virtualbox.org

Hello,
I'm sorry but, after spending some hours searching on the forum, i don't find a solution for this problem which seem simple.
I'm using Windows XP SP3. I've created a VM with Vmware workstation 6.0.4 then install Linux (Debian) on the WM. Now I start using VirtualBox 3.1.2 on Windows XP and I'd like to use the .vmdk file. I create the new WM (in Virtualbox), using the existing wmdisk file. But, during the startup of Linux (inside the VM), I got this error:

/dev/sda1 does not exist. dropping to a shell!

and after

/bin/sh : can't access tty; job control turned off

and nothing else.
May be I do not use the correct procedure of switching. I succeded migrating from Vmware to Virtualbox with an Windows XP guest on Windows XP host.
thank you

Possibly SCSI Image in VMWARE, IDE Controller in VBOX. Try SCSI.

Isn't sda1 the sata type drive? Did you set it to ide instead?
Sata is not setup by default you must set it up manually.
Plus you need the sata drivers for XP. It does not come with one. I got my intel image file from Intel.
I guess you could edit the grub file and change the sda1 to hda1. That might work.

I did have the same problems. I was converting a virtual machine from elasticserver.com from VMWare to VirtualBox. The error was "/dev/sda1 does not exist." and "can't access tty; " were also displayed.
To correct go under Storage > Remove the IDE Controller
Add a new Controller > Choose SCSI
Choose your new SCSI controller > Add a new attachment (and that's your virtual machine that you have converted)