virtualbox.org

For Hyper-V I have some VHDs which are pre-created hard disks containing a sysprep'd Windows. When creating a new VM I would just copy the VHD and then it would begin at the tail end of Windows.

Is it possible to create reusable images like that in VirtualBox? If so can somebody point me to a tutorial explain how, or breifly describe the process? For what its worth I have an ISO of Windows 7 RTM to start with.

Thanks!

In order to sysprep one, you have to install the OS first. Then you use the sysprep utility to create a state that you can use as such. Keep in mind that if you use the VDI that's been sysprepped, you can't just use it for every new VM. The UUID has to be unique in order to use it for a new VM on the same host, so the VDI has to be cloned first, instead of a regular copy.

Excellent, that is precisely what I needed to know. Thanks!

Try using nLite [www.nliteos.org] - very similar in many ways to using sysprep, a lot more flexible and easier to use IMHO - check it and see if it meets your needs.

Um... AFAIK, nLite is nothing at all like sysprep. They serve entirely different functions. nLite basically creates custom install CDs, sysprep prepares a Windows hard disk image for cloning.