Boot an existing Vista/Windows 7 (Physical HD) install with VirtualBox

[valiantdust]

I had a similar problem, but mine was an Error 21. I had forgotten to tell VBox to boot the grub.iso (Settings --> CD/DVD-ROM --> Check "Mount CD/DVD Drive" --> Check "ISO Image File" and click the little folder icon to the right --> add your grub.iso to the CD/DVD Images tab, select it and you're all set). If that's not the issue, I'd check some of your other settings, e.g. did you specify your partition(s) correctly in the VBoxManage command, etc.

That said, I still haven't been able to get my existing Vista x64 partition to boot up successfully in VBox (running Jaunty AMD64). It throws an error if VT-x/AMD-V is disabled (had to go into BIOS and turn on virtualization support too). With VT-x/AMD-V enabled, it starts to boot ... VERY slowly. VBox window just gives a big blank screen, then after a minute or two it resizes to a smaller blank screen, then VBox aborts.

I checked the logs and found these at the end (looked good prior to these):

00:01:30.895 !!Assertion Failed!!
00:01:30.895 Expression: <NULL>
00:01:30.895 Location  : /build/buildd/virtualbox-ose-2.1.4-dfsg/src/recompiler_new/VBoxRecompiler.c(4346) cpu_abort
00:01:30.895 fatal error in recompiler cpu: triple fault

Anyone have any ideas?

[ohnoezitasploded]

Has anyone tried this for a setup where both my Vista and Ubuntu install are on a software raid 0 array?

How would I modify the command:
VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename ~/.VirtualBox/WinHD.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda -partitions 2 -relative -register
to access a the raid partition?

Thanks!

[ivbrajkovic]

I have the same problem with the same log.

00:01:30.895 !!Assertion Failed!!
00:01:30.895 Expression: <NULL>
00:01:30.895 Location  : /build/buildd/virtualbox-ose-2.1.4-dfsg/src/recompiler_new/VBoxRecompiler.c(4346) cpu_abort
00:01:30.895 fatal error in recompiler cpu: triple fault

I am running Jaunty x86 and I still haven't been able to get my existing Vista x64 partition to boot up successfully in VBox.

Could anyone help on this?

[ohnoezitasploded]

Has anyone tried this for a setup where both my Vista and Ubuntu install are on a software raid 0 array?

How would I modify the command:
VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename ~/.VirtualBox/WinHD.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda -partitions 2 -relative -register
to access a the raid partition?

Well, I figured this part out:

the command for raid arrays will be:

VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename ~/.VirtualBox/WinHD.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/mapper/<RAID NAME> -partitions <###> -relative -register

where:
<RAID NAME> is the name of your array, found by doing an "ls /dev/mapper/" -- it's the one without any numbers after it.

and <###> is the partition number, which may be found by running:

 VBoxManage internalcommands listpartitions -rawdisk /dev/mapper/<RAID NAME>

Sorry if that's obvious to everyone else, but it wasn't to me. Now I'm stuck at importing the existing vmdk file in VirtualBox OSE, I'm getting the cryptic error message:

Could not open the hard disk '/home/max/.VirtualBox/WinHD.vmdk'.
VD: error opening image file '/home/max/.VirtualBox/WinHD.vmdk' (VERR_ACCESS_DENIED).

Result Code:
NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component:
HardDisk2
Interface:
IHardDisk2 {ed6e2525-c2fd-42a4-917a-7a9045ac9e15}
Callee:
IVirtualBox {339abca2-f47a-4302-87f5-7bc324e6bbde}

any thoughts on that?

[ohnoezitasploded]

I'm getting the cryptic error message:

Could not open the hard disk '/home/max/.VirtualBox/WinHD.vmdk'.
VD: error opening image file '/home/max/.VirtualBox/WinHD.vmdk' (VERR_ACCESS_DENIED).

Result Code:
NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component:
HardDisk2
Interface:
IHardDisk2 {ed6e2525-c2fd-42a4-917a-7a9045ac9e15}
Callee:
IVirtualBox {339abca2-f47a-4302-87f5-7bc324e6bbde}

any thoughts on that?

Moving on! It was a permissions problem, setting:

sudo chmod 777 /home/max/.VirtualBox/WinHD4-pt.vmdk
sudo chmod 777 /home/max/.VirtualBox/WinHD.vmdk
sudo chmod 777 /home/max/.VirtualBox/VirtualBox.xml

fixed the problem. Vista booted and, of course, immediately went BSOD on me.

[flabbergasted]

I have cleared a few obstacles, and have progressed to where my vista amd64 system starts to boot in my ubuntu host. The problem I am having
now is two fold and I am not sure that one has to do with the other.

The first problem is a message from VB informing me that

The virtual machine window is optimized to work in 32 bit color mode but the color quality of the virtual display is currently set to
24 bit.

Please open the display properties dialog of the guest OS and select a 32 bit color mode, if it is available, for best possible performance
of the virtual video subsystem.

Note. Some operating systems, like OS/2, may actually work in 32 bit mode but report it as 24 bit (16 million colors). You may try to select
a different color quality to see if this message disappears or you can simply disable the message
now if you are sure the required color quality (32 bit) is not available in the given guest OS.

I booted into vista and it had to do a repair after the attempt to boot it as a guest. It is set for a 32 bit resolution (even though there
is no such thing, as I understand it.) and ubuntu goes no higher than 24 bit, since that is the highest it can really go anyway.

So after clicking the ok button, the windows boot manager pops up a lengthy message that states,

Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the problem. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your windows installation disc and restart your computer.
2. Choose your language settings and then click next.
3. Click "Repair your computer."

If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.

Status 0xc000000f

Info: The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible.

My choices at the bottom are then "ENTER=continue" or "ESC=Exit".

Pressing Enter puts me on the next windows where I can choose to "Launch startup repair" or "Start Windows normally".

The repair option puts me back at the last screen and the "Start Windows normally" results in an abort in VB's attempt at starting the guest
machine.

I feel like I am a hairs breadth from getting this going which would then give me a perfect PC since I hate windows but need a couple of
applications for work. If anyone has any ideas, I would greatly appreciate it.

If it is any help I am on an HP DV9927cl and each operating system has its own 250 Gig hard drive. I have 4 Gb or ram of which I am
allotting 1 Gb to windows vista.

[flabbergasted]

Anybody still in here? I was really hoping to get this figured out. I have been working on getting this going for over a week and I figured that some of you who have posted in this thread would have a bit of guidance. I could use it. I feel like I am wandering in the dark here in this forest.

[noodles21]

how did you fix the GRUB error 17?

[flabbergasted]

how did you fix the GRUB error 17?

Is that the error about there not being a bootable image or partition whereever it is you are looking to boot? If it is, I got that one, too, but it was because I had a flash drive plugged into my usb port and VB was looking there first since it was setup to look there first. After I pulled out the flash drive, the problem cleared.

If you are having a similar problem, check your boot order under "Settings" and the "Advanced" tab. I unchecked the "Floppy" option since I do not have one, nor would I use one. I like to keep my options to a bare minimum. Fewer things that can go wrong.

[flabbergasted]

Well, it has been six days since I posted my last reply to this thread. I guess there is no resolution for the problem I am having. I will try over at the virtualbox forum again and post here if I find a resolution elsewhere.