HomeVirtualizationVMwareUnable to export OVF template

Unable to export OVF template

Problem

Unable to export OVF template

Attempting to export an OVF template from ESXi 6.5 to host client, fails with the following message:

From google chrome: Failed - Network error

From IE: The disk-1.vmdk download was interrupted

Before this error, I tried to export the VM from vCenter, and it was even worse, it was stuck. And after a long period, it shows another error message.

Solution

Updated: Check the last section for a workaround.

The solution is quite simple, Use Firefox!

I was insisting over and over again with Google Chrome and IE, and it seems that these two web browsers have problems when downloading large files.

At the moment of writing this, I used Firefox version 58.0.1 (64-bit) and worked like a charm.

[EDIT: 26/04/2019]:

Google Chrome seems to work well now with large files from a while on. Recently I tested under Google Chrome Version 73.0.3683.103 (Official Build) (64-bit) and vSphere 6.7 U2 to download an OVF file over 10GB, and it went well. If you still have some issues, check the options below or the last section for a workaround.

Additional

Follow these basic best practices when exporting a VM (OVF format):

  • Remove snapshots from the VM
  • Unplug ISO files attached to the VM
  • Use a direct connection to the ESXi host, vCenter has always been kind of buggy with this.

Similar issue: https://communities.vmware.com/thread/587924

Still having issues?

Use the VMware OVF tool! If you are still having issues with exporting an OVF template from an ESXi host to your local machine (PC), go to the following blog post for a workaround using the VMware OFV tool. It is easy!

How to export a Virtual Machine using the VMware OVF Tool

Juan Mulford
Juan Mulford
Hey there! I've been in the IT game for over fifteen years now. After hanging out in Taiwan for a decade, I am now in the US. Through this blog, I'm sharing my journey as I play with and roll out cutting-edge tech in the always-changing world of IT.

6 COMMENTS

  1. In my case, the UI was just doing nothing. Turned out your last comment helped, the machine still had a CD with an ISO file but that didn’t exist anymore on the datastore, and that was the reason. Changing the CD back to host device, and it would export fine. Thx!

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