capture XP, how to create raw image ?

[HorNet505]

gents,
the article http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_ ... rWindowsXP is confusing to me.
Under XP there is no way to use the DD command. Its a linux command.

Can someone please tell me how to capture my XP (installed on my netbook) ?

[stefan.becker]

VMWare Converter, DIsk2VHD.

[maro]

... Under XP there is no way to use the DD command. Its a linux command. ...

I don't think that this statement is entirely correct: There seems to be a Windows DD tool, albeit I have to admit that I have not used it for a P2V migration myself.

[mpack]

Yes, there is a Windows port of "dd" available, but you'd have to be crazy to use it - it's the dumbest of dumb tools (an image of a 100GB drive will take 100GB, even if only 1GB of the drive was used), and you are still left with the need to convert from raw to VDI using "convertfromraw".

The advice on the Migrate_Windows page is obsolete. Today IMHO the best way to P2V a Windows machine to VBox is to use Disk2VHD. Optionally you can then use CloneVDI to convert VHD to VDI (I don't consider VHD to be a robust or high performing format).