Install Win7 Guest Using Macrium Boot (WinPE)

[Tax Shack]

I have a Macrium backup of Win7-32b PC written to a flash drive. Goal is to install the initial Win7-32b Guest VM by restoring from the flash drive.

I created a raw disk file using VBoxManage command pointing to a Macrium bootable flash drive. This vmdk was the first file in the VM Storage list, followed by an empty Win7 vdi and then with Guest Additions CD. Amazingly (to me), the VM booted successfully with WinPE, although it took a rather long time (20-30 minutes), then the Macrium Backup/Restore app presented itself. Note that I had to overcome an initial BLKCACHE_IOERR by earmarking "Use I/O Host Cache". Also, I needed to run VBox as Administrator to access the boot vmdk.

I could not get the Macrium app to read the backup flash to select which backup file to restore. I tried various ways of trying to attach this usb, to no avail. Then I got a big idea to create another raw vmdk pointing to this flash drive. After the Macrium app loads, I can now see this backup flash. But when I click to expand the drive to drill down to the appropriate backup set, it clocks a fairly long time and then comes back without having expanded. So, I still can't select my restore medium. Much less get to the point of telling Macrium where to restore it to.

I appreciate any ideas you guys might have to get further along.

[scottgus1]

If I understand correctly, you have a bootable Macrium Rescue installed on a USB flash drive, with the Macrium images also on the USB flash drive. The VM booted from the USB flash drive via Raw Disk Access. But the Macrium Rescue environment cannot see into the flash drive to find the stored images.

Is this correct?

[Tax Shack]

The Macrium images are on a separate flash drive (its own raw vmdk), which is in the VM Storage list behind the boot vmdk, and the Rescue app cannot "fully" see the image folders.

[scottgus1]

The Macrium images are on a separate flash drive

Try using the Virtualbox USB Filters to pass this drive into the VM, instead of the raw vmdk method. If the Macrium environment has USB drivers for Virtualbox's USB controller, the drive may appear as a USB drive in the VM.

Alternative: Assuming from this:

I needed to run VBox as Administrator to access the boot vmdk.

that you have a Windows host, try using Disk Management to mount a temporary VHD on the host OS, then copy the Macrium images into the VHD. Then unmount the VHD from the host and attach it into the VM.

[Tax Shack]

I tried the USB Filters again, and got "Failed to attach the usb device x to the virtual machine y", along with VERR_PDM_NO_USB_PORTS. I looked this up and maybe I need to install Extension Pack? BTW, the filter controller is USB 1.1 (OHCI); not sure if that has anything to do with it. Host is Win11-64bit using VBox Version 6.1.40 r154048 (Qt5.6.2).

If we can't get this going, I'll try your alternative VHD process, although I'm not sure how to create the temp VHD to mount using Windows Disk Management.

Appreciate the help!

Also want to say that the Macrium Backup/Restore app HAS to have USB support because I've used this to restore from usb on normal PC. On the other hand, I suspect I cannot load/use Guest Additions into this WinPE OS. Doesn't Guest Additions supply additional support for USB?

[scottgus1]

Virtualbox 6.1 and earlier needs the Extension Pack to provide USB 2 & 3. (7.0 does not need the Extension Pack for USB 2 & 3.)

The Guest Additions do not influence USB, so you don't have to try to get them into the Macrium environment.

Put the Extension Pack in the host Virtualbox, then set the VM to USB 2, maybe 3, see what you can get.
https://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Download_Old_Builds

[jorgensen]

You can try this -> www.macrium.com/viboot

Otherwise the easiest way is to copy the backup image to a backup vdi drive via another guest, and then add this and the standard vdi to the new guest which is booted by the Macrium WinPE disc.

After that you might have to boot in safe mode to fix various driver problems.

[mpack]

This is basically a variation on an investigation I did years ago: Accessing huge Acronis Images After a CD Boot. In that case the backups were by Acronis and the rescue CD was by yet someone else, but the concepts and methods are the same.

The method indicated by jorgensen may be easiest, but also requires the most disk space and copying of large files.

[Tax Shack]

I appreciate all the comments. I didn't know Win Disk Mgmt had support for VHD; learn something every day. I was able to copy the Macrium backup images to it, then access it in the VM. The "install" via restore worked like a champ!

As for accessing the Macrium backup flash drive directly in the VM, I was thinking I needed Guest Additions installed in order to pass it to the VM via Shared Folders. I've found this to be the easiest way to see host USB files.

Until my next problem - thanks again!

[jorgensen]

Here is another trick!

Open Settings->Storage in the new guest.
Add the WinPE disc to the Optical Drive.
Create one more Optical Drive and select this drive.
In the upper right corner choose Create a Virtual Optical Disk...
Then select Create and in the left corner navigate to the drive letter for the USB stick and add the required backup files (top mid icon).
Click OK and Choose.
Now there should be one CD drive with the WinPE and another with a .viso drive.
Close the Settings and boot the guest.

In the Backup program it should now be possible to select the CD Drive letter containing the backup files from the connected USB drive!

[scottgus1]

@ jorgensen, that's a good trick! I'm going to have to remember that one.