Has anyone done this?  If so, how?  Because from where I'm standing its not working.

What I have right now is two SPFs from a failed server - C_VOL.spf and E_VOL.spf.  I've successfully recovered each to VHDs in Virtual Server.  I used 2003 Legacy mode on the boot disk with HIR options.  At the moment, the machine fails to boot.  I can boot it into the recovery console and see all files.  When I boot into safe mode the process stops at acpitabl.dat.

 Any help?  Running out of time here...

Ah - the problem might stem from the fact that the original failed box was multi-proc and Virtual Server only gives the VM one proc.  Can I replace the HAL?

I'm monkeying with HAL.DLL at the moment.  No luck yet.

I took a hal.dll and ntoskrnl.exe from another virtual server 2005 VM box and get farther in the boot process, but then blues screens, reboots in a cycle.

 Should I attempt a Windows repair?

Alright, so if anyone tries this, don't do a repair.  I reverted back to my original VHDs after trying that.

 After reverting, redoing the hal.dll and ntoskrnl.exe from the install media, I changed the Virtual Server 2005 drive configuration from SCSI to IDE and it booted.

 So maybe ShadowProtect was helping me all along by providing a generic IDE driver for me, when I was stupidly trying to boot my recovered system off of SCSI under VS2005.  Long time VS2005 users will know why I was trying to use SCSI...

 So, I'm still not 100% done, but much closer now.

And yes, I know I'm talking to myself.

Talking to yourself, but providing useful information. The least I can do is thank you for the effort.

Well, thanks!

 I've watched Mark Crall do this in demos a few times, and he makes it look so easy.  Myself, I'm an old school NTBackup P2V kinda guy, because I KNOW it works.  But ShadowProtect takes the images in a fraction of the time, and you can do it to dead machines.

 I need to do this whole process again now with VS2005 and make sure that it was just myself in my way.

Just as a footnote to all this, you don't have to leave the disk using IDE drivers either once the VS2005 VM is running.  Once your machine is booting and you've installed the VM additions, you can turn off the VM, and change the disks from IDE to SCSI (if you are still uncertain, do this first to a non-system volume, then reboot, then to the system volume).  Then you'll be running off of good old speedy SCSI drivers under VS2005.