virtualbox.org

Is it possible to mount a VDI image into the host OS and have it available in disk management?

I am aware of ImDisk and Winmount and I am successful in getting the image to mount and accessing files on the guest OS, however the drive does not show up in disk management and thus will not show up in partition magic.

Here is the deal, I am currently iscsi booting Windows XP and I was successful in getting VirtualBox to iscsi boot this install without a hitch. However I am interested in getting this particular Windows installation in a VDI image and using it that way rather than iscsi booting it through VirtualBox.

So I would like to create a blank VDI image, mount it, connect to my iscsi target and copy the partition over.

I hope someone here gets the gist of what I am talking about, and any information or help is appreciated.

Thanks!

Why don't you start PM or other tools, like CloneZilla, from the Guest itself? It's not advised to write to Host-mounted VDI files, as it can corrupt them.

Perhaps the <cough>Microsoft</cough> VHD format when mounted can be seen by Disk Management?
Mounting (VHD) virtual hard disks at the command line
... then clonehd or CloneVDI the VDH to a VDI. Edit: Deleted silly idea...

I agree with Sasquatch that doing the partition copy inside the guest (Clonezilla/ubcd4win/...) would be easiest, or at least create the partition in the guest.

I have a sudden urge to mash parts of VirtualBox OSE and ImDisk together

Sasquatch wrote:Why don't you start PM or other tools, like CloneZilla, from the Guest itself? It's not advised to write to Host-mounted VDI files, as it can corrupt them.

Thanks, I'll give that a try. Sounds like I was trying to make it more complicated than it actually is, which I am wont to do sometimes, LOL.

Thanks Sasquatch, worked like a charm.

/me kicks self in head.

hyphenpipe wrote:Thanks Sasquatch, worked like a charm.

/me kicks self in head.

Oh, flexible legs you've got there .