virtualbox.org

Hi,

My Windows 8 was installed through UEFI on a GPT partitioned disk. I've been trying to follow the boot camp instructions for Mac OS X and trying to add in the raw disk via the vboxmanage command tools but am unable to do so and keep getting this error:

VBoxManage: error: Cannot open the raw disk: VERR_ACCESS_DENIED

My system is a pure UEFI system, no BIOS and has two bootable partitions, one Mac OS X and the other Windows 8. Current bootloader using clover EFI bootloader.

Wonder if anyone else has managed to get a virtual machine up and running using one of these raw GPT partitions in VirtualBox. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You most likely will have to change the permissions on the device special file for the partition in /dev/disksXX. You might find some help if you peruse the writeup in "Howtos and Tutorials->Other Hosts". This describes how to setup VBox scaffolding for a bootcamp windows 7 and XP partition. I would expect windows 8 to be similar. Note that the disk used for this was also a GPT/EFI partitioned disk.

JimBushWhack wrote:You most likely will have to change the permissions on the device special file for the partition in /dev/disksXX. You might find some help if you peruse the writeup in "Howtos and Tutorials->Other Hosts". This describes how to setup VBox scaffolding for a bootcamp windows 7 and XP partition. I would expect windows 8 to be similar. Note that the disk used for this was also a GPT/EFI partitioned disk.

I actually did read through it and tried what you suggested in there. You were installing this on an iMac yes? Using boot camp and through Mac OS X own disk utility, if you partition a disk using that method, you do not totally get a pure GPT disk, it uses a hybrid MBR instead of a protected one in a pure GPT partitioned disk. I think that is where the rawdiskcreator command is failing for me, it is unable to handle the protected MBR.

I have to state that my machine is not a Mac, it's a regular PC that I've cobbled together and managed to install both Mountain Lion and Win 8 in EFI mode. Both of them are on the same physical disk but partitioned according to their necessary partitioned scheme. Booting them separately via clover works fine, it's the trying to run the Windows 8 partition in a VirtualBox that's giving me issues.