WinXP via Raw Partition on Linux Host (disk read error)

jonfink · Post by **jonfink** » 21. Sep 2007, 22:30

I'm receving the following error upon attempting to boot a WinXP raw partition with virtualbox v. 1.5.0 on linux

A disk read error occurred
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

Some details on the situation:

Created vmdk file for raw partition with command:

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vboxmanage internalcommands createrawvmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda -partitions 1 -relative -filename /tmp/sda1.vmdk

Created a virtual machine using this vmdk file (after setting all the permissions to rw) and ran it with a winxp setup cd mounted so that I was able to enter a recovery console (note that while doing this I confirmed the raw partition was being read correctly as I was able to view my windows files) and create a windows MBR for the virtual machine.

However, when I restart the virtual machine I get the error above. Any thoughts? I've found a few other posts of similar situations but never a definitive solution.

Thanks

Post by **Ingo** » 23. Sep 2007, 16:45

In another situation I got this error message because the virtual disk file was set to mode read only. Windows XP had no write access to its boot disk so the error should be read:
A disk write error occurred
This might be the same situation here. With the -relative option on creating the raw partition you only allow write access to this partition and not to the entire disk. Maybe WinXP need this at boot time.

jonfink · Post by **jonfink** » 23. Sep 2007, 18:47

So I've also tried creating a virtual disk file without the relative flag

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vboxmanage internalcommands createrawvmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda -partitions 1 -filename /tmp/sda1-norelative.vmdk

and using the full disk:

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vboxmanage internalcommands createrawvmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda -filename /tmp/sda1-full.vmdk

All methods result in the same error "A disk read error occurred".

jonfink · Post by **jonfink** » 7. Nov 2007, 23:58

Still having this same problem with v.1.5.2...

Has anyone had success with a similar setup? Or perhaps the same problem?

I suppose the simpliest thing to try to get working is the full raw disk access which currently gives the "Disk read error" after selecting windows at my usual lilo menu.

Post by **Ingo** » 9. Nov 2007, 01:13

I haven't used it for a while but with me it worked (I think it was Vers. 1.5.0). Do you carefully read the user manual? There are some important hints to access rights spread over the chapter.

jonfink · Post by **jonfink** » 9. Nov 2007, 01:22

I did go through the permissions stuff (as well as the windows MergeIDE) as stated in the user manual.

What really gets me is that if I put in my winxp setup disc, assign the cdrom drive to the virtual machine, run the virtual machine, but boot it from cdrom I can access a recovery console where I have access to and see everything in my windows partition...

Post by **Ingo** » 9. Nov 2007, 01:30

What's about the permissions on the vmdk files?

jonfink · Post by **jonfink** » 9. Nov 2007, 01:34

I've tried several permutations:

* user only rwx
* everyone rwx
* running virtualbox as root user

All yield the same problem...