Need help extract files from my .vdi file

[dati]

Hello,

I am running into a very serious problem.

Here is my Configuration
- Virtualbox v1.6.2 on Windows Vista.
- Windows XP SP3 as Client in the Virtual Box.

When I try to open my vm machine I get an error message:
------------------------------------------------------------------
VM cannot start because the hard disk 'Q:\VPC\VirtualBox.vdi' is not accessible (Could not access har disk image 'Q:\VPC\VirtualBox.vdi' (VERR_VDI_INVALID_HEADER)).

Result Code: E_FAIL (0x80004005)
Component: Console
Interface: IConsole {d5a1cbda-f5d7-4824-9afe-d640c94c7dcf}

------------------------------------------------------------------

Does anyone know how to revise my vdi file?
Can files store on the vdi file be extracted?
Any pre-release hot fix/tools?

I have try vboxmanage clonevd ... but still get the same error message:
Could not access hard disk mage ... (VERR_VDI_INVALID_HEADER)

Please Help!, Very Urgent.

Thanks in Advance.

[dati]

I have issue the following command from command line:
VBoxManage.exe showvdiinfo Q:\VPC\VirtualBox.vdi

Result:
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 1.6.2
(C) 2005-2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

UUID: 63469d35-1d70-4615-995f-c6a3e4f359db
Registered: yes
Accessible: no
Access Error: Could not access hard disk image 'Q:\VPC\VirtualBox.vdi' (VERR_VDI_INVALID_HEADER)
Size: 0 MBytes
Current size on disk: 0 MBytes
Type: standard
Storage type: Virtual Disk Image (VDI)
In use by VM: 1e8b4e24-2691-4518-bb85-dc5b818e0bfc
Path: Q:\VPC\VirtualBox.vdi

[ramzez]

i have the same problem , but my file size is ok

[niels762]

first you need to convert your VDI file into an VHD.
step 1
go to file left and select Manager for virtual media.

step 2
select your VDI file and press copy and then next.

Step 3
select VHD (virtual Hard Disk).

Step 4
choose dynamically allocated or fixed size.

Step 5
select your location.

step 6
press Copy

Step 7
unpack the VHD file with 7-zip or another unpack program

BTW sorry for my bad english, im dutch

[mpack]

If the VDI is unusable then conversion to VHD is impossible.

Anyway, does 7-zip support VHD format? There's a substantial difference between an archive format and a virtual disk format, especially one containing a complex, proprietary and officially undocumented filesystem. That's a lot of bloat to add to an archiving tool.

[Leak]

Funny you should ask - I didn't believe it either (although most packers nowadays at least support ISO files), but sure enough 7-Zip (both it's file manager and the command line version) does support reading NTFS, either right off of a partition (type "\\." into 7-Zip's address bar) or from within a VHD file...

(It even allows you to read deleted files that haven't been overwritten yet, as well as read any file without regards to security descriptors... gotta remember that...)

[mpack]

Is it write capable? I.e. does it allow you to copy files in, perhaps overwriting an existing file? If so then that would provide a handy means of e.g. replacing a device driver in a VM that won't boot. Ability to delete files would also be useful for that.

ISTM also that if 7-zip can support the VHD container format then it could easily support VDI as well. It's the NTFS support that's the tricky bit.

Of course this isn't a general solution: the OP asked this question in "Using VirtualBox", not "Windows Guests", so a full answer must give consideration to VDI files which contain non-Windows filesystems.

[vbox4me2]

Gizmo seems to be able to access vhd files, and I've seen a request there for vdi support so who knows what else is out there we don't know about yet.

[Leak]

Is it write capable? I.e. does it allow you to copy files in, perhaps overwriting an existing file?

I'm afraid not - it's listed under "Unpacking only" - taking a peek at the source 7-Zip treats images (ISO, VHD, WIM, ...) like an archive that contains another archive (NTFS, FAT, UDF, ISO9660, ...), similar to .tar.gz, so adding VDI support shouldn't be too hard...

[niels762]

srry forgot something
step 8
unpack/open 1.ntfs with 7-zip or another unpack program