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Virtual Appliance — Downgrade Virtual Hardware Version 19

The openthinclient Virtual Appliance ships for VMware with a specific VM hardware version. The current version uses VM version 19. Earlier VMware environments might require a compatible version. In this case, downgrade the VM version to import the appliance. This article describes how to adjust the VM version in the .ovffile of the appliance.

Prerequisites:

  • Download the openthinclient Virtual Appliance (ZIP file)

  • An extraction tool, e.g., 7-Zip, WinRAR

  • A text editor that supports UTF-8 and large files, e.g. Notepad++, VS Code

  • Target version of the VM hardware supported by the VMware environment, e.g., vmx-13 for ESXi 6.5

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Extract the ZIP archive — Extract the downloaded ZIP file of the virtual appliance to a local directory.

  2. Open the OVF file — In the extracted directory,
    locate the file named openthinclient-Appliance-[VERSION].ovf (example: openthinclient-Appliance-2025.2.2.ovf) and
    open it with a suitable text editor.

  3. Find VM version — Search the file for the following XML entry:

    <vssd:VirtualSystemType>vmx-19</vssd:VirtualSystemType>

  4. Adjust the version — Replace vmx-19 with the version supported by the VMware environment, e.g.:

    <vssd:VirtualSystemType>vmx-13</vssd:VirtualSystemType>

    Note: Refer to the VMware documentation for an overview of VM hardware compatibility.

  5. Import the modified OVF — Save the file and import the virtual appliance via the vSphere Client or VMware Workstation.

Important notes:

  • Create backups — Retain a copy of the original ZIP file before modifying it.

  • Backward compatibility — When downgrading, ensure that the target version supports the required hardware features, e.g., newer CPU or device features.

  • Performance — The VM generally continues to run stably, and it may benefit from further optimizations in the newer hardware version.

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