Adjusting the virtual SCSI adapter type in a VMDK file

Symptoms

• Windows boots to a blue screen error
• You receive the following errors:
  • STOP 0x7B INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
  • STOP 0x0000007B INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
  • Mount: error No such device or address mounting /dev/root on /sysroot as ext3
    Setuproot: moving /dev failed: No such file or directory
    Setuproot: error mounting /proc: No such file or directory
    Setuproot: error mounting /sys: No such file or directory
    Switchroot: mount failed: No such file or directory
    Kernel panic – not syncing: Attempted to kill init!

Purpose

This article discusses modifying the virtual disk adapter type to match the guest operating system.

Resolution

To adjust the virtual disk type:

1. Power off the virtual machine that is using the virtual hard disk file (VDMK).
2. Locate the smallest VMDK file (about 340 bytes) on the virtual machine and open it in a text editor. If the file is located on an ESX host, use the service console to access the file.
   
   The file appears similar to:
   
   # Disk DescriptorFile
   version=1
   CID=<cid>
   parentCID=ffffffff
   createType="<create_type>"
    
   # Extent description
   RW <num_sectors> <TYPE> "<filename>"
    
   # The Disk Data Base
   #DDB
    
   ddb.virtualHWVersion = "<version>"
   ddb.geometry.cylinders = "<cylinders>"
   ddb.geometry.heads = "<heads>"
   ddb.geometry.sectors = "<sectors>"
   ddb.adapterType = "<adapter_type>"
   
   
3. Locate the line ddb.adapterType. Specify one of the following parameters: lsilogic or buslogic. 
   
   The following table shows the adapter type for the guest operating system:
   
   

   Guest Operating System	Adapter Type
   Windows 2003, 2008, Vista	lsilogic
   Windows NT, 2000, XP	buslogic
   Linux	lsilogic

   
   
4. Save the changes to the VMDK file.
5. Power on the virtual machine. If you are prompted to change the adapter type assigned to the virtual machine, allow the changes.

For information on changing the SCSI controller using the GUI option see, Change the virtual SCSI controller of a virtual machine (1002149).