Boot Windows 10 from SSD drive

[Ninad]

Hi socrtis,

Yes, I noticed that the thread belongs to OSX hosts. But it was your config that attracted my attention!

I think it's my usb key not being compatible with Windows to Go. At least that's what microsoft says. I will explore workarounds and keep trying.

Thank you!

-Ninad

[paulrw]

Hi,

I wanted to resurrect this thread, because I'm attempting the same thing—Macbook Pro with Windows on an SSD drive.

I'm created a vmdk with the full /dev/disk2. disk2 contains 2 partitions: EFI and BOOTCAMP. I've set permissions on disk2 with

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sudo chmod og+rw /dev/disk2

When I run the VM, I get only a black screen.

I've tried enabling and disabling EFI. I've also tried creating a vmdk of the EFI partition and another vmdk of the BOOTCAMP partition, and mounting various combinations of those two and the whole disk2 vmdk. I've tried switching from SATA to IDE. Still, only a black screen.

Edit: Not a black screen—just won't boot. See below

Any suggestions would be welcome!

Edit: I changed graphics controller settings from VBoxSVGA to VBoxVGA, and I could see more than a black screen. I get either the UEFI boot screen (when EFI is enabled), or "No bootable medium found!" (when EFI is disabled). When I boot directly from the SSD (holding option key), Windows does boot. But I can't get the raw disk to boot in Virtualbox.

[socratis]

Hi
i have been following the instructions but I keep getting an error when trying to create the vmdk file.
I have a Macbook pro with mojave
I have installed windows 10 to go in a external ssd disk, I can boot my Mac under windows with the external SSD with no issues at all, thru EFI
The windows 10 to go was installed using Rufus, I did not use any VM software at all.
I would like to boot my SSD within MacOS using VirtualBox, and for that I have followed the instructions with no luck
I have run the following commands

sudo VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename “/users/apple/Windows10disk.vmdk" -rawdisk /dev/disk2

but when I execute it just doesn't do any all, when I try to run it again I get the error

VBoxManage: error: sudo VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename “Windows10disk.vmdk'
VBoxManage: error: Error code VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND at /Users/vbox/tinderbox/6.0-mac-rel/src/VBox/Storage/VMDK.cpp(3393) in function int vmdkCreateRawImage(PVMDKIMAGE, const PVDISKRAW, uint64_t)
VBoxManage: error: Cannot create the raw disk VMDK: VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND
VBoxManage: error: The raw disk vmdk file was not created

[socratis]

You should try to use the utility mentioned in "VBoxRawdisk - a macOS utility to generate rawdisk VMDKs", whose info I just updated.

[socratis]

Thks, the tool helped me, and now I do have a vmdk, but....I started the virtual machine, and I only get a black screen, although on the top bar window I can see the legend windows running.

[granada29]

Thks, the tool helped me ...

Nice to know that the tool worked for you.

Try changing the Display setting to VBoxVGA. Black screen is a symptom of the new, but somewhat buggy, VBoxSVGA driver.

[socratis]

Or even better, post a complete VBox.log, from a complete VM run, where the problem occurs:

• Start the VM from cold-boot (not from a paused or saved state) / Observe problem / Shutdown the VM (force close it if you have to).
• With the VM completely shut down (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log".
• Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response. See the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form.

PS. Bryan, I hope you don't mind me updating the "VBoxRawdisk - a macOS utility to generate rawdisk VMDKs" post with the updated info...

[lmnv]

Socrates
I am attaching the log file as you asked.
again thanks for your support

[granada29]

PS. Bryan, I hope you don't mind me updating the "VBoxRawdisk - a macOS utility to generate rawdisk VMDKs" post with the updated info...

Thanks for doing that - saved me from having forgotten to do it myself