Windows 7 guest fails to start

[RobKielty]

Host OS : Linux 3.2.0-31-generic #50-Ubuntu SMP x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Virtualbox Version : 4.2.0 r80737
Guest OS : Windows 7 accessing raw disk on /dev/sda

I installed Ubuntu on /dev/sdb so that I can have it run on the bare metal and run my Windows install in a VM on Ubuntu.

I created a vmdk file as follows to point to the raw disk on the host OS where I have Windows Installed

Code: Select all

sudo VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename win7rawVirtualDisk.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda

After massaging permissions on the above file so that is was readable by the user that runs VirtualBox I created a VM that uses this disk.

When I start the Virtual Machine I get a Windows Error Recovery Screen and am presented with the options to Launch Startup Repair or Start Windows Normally
When I choose Start Windows Normally I get blue screened and the machine quickly loops back to the Windows Error Recovery Screen.

If I allow the Sartup Repair to run it offers the opportunity o restore Windows to a previous save point which I am not keen to do. Then Startup Repair continues to run for a long time.

Not sure if it is relevant but the two disks in the machine are managed by a RAID disk controller.
In the BIOS I have enabled Virtualization technology.

What next steps should I take to better describe or resolve the problem?

VBox.log

(55.15 KiB) Downloaded 38 times

Many thanks,
Rob

[mpack]

See the "Windows Guests" section of the HowTo forum.

[RobKielty]

Sincere thanks mpack.

As per your suggestion am now going through the post "Windows 7: In both VM and native (using Linux as host OS) -- VirtualBox 3.x" which seems to be directly relevant.

Thanks again,
Rob