Agent for Windows - Win11 restore to vcenter 8

My recommendation would be to use Veeam Backup and Replication server to restore the VM into VMware. It will use Instant Recovery to restore the VM, which will allow you to quickly validate if the backup is viable, before you finalize the restore by migrating it to production.

See this page for information on the process: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/agentforwindows/userguide/integration_instant_restore_vsphere.html?ver=60

Alternatively, create a new VM with all the virtual hardware you’d like the new VM to have, including a new virtual disk. Make sure that disk is larger than what the original VM had. Then, attach the recovery media from the agent to the vm, and boot from it. From there, initiate a bare-metal restore onto the VM. After that completes, allow Windows 11 to boot and recognize the new virtual hardware, and remember to go into disk management and expand the disk to the actual size.

More information here about restoring from Veeam Recovery Media: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/agentforwindows/userguide/image_boot.html?ver=60

There are a few methods here you can use -

1. Baremetal restore using the Veeam Agent ISO on a VM as long as you have access to the repository
2. You can use the VMware vCenter Converter application which can convert and send the VM to vCenter
3. Export the VM from Workstation and import OVF to vCenter 8.

It all depends how you want to do this.

**UPDATE - Tommy’s method would also be a great way too.**

Hi ​@Novell2 -

I haven’t tested this, but I believe for TPM to work, yes, you would need to install NKP in vCenter (pretty easy there). If, in your recovery VM’s settings you specified it as Windows 10, you shouldn’t need to. I’ve created a VM with Win10/2019 in vCenter (though the actual OS was 11 or 2022) and the VM was fine without having NKP enabled/created.

You need to enable NKP in vCenter if you want to create any Win11 or Win Server 2022 (I believe) and newer VM, as far as when assigning the VM its actual OS version.

Then, you would use your Win 11 Veeam Agent Recovery Media to recover it:

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/agentforwindows/userguide/disaster_recovery.html?ver=60

If you’re able to test it, I advise that first. At the very least, you can maybe ping Veeam Support to confirm.

Best.

Either way, let us know how your testing goes! I'd love to know what effect TPM will have on your restore. 

Hello everyone,
I had a partial success, by reinstalling the vCenter I was able to create the NKP with backup without any problems. I created a new Win11 VM in vCenter and removed the vDisk again. In esxi I converted the original VMWS17 vmdk disk file with mkfstools -i /vmfs/volumes/62b04552-59ca7f3b-9f77-ecb1d772a05d/W11Office/VMalt.vmdk /vmfs/volumes/esxiHM_Local1_Sata-SSD/Test/VMNew.vmdk.
I was then able to start the VM. But due to the changes, Windows remembers the other environment and Windows and Office are no longer activated. If I start the whole VM on another PC in VMware WS everything works 1:1, not so in vSphere.

Interesting find ​@Novell2 . If possible, I’d reach out to Veeam Support to see if there’s something else you may need to do to get your VM to work as expected in vSphere. 

Keep us posted.

Best.

Odd that it is not registered but maybe the conversion this way does something to the disk which windows recognized causing this.  As Shane said contact support and see.

It sounds like you didn’t use Veeam to perform the restore, but rather just brought the disk over from the VMware Workstation VM to the ESXI VM.
Perhaps you’d see different results if you restored the agent backup you’ve been taking using a Veeam Backup and Replication server.

​@Novell2  - were you able to get an answer to your question?  Please update the thread so we can select the best answer for the post to close out the question.  If not answered please continue the discussion.