Win10 Guest in raw disk runs system preparation every time

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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Lurix66
Posts: 2
Joined: 16. Feb 2018, 14:07

Win10 Guest in raw disk runs system preparation every time

Post by Lurix66 »

Hello I have in my ASUS notebook (S510UQ) a dual boot configuration: Win10Home + Ubuntu 16.04.

I succeeded to create a rawdisk image, then to create a Windows VM booting from it, and it worked.
Note: I intend to use such WIn10 installation most of the times virtually, and only seldom as a real machine, but i need both.
The problem is that when I tested the setup, everytime I changed the way I boot it (within vBox / within the physical system), windows went through a full "system preparation", which is lengthy and also I consider somehow dangerous, but above all the rest, it can be done only 8 times.

Routes to the solution that I am thinking of, are:
1) make both machines detect the same hw; this means "teach" Virtualbox that the hw it has to present to the guest is... the same that Windows detects when it runs natively. Which components do I have to care of? for example, I don't mind if windows sees both video controllers; and I probably won't even be able to give the VM the entire RAM size. So what is essential to skip the sysprep phase?
2) prevent the windows system from undergoing a system preparation phase when I run it in either of the machines (better, in the VM)
I understand that some of these questions might be more tied to windows itself, but the need which originates them, and probably the solution, certainly has to do with booting a real system in a virtualized environment
Has anybody had the same issue and hopefully found a solution? Do you have any hint what to try next?
Thanks
mpack
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Posts: 39134
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Win10 Guest in raw disk runs system preparation every time

Post by mpack »

Lurix66 wrote: 1) make both machines detect the same hw;
Not possible. VirtualBox doesn't just apply some arbitrary labels to itself, it must have code to simulate every bit of hardware that it virtualizes, and the simulation must be close enough that Microsoft written drivers work correctly with the simulated hardware.
Lurix66
Posts: 2
Joined: 16. Feb 2018, 14:07

Re: Win10 Guest in raw disk runs system preparation every time

Post by Lurix66 »

So, everybody explaining that they succeed in booting the machine both in VB and on real hw, have the same "system preparation at boot" every time they switch from virtual to real boot?
Or are those machines just lucky, to sport real hardware that matches the virtualized hardware pretty well?
I know that it is something unusual that I am trying to do, but still it seems that it can be done at least in certain situations.
Should I really give up?
Or, is there some chance that (1) going through the proper steps, I can configure my VM so to be the closest possible to the real machine (in such a way that windows system preparation is not needed or very fast, and all the way safe)
Would it be an option to try to (2) make the Windows system know which modules and drivers to load at boot time, i.e. not waiting that it detects the hw and reacts all on its own?
Or, alternatively to (3) have two "precompiled" windows images and get the right one selected at boot?
Last resort would be to (4) have two different windows installations, one real, one virtual, both using the same data partition (disk D:). This would force me to install all programs in both machines everytime:-/ù

Yes I am just thinking out loud, hoping to gather some suggestions: which option would you consider the most promising?
Thanks
Lurix
socratis
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Posts: 27329
Joined: 22. Oct 2010, 11:03
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Win(*>98), Linux*, OSX>10.5
Location: Greece

Re: Win10 Guest in raw disk runs system preparation every time

Post by socratis »

Lurix66 wrote:So, everybody explaining that they succeed in booting the machine both in VB and on real hw
Most people (if not all) that use rawdisk access have that issue with a Windows installation. Fact of life.

I have a Win raw disk access. When I boot it as a VM, it's not activated. I'll have to live with it until it dies on me...
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
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