P2V for AHV Without Move? Here's What IT Pros Are Doing in 2025

You'd think by 2025 there would be a dead-simple, official Nutanix method for converting a physical Windows Server into an AHV virtual machine. But here we are—still cobbling together tools, drivers, and a little bit of sysadmin wizardry to get it done. Nutanix Move? It's a solid utility, but only if your source is already virtual. Physical servers are still the odd one out. That's left IT pros to trade notes and improvise solutions that work well enough to be passed around like cheat codes. And surprisingly, there's now a fairly reliable playbook forming—crafted not in labs, but in forums, Discord threads, and years of field experience. So, what's the best way to P2V for AHV without using Move? Let's break it down. ## Step 1: VirtIO Drivers Are Mandatory Nearly every method starts with this step—install the VirtIO drivers on the physical box before you do anything else. These drivers are Nutanix's secret sauce for hardware compatibility. Without them, your shiny new AHV image probably won't boot, or worse, it'll boot and immediately blue-screen. Multiple sysadmins echoed this exact step. One put it plainly: "Install VirtIO drivers to physical box. Veeam backup. Veeam restore." It's short, sweet, and absolutely right. If you're even thinking about moving to Nutanix AHV, go install those drivers now, before the box gets too unstable or reaches critical legacy status. ## Step 2: Use Veeam (or Clonezilla) to Handle the P2V Veeam keeps popping up as the community go-to for backing up the physical machine and restoring it as a virtual image. The method? Backup the entire server with Veeam. Then restore the backup directly into a Nutanix-hosted VM, with the VirtIO drivers already baked in. One user noted that Live Restore/Recovery can even cut downtime down to just a few minutes, which is a big deal if you're running production workloads. Not a Veeam fan? Clonezilla is another option. It's a little more manual, but just as effective. One seasoned admin claimed: "Use Clonezilla, and you can direct copy your P2V." Either way, the core idea is the same: get a full image of the physical server, and restore it into an AHV-compatible environment. ## Step 3: Mind the Disk Format—Import VMDKs or Convert as Needed Some users have taken the VMware detour. That means using VMware's old P2V tools to first convert the physical box into a VMDK. From there, you can either: - Import the VMDK directly into Nutanix via the Image Service, or - Convert the VMDK manually into QCOW2, Nutanix's preferred disk format. The Image Service method has gotten easier over the years. According to a few folks, when you import the VMDK directly into AHV, Nutanix will auto-convert it to QCOW2 behind the scenes. It's not flawless, but it usually works without too many headaches. The one constant reminder? "Just make sure to install VirtIO drivers before doing the initial P2V so that your image is bootable in AHV." Yes, it's worth repeating. ## Step 4: Lean on Partners or Third-Party Tools If You Need To If your organization works with a Nutanix partner, ask them for internal tools. One IT pro mentioned they were able to get their hands on a utility that directly converted physical servers into a bootable qcow2 image on the host. It wasn't something on Nutanix's public download page, but it worked. There's also a mention of HYCU, a data protection and migration company that integrates with Nutanix. They've been quietly making moves in this space and might offer options that are a bit more polished than homebrew workarounds. ## Step 5: Expect Trial and Error—And That's Okay The common thread across all these comments? There's no one-size-fits-all. What worked in one shop might hit a snag in another. Disk configurations, OS versions, UEFI quirks—any of them can turn a seemingly easy P2V into a three-day migration headache. One person admitted, "I used vmware p2v then converted the resulting VMDK... then did something else I can't even remember. It's been years." So yeah, it's messy. But it works. And once you've done it once, you'll know what to tweak the next time. ## The Bigger Picture: Why Doesn't Nutanix Just Build This In? It's a fair question, and the answer probably lies in priorities. Nutanix has heavily leaned into cloud-native tools and virtual infrastructure for years. P2V just isn't where the industry's momentum is anymore. That said, there's still a massive install base of physical Windows Servers out there—and they're not going away overnight. In the meantime, IT professionals are doing what they've always done: finding clever ways to bridge the gap when vendors fall short. ## TL;DR – Your 2025 P2V-to-AHV Survival Kit: - **Install VirtIO drivers** before doing anything else. - **Use Veeam or Clonezilla** to backup and restore into AHV. - **Leverage VMware P2V tools** if you're comfortable converting disk formats. - **Import VMDKs via the Image Service**—AHV will convert to QCOW2 for you. - **Ask your Nutanix partner** if they have insider tools for physical-to-AHV conversions. - **Test everything first**. Don't skip the dry run. The P2V process for AHV in 2025 is still more of a workaround than a straight line. But with a solid strategy and a few community-tested tools, it's more than doable. It's a rite of passage for IT teams moving to Nutanix—one that proves you can improvise even when the official playbook doesn't exist. And hey, if Nutanix ever drops a proper P2V tool, we'll be the first to say thanks. Until then? We've got this.