Windows Vista resets Virtualbox

[qrs_iii]

I installed Virtualbox 2.1.4_OSE, on my Ubuntu 9.04 machine. I am trying to get an already installed Windows Vista to run in virtualbox.

I ran the command:

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install-mbr --force myBootRecord.mbr

and

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VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename /home/$USER/VirtualVista/WinVista.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda -partitions 2 -mbr /home/$USER/VirtualVista/myBootRecord.mbr -relative -register

Then used opened virtualbox, opened it as an existing virtual machine. It opens, it displays a screen saying "Press F12 for boot options" or something similar, resizes the display, then loops back to the start. If I try F12, it takes me to a menu of boot options, but if I choose hard disk, it resets.

So I tried this

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VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename /home/$USER/VirtualVista/WinVista.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda

This time after the F12 screen, it opens GRUB. But, if I choose windows, it resets. Obviously, I cannot choose Ubuntu, because that could cause major memory problems.

[vbox4me2]

Must be a MBR problem, or you left the vmware tools installed.

[qrs_iii]

It wouldn't be the mbr file I created, because the second time I didn't use it; it just booted from the actual boot sector on my machine. I did have vmware installed, though. I uninstalled it and recreated the virtual machine. It still does the same thing. Does the vmware-uninstall leave some residual stuff I need to get rid of or something?

[vbox4me2]

What if you cloned the raw disk into a VDI? you could more easely check mbr/partition settings with gparted.