isn’t available (migrating from an exported VM, for instance), convert the VMDK file manually using qemu-img:

qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O qcow2 source-vm.vmdk destination-vm.qcow2

Creating a New VM Shell in Proxmox

Create a new VM matching the original’s specifications (CPU cores, RAM, disk size), without installing an OS — similar to the process covered in the earlier P2V migration guide:

1. In the Proxmox web UI, create a new VM with matching hardware specifications.
2. Skip the OS installation step, leaving the VM as an empty shell with an allocated disk.

Importing the Converted Disk

qm importdisk <VMID> destination-vm.qcow2 local-lvm

Attach the imported disk to the VM through Hardware → Add → Hard Disk, and set it as the boot device under Options → Boot Order.

Adjusting Network Adapter Configuration

VMware’s virtual network adapters (VMXNET3) don’t have a direct Proxmox equivalent, so the migrated VM’s network interface typically needs to be reconfigured to use Proxmox’s VirtIO network driver instead, which may require reinstalling network drivers inside the guest OS after boot, particularly for Windows VMs.

Handling Windows-Specific Migration Issues

Windows VMs migrated from VMware commonly need VirtIO storage and network drivers injected before or immediately after first boot on Proxmox, since Windows doesn’t include these drivers by default. Attach the official VirtIO driver ISO to the VM and install the drivers during or shortly after boot to ensure Windows correctly recognizes the virtualized hardware.

Verifying the Migrated VM

Boot the migrated VM and confirm:

• The operating system starts correctly without boot errors
• Network connectivity works after driver adjustments
• All expected applications, services, and data are present and functioning as they did on VMware

Common Pitfalls

• VMware Tools conflicts – VMware Tools (or open-vm-tools) running inside a migrated guest can cause unexpected behavior once running under a different hypervisor; uninstalling it after migration and installing the QEMU Guest Agent instead is generally recommended
• License reactivation – some Windows and application licenses tied to VMware-specific hardware identifiers may require reactivation after migration
• UEFI vs BIOS mismatches – ensure the new Proxmox VM’s boot mode matches what the original VMware VM used, to avoid boot failures

Final Thoughts

A VMware to Proxmox migration lets you preserve existing virtual machines while moving away from VMware’s licensing changes, using either Proxmox’s built-in import wizard for a more automated experience or manual VMDK conversion when direct ESXi access isn’t available. With driver adjustments handled correctly — particularly for Windows guests — most VMs transition cleanly to running natively under Proxmox.

Related Posts

• How to Set Up Automatic Proxmox Backups
• How to Set Up GPU Passthrough in Proxmox
• How to Migrate a Physical Server to Proxmox (P2V Migration)