Making a real machine virtual

[[ Xi0N ]]

Im trying to virtualize a machine that currently is a real one, running windows 2000.

For doing so, i will boot a linux live cd and dd the disk, but here is my question:

The disk has multiple partitions, some of them extended ones, some primary ones.... when i dd th e disk,... should i dd the whole disk or go one by one through all the partitions?

Also, Im having a lot of trouble for doing so: The computer has no USB interface, so i can only dump the images through network, via samba share.... do you know any other method so it will be faster and safer? I say safer because currently i have the problem that after some hours of dumping, the smb connection gets closed and the dumping, obviously, stops......

Thanks.

[vbox4me2]

Use clonevdi to dump the disk (\\.\PhysicalDrive0). Sort the partitions and such out later.
Open up the box and directly connect a external drive to the controller. Or take the drive out and mount it thru some multi port convertor unit via usb/esata/firewire.

[[ Xi0N ]]

I want to do that, but the volume is a raid5 controlled through a perc.... so... yaiks...... i cannot do it like that... I rely on this board to unify the raid into a single disk.......
What i am currently doing is boot up a live cd.. with ubuntu and try to dd over the net.....

[vbox4me2]

There is also disk2vhd and vmware convertor, both do the same thing.

Ain't there an old unused ide controller in there?

[[ Xi0N ]]

Well... ill try.. because thats a computer that is in production and cant be switched off for too long..... i really want to virtualize it.. its driving me nuts!! because its also about to die.... (the hardware). Its a dual core Pentium II..... so, imagine how old it is.....
Ill try to open it ans look for a different way than network, as you recommend me...

Forgive me for insisting: Is it the same to make a dump of /dev/sda than do a dump of /dev/sda1 /dev/sda5 /dev/sdax... ? I prefer to keep the disk as it is now, so i should go for /dev/sda... shouldn't i?

[vbox4me2]

Have a look with gparted, that one can tell you whats what.
I've done countless p2v's and even old P-II's have an usb port, just clean the outlet properly before use. Or use a isa/pci usb plugin card. But the most easiest is to use some external convertor and take out the disk, ea:

ext.png (290.56 KiB) Viewed 6214 times

The one I use also has a SCSI connection.
Take out the disk, connect, dump and prepare the rest on separate machine, then import into clients system, done.

[[ Xi0N ]]

Have a look with gparted, that one can tell you whats what.
I've done countless p2v's and even old P-II's have an usb port, just clean the outlet properly before use. Or use a isa/pci usb plugin card. But the most easiest is to use some external convertor and take out the disk, ea:

ext.png

The one I use also has a SCSI connection.
Take out the disk, connect, dump and prepare the rest on separate machine, then import into clients system, done.

I have one of these... actually.. i will try to find a pci card with usb... and see if the computer has any pci slot i can use..... god... looks like im dealing with the flinstone's computer!!!

[vbox4me2]

looks like im dealing with the flinstone's computer!!!

Hahaha lol, thats why I always rip out the disk if usb won't work. Clonezilla liveCD/ISO is another good option where smb works as it should.

[[ Xi0N ]]

looks like im dealing with the flinstone's computer!!!

Hahaha lol, thats why I always rip out the disk if usb won't work. Clonezilla liveCD/ISO is another good option where smb works as it should.

I usually do dd directly, but here im dealing with a perc...... so, i relay on a piece of software that deals with it....

Anyway... i have some new ideas to keep on trying... thanks!!!

[[ Xi0N ]]

OK: I have the disk image, and converted it to VDI.. wow!!!!

But now i am facing the next handicap: A BSOD just after the system starts loading...

Tha system is a, wait for it: Windows NT updated to windows 2000.

The BSOD complains about INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE


I tried to follow the guide: http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows
but i could not perform the step "Hard Disk Support" which says to apply a regedit patch on the real machine before dumping the HDD--- it was just too risky... is it so critical? could this be the reason of the bsod?
Can i apply this regedit patch with some live cd or something like that?

I will try now to make a repair installation using the windows 2000 cd now... wish me luck.. this is going to be a tough one.....

Any help would be very much appreciated....


EDIT: Booting the Windows CD gives the same BSOD (Double checked)...... that is weird....

[vbox4me2]

Check Vm HD controller, try IO APIC, mergeide can also be run in safemode. Or copy the registry files elsewhere and edit them by import.

[[ Xi0N ]]

Playing with the VM controller didnt work... im trying to do it attaching the VDI to another VM, and attempting to change things as they are coded in the .bat of the mergeide package...... let's see if im lucky and get it working....

[[ Xi0N ]]

OK, i've checking the mergeide .reg file, and it sstructure seems not suitable for windows 2000.....
I am quite stuck now..... any more ideas?

[[ Xi0N ]]

IT WORKED:


But, the wiki should be changed... in windows 2K, THIS is the real and working walkthrough, with the .reg files structured so they work with windows 2000....

http://www.biermann.org/philipp/STOP_0x0000007B/


THANKS!!!, i cant belive im finally done with this

[vbox4me2]

I did say "Or copy the registry files elsewhere and edit them by import."