How to Convert VMware VMs to Hyper-V

To convert VMware to Hyper-V, most admins now use Microsoft's free VM Conversion extension for Windows Admin Center, which copies running VMs from vCenter to a Hyper-V host and then cuts them over with a short shutdown. For larger estates already running System Center, the Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) convert wizard is the other Microsoft-supported route. Plan the target host, licensing and drivers first; the copy itself is the easy part.

What Are Your Options for a VMware to Hyper-V Migration?

Microsoft currently offers two first-party tools for a VMware to Hyper-V migration, plus Azure Migrate if your destination is Azure Local rather than plain Hyper-V. The older standalone Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter (MVMC) has reached end of support, so guides that still recommend it are out of date.

If you are new to the platform you are moving to, our explainer on what Hyper-V is and how it works covers generations, virtual switches and checkpoints before you start.

What Do You Need Before You Convert VMware to Hyper-V?

You need a working Hyper-V host, a Windows Admin Center gateway with a few VMware components installed, and an account with rights on both sides. According to Microsoft's migration guide for the extension, the requirements are:

• Source: VMware vCenter 6.x, 7.x or 8.x, with privileges on the VMs you plan to move.
• Target: a server with the Hyper-V role installed, and an account in the local Administrators or Hyper-V Administrators group.
• Gateway: Windows Admin Center version 2410 (build 2.4.12.10) or later, the latest VMware PowerCLI, and VMware VDDK 8.0.3 extracted to C:\Program Files\WindowsAdminCenter\Service\VDDK. Microsoft states other VDDK versions are not supported.
• Runtimes: the Visual C++ 2015 and Visual C++ 2013 redistributables on the gateway.
• Linux guests: Hyper-V drivers installed inside the VM before migration, or it may not boot afterwards.

Supported guests include Windows Server 2012 R2 through 2025, Windows 10 and 11, Ubuntu 20.04 and 24.04, Debian 11 and 12, and RHEL-family distributions such as AlmaLinux. Microsoft recommends placing the gateway in the same site as the ESXi and Hyper-V hosts, because every disk block travels through it.

How Do You Convert VMware to Hyper-V with Windows Admin Center?

You install the VM Conversion extension, connect it to vCenter, synchronise the disks while the VM keeps running, then trigger a migration that performs the final cutover. The steps below follow Microsoft's documented workflow.

1. In Windows Admin Center, open Settings → Extensions, search Available extensions for VM Conversion (Preview) and select Install.
2. Connect to your Hyper-V server or cluster (or add it with + Add → Server or Cluster).
3. In the left pane, under Extensions, select VM Conversion (Preview), then Connect to vCenter and enter the vCenter FQDN, username and password.
4. Select up to 10 VMs, choose Synchronize and enter the Path to store data on the Hyper-V host. Prechecks run first and flag active snapshots, a missing VDDK path, low disk space or Change Block Tracking (CBT) problems.
5. Wait for synchronisation to finish and confirm the .vhdx files appear in the target folder. The source VM stays online throughout.
6. Open the Migrate tab, select the VM and choose Migrate → Proceed. The tool runs a delta sync, powers off the source VM, runs a final delta sync and imports the VM into Hyper-V with its CPU, memory and network settings.
7. Start the new VM in Hyper-V Manager or Windows Admin Center, check that applications work, then keep the old VMware VM powered off until you are confident.

Keep the browser session signed in during a migration; Microsoft notes that a closed or timed-out session can pause or stop the job.

How Does the Conversion Actually Work?

The extension uses snapshots and Change Block Tracking so that only the final few changes are copied while the VM is off. CBT is a VMware feature that records which disk blocks have changed since a given point. The first sync copies the whole disk; later syncs copy only the changed blocks.

The cause-and-effect matters for planning: because the bulk of the data moves while the VM is still serving users, your downtime depends on how much changes between the last sync and the cutover, not on the total disk size. A busy database server needs a quieter cutover window than a file server of the same size. If you are also moving database workloads, our guide on installing SQL Server step by step is useful when you rebuild rather than migrate.

The extension also sets Secure Boot and UEFI automatically based on the guest OS, preserves static IP addresses, and migrates disks as dynamically expanding VHDX files. You can convert a disk to fixed size afterwards with Convert-VHD -VHDType Fixed. Memory arrives as static, so re-enable Dynamic Memory if you want it.

When Should You Use VMM Instead?

Use System Center VMM if you already run it to manage Hyper-V and want conversions inside the same fabric. Its Convert Virtual Machine wizard (under VMs and Services → Create Virtual Machines) converts VMs from vCenter-managed ESXi hosts, and the PowerShell equivalent is New-SCV2V.

The trade-off is downtime. According to Microsoft's VMM conversion documentation, online conversions are not supported, so each VM must be powered off with no snapshots, and VMware Tools must be uninstalled first. You also choose Generation 2 for UEFI VMs and Generation 1 for BIOS VMs. VMM 2025 is the version Microsoft recommends for the fastest conversions.

How Is Windows Server Licensed After You Migrate to Hyper-V?

Moving to Hyper-V does not change how Windows Server guests are licensed: you still license the physical host's cores, and the edition decides how many Windows Server VMs that host may run. Microsoft's Windows Server 2025 licensing guidance sets these rules for core-based licensing:

• Standard covers two operating system environments (OSEs), physical or virtual. Running more means licensing all the host's cores again for each extra pair, which is called stacking.
• Datacenter covers unlimited OSEs on the licensed host.
• Every server needs at least 16 core licences, and at least 8 per physical processor.

The practical effect: a consolidated Hyper-V host running many Windows Server VMs usually tips the balance toward Datacenter, while a small host with one or two guests suits Standard. Our breakdown of what Hyper-V really costs with Windows Server works through examples. You can compare editions in our Windows Server 2025 collection.

A Common Mistake We See

The most frequent problem after a migration is not the copy but the guest OS noticing new hardware. The VM now has a different virtual network adapter, storage controller and BIOS identity. Microsoft's FAQ notes that the destination BIOS GUID will not match the source unless you update it, and the BIOS serial number cannot be carried across because VMware and Hyper-V use different formats.

That can trigger reactivation prompts in Windows guests or in applications whose licences check hardware IDs. Before cutover, record each VM's licence details and product keys, and check whether any line-of-business software is tied to hardware identifiers. A guide to common Windows activation errors helps if a guest reports one after the move.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Windows Admin Center VM conversion tool free?

Yes. Microsoft describes the VM Conversion extension as available at no extra cost. It is still labelled Preview, which means it runs under prerelease licence terms and Microsoft has no formal support obligation for it. Test it on non-critical VMs before you migrate production workloads, and keep the source VMs until you have verified the results.

Can I import a VMware VM into Hyper-V directly?

Not as-is. Hyper-V cannot import VMware's VMX configuration or run VMDK disks natively, so a conversion step is required. The VM Conversion extension and VMM both create new VHDX disks and a new Hyper-V VM definition. Simply copying VMDK files to a Hyper-V host will not produce a bootable virtual machine.

Can I convert VMware Workstation VMs to Hyper-V?

The Microsoft tools are built for vCenter and ESXi, not desktop hypervisors. VMM explicitly cannot convert VMware Workstation VMs, and the Windows Admin Center extension connects only to vCenter. For a Workstation VM, rebuilding inside Hyper-V or using a vendor-supported export and conversion path is usually simpler and more predictable.

Do I need to remove VMware Tools?

For VMM, yes, before conversion. With the Windows Admin Center extension, Microsoft's FAQ says VMware Tools are not removed automatically, though recent versions offer a batch uninstall for Windows VMs. Remove them after migration either way, because the drivers serve no purpose on Hyper-V and can cause service errors at start-up.

How many VMs can I migrate at once?

The Windows Admin Center extension handles up to 10 VMs per synchronisation or migration batch, queued together. VMM supports up to 10 parallel conversions from the same ESXi source to the same Hyper-V destination, and up to 100 across different source and destination pairs. Plan waves of migrations around these limits.

Does the converted VM keep its IP address?

Yes, in most cases. The VM Conversion extension preserves both DHCP and static IP configurations. For static addresses it collects guest credentials and runs scripts to capture the settings, then applies them on the Hyper-V side after cutover. Check DNS records and firewall rules that reference the old MAC address.

Conclusion

The simplest way to convert VMware to Hyper-V today is the Windows Admin Center VM Conversion extension, with VMM as the option for System Center shops that can accept offline conversions. Prepare drivers, licences and a rollback plan before cutover. If your new Hyper-V hosts need licensing, a Windows Server 2025 Datacenter key covers unlimited Windows Server VMs on a licensed host.

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