Rajat Arya - Latest Comments

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

limme — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:43:01 -0000

6.5 set vm to use IO APIC

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

banavara — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:39:37 -0000

You can't mount a partition in both the guest and host. But there is a workaround using shared folder. Mount the partition in host OS (oreferably) and use it as shared folder in guest OS.

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Fixion — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:40:44 -0000

Can both your main OS and the virtual machine both access your data partition (partition 3) at the same time? If so how? This is exactly what I've been looking for.

Re: obaclient

Rajat Arya — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:09:09 -0000

Sorry for the long delay, I just migrated to code to github, so please grab it/fork it from there: https://github.com/rajatarya/o....

Re: obaclient

Rajat Arya — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:08:20 -0000

Sorry for the incredibly long delay in responding Grant/Carter. I have finally migrated the current implementation to Github, please feel free to contribute to it/for it from here: https://github.com/rajatarya/o....

Re: obaclient

Rajat Arya — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:02:34 -0000

Sorry for long delay in replying. I should have this posted to github within a few days. Just need to clean it up so my api_key isn't in the code and have that loaded from the config file/etc.

Re: boxee Installed on Apple TV – the little box comes to life

Apple Tech Support — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:54:15 -0000

The Apple TV Support Page helps with troubleshooting, tutorials, service, and information for new users. specifications for Apple TV, including size and weight, processor, storage, ports, TV compatibility, and more.

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Carl Nobile — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 01:36:32 -0000

I am getting errors when I run your 5th step. It says that -register is an invalid argument. I'm using Ubuntu 11.10 and VB 4.1.4, so I'm guessing the -register argument has been deprecated.

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

N Milyaev — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:56:02 -0000

Great Post, many thanks.
I did it all step-by-step and all went smooth up to the point 6.
When trying to create a new virtual machine in the VB it refuses to pick up the created win7.vmdk file with the following error/.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

p, li { white-space: pre-wrap; }

p, li { white-space: pre-wrap;
Failed to open the hard disk /home/xxx/win7.vmdk.
The medium '/home/xxx/win7.vmdk' can't be used as the requested device type.Deatails show the following:
p, li { white-space: pre-wrap; }

Result Code:
NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component:
Medium
Interface:
IMedium {53f9cc0c-e0fd-40a5-a404-a7a5272082cd}
Callee:
IVirtualBox {c28be65f-1a8f-43b4-81f1-eb60cb516e66}

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Mark — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:01:03 -0000

It is a BAD BAD idea to add yourself to group disk. Many bad things can happen and it would be a great vector for viruses. Create a new user, add them to the group disk and then run the vm as that user. Here is my script (based on another found on virtualbox) that automates this. Just create the user virtualbox and use this script.

#! /bin/bash
# Windows 7 VM boot script for VirtualBox 4.x-- you'll have to always use it instead of running VirtualBox
VBUSER=virtualbox # name of custom account created (which is a member of disk group)
VM_NAME=Win7 # name of virtual machine

wait_for_closing_machines() {
RUNNING_MACHINES=`sudo -u $VBUSER VBoxManage list runningvms | wc -l`
if [ $RUNNING_MACHINES != 0 ]; then
sleep 5
wait_for_closing_machines
fi
}

sudo chown -R $USER:users /home/$USER/.VirtualBox    # make sure $VBUSER will be able to access VirtualBox settings etc.
                                                     # we use sudo because $VBUSER creates files with its ownership on previous runs
sudo chmod -R g=u /home/$USER/.VirtualBox                 # $VBOXUSER permissions should be the same as ours
sudo chown -R $USER:users /home/$USER/VirtualBox\ VMs/$VM_NAME    # ditto for VirtualBox VMs directory.
sudo chmod -R g=u /home/$USER/VirtualBox\ VMs/$VM_NAME

xauth extract /home/$USER/cookieTmp $DISPLAY

chmod g+r /home/$USER/cookieTmp
sudo chmod g+x /home/$USER/

sudo -u $VBUSER XAUTHORITY=/tmp/.Xauthority_$VBUSER xauth merge /home/$USER/cookieTmp
rm /home/$USER/cookieTmp

sudo -u $VBUSER DISPLAY=:0 XAUTHORITY=/tmp/.Xauthority_$VBUSER VBOX_USER_HOME=/home/$USER/.VirtualBox VBoxManage startvm $VM_NAME
#sudo -u $VBUSER DISPLAY=:0 XAUTHORITY=/tmp/.Xauthority_$VBUSER VBOX_USER_HOME=/home/$USER/.VirtualBox virtualbox

echo "Waiting for shutdown of $VM_NAME"
wait_for_closing_machines
echo "$VM_NAME shutdown. Resetting permissions."
sudo chown -R $USER:users /home/$USER/.VirtualBox    # make sure $VBUSER will be able to access VirtualBox settings etc.
                                                     # we use sudo because $VBUSER creates files with its ownership on previous runs
sudo chmod -R g-rw /home/$USER/.VirtualBox/*                 # $VBOXUSER permissions should be the same as ours
sudo chown -R $USER:users /home/$USER/VirtualBox\ VMs/$VM_NAME    # ditto for VirtualBox VMs directory.
sudo chmod -R g-rw /home/$USER/VirtualBox\ VMs/$VM_NAME

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Xerebus — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 23:04:10 -0000

I'd really love to try this, but before I do - how much of this might be different in VirtualBox 4.1.2 (it's been a while)?

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

JD Trout — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:58:46 -0000

I have been having the same issues as apmsylvain - blue screens when trying to boot windows- but am not able to resolve it. I tried the repair route, but receive the message "Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically". I tried changing the controller from SATA to IDE, but had no luck with that either.

The host is Ubuntu 11.04 running Vbox 4.0.12 and the windows version that I am trying to do the raw device map from is Windows 7 64bit.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Re: Contact

Chad Essley — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:38:16 -0000

Hi Rajat,

In your "Taming Windows 7 inside a VirtualBox VM" article.. you do this command:
vboxmanage internalcommands listpartitions -rawdisk /dev/sdaFor me, it does not return the 100mb boot partition you spoke of. Only the partition that holds Windows.(I know this partition exists.)

I only see:
Number Type StartCHS EndCHS Size (MiB) Start (Sect)
1 0x07 12 /223/20 1023/254/63 76215 206848
( This is my 80gb SSD drive)

So my question would be, is this possible to do without writing the MBR?

Thanks for your time!
Chad Essley

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Priest — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:37:29 -0000

Doesn't matter which one you use tbh, the point is to run the startup repair option which simply overwrites the mbr with a vista/win7 compatible bootloader. Both vista and win7 install / repair disks will work fine.

Re: obaclient

Grant McWilliams — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:29:55 -0000

I was thinking of working on a python OBA app for Maemo. I may dig around in your code then.

Re: obaclient

CarterButaud — Mon, 23 May 2011 19:20:14 -0000

This looks handy! Is there a download option for it?

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Csaba Toth — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:24:54 -0000

Thanks for your help, other guides didn't mention the trick of creating an MBR file. Now I managed to boot (this way I bypass GRUB and don't get an error. I'm at the 7th step. I have Win 7 x64. Why do you mention Vista DVD? You seem to have also a Win7. I don't have an installation CD, how can I overcome this step?

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Rainer Apuli — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:32:35 -0000

In my case this was caused by wrong bios SATA mode setting. I installed windows 7 with bios SATA mode set to RAID so windows installed only RAID drivers. Since VM is using AHCI mode to access harddisks, windows doesn't have proper driver installed for it. Microsoft has made a fix for this http://support.microsoft.com/k..., you must run this fix before changing SATA mode to AHCI or running VM in AHCI. Still I recommend changing the bios setting to AHCÍ before even installing windows.

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Tony — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:18:38 -0000

BTW
HOST : Ubuntu 10.04 32 bits
GUEST: Windows 7 Pro 32bits

I added my user to disk group =) No success =S

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Tony — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:15:37 -0000

Hello René,

I did everything mr Rajat, mr Ritesh and mr Noramans told us to do in preview posts. I tryed:
- create a MBR + vmdk image and repair the boot with DVD
- create a vmdk image of my disk and a specific grub for boot only W7
- create a vmdk image of my disk with my original grub support (and choose W7 manually)

Summarizing... I tryed everything that is told here but no success. The "Starting Windows" screen forever persists. :S

I think the problem is with Windows7 because in all cases I booted the base system, but it stops the execution on Starting screen. I tryed to run MergeIDE on W7 because I read in some place that some registries need to be changed. But the result was the same.

Any idea?

Tony

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Tony — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:35:22 -0000

Great post!!! But I tryed everything and the best I acchieved was a Starting Windows screen running forever.. :S
Any tip? I'm running dualboot with Windows 7 Pro 32bits and Ubuntu 10.04 32bits, with VirtualBox 4.0.4.

Before you ask me to change the VB version I advice you that I've already it done... I tryed 3.12, 3.10 and 3.8 build releases, and OSEs too.

Thanks,
Tony
------------------
Here are some extra informations:
$ fdisk -l /dev/sda
Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x08000000
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 14 112423+ de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2 * 15 1292 10258432 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 1292 12118 86961668+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 12118 60802 391053313 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 12118 59676 382009344 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 59676 60802 9042944 82 Linux swap / Solaris

$ VBoxManage internalcommands listpartitions -rawdisk /dev/sda
Number Type StartCHS EndCHS Size (MiB) Start (Sect)
1 0xde 0 /1 /1 13 /254/63 109 63
2 0x07 14 /5 /56 1023/254/63 10018 225280
3 0x07 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 84923 20742144
5 0x83 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 373056 194666496
6 0x82 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 8831 958687232

About partitions:
sda2 --> Windows 7 Pro 32bits (RecoveryImage)
sda3 --> Windows 7 Pro 32bits
sda5 --> Ubuntu 10.04 LTS 32bits

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Ritesh Raj Sarraf — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:19:05 -0000

Yup!!! I elaborated more on what Parker explained here:
http://www.researchut.com/site...

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Noramans — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 02:46:23 -0000

maybe not so short :)

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Noramans — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 02:45:06 -0000

Thanks D Parker this worked for me but with some minor changes. Since it toke me almost a day to make everythin work I will write some short notes about how I did.
1. Add group disk to your user
sudo usermod -a -G disk myusername
2. Logout to make this change work.
3 My partitions is a bit messy but here it is:
$ VBoxManage internalcommands listpartitions -rawdisk /dev/sda
Oracle VM VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.2.8_OSE
(C) 2005-2010 Oracle Corporation
All rights reserved.

Number Type StartCHS EndCHS Size (MiB) Start (Sect)
1 0xde 0 /1 /1 4 /254/63 39 63
2 0x07 5 /25 /21 17 /216/7 100 81920
3 0x07 17 /216/8 1023/254/63 79900 286720
5 0x83 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 19072 163923968
6 0x83 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 196594 202985472
7 0x82 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 953 605612032
8 0x0b 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 8582 607565824

$ fdisk -l /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x77e3ed41

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 5 40131 de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2 * 6 18 102400 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda3 18 10204 81817600 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 10204 38914 230608897 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 10204 12636 19529728 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 12636 37698 201312256 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 37698 37820 975872 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda8 37820 38914 8787968 b W95 FAT32

4. Partition 5 is not required at the end but before the grub image is created the native grub have to know about partition 5 when booting over vm.
$ VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk 2.-filename /home/mans/virtualbox/win7.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda -partitions 2,3,5 -register

5. This is all the steps to create a grub image that then can be mounted over vbox. I never managed to understand how D Parker created a floppy image with grub since grub-mkrescue seem to have removed that option.

mkdir iso
cd iso
mkdir -p boot/grub
cd boot/grub

#disable all boot options except windows 7 option
sudo chmod -x /etc/grub.d/10_linux
sudo chmod -x /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+

create a new grub.cfg file
sudo grub-mkconfig > grub.cfg

#change the grub options back
sudo chmod +x /etc/grub.d/10_linux
sudo chmod +x /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+

#create a grub CD image
sudo install xorriso
grub-mkrescue --modules="linux ext2 fat fshelp ls boot pc ntfs" --output=/home/myusernam/virtualbox/grub2.iso iso/

6. To add the grub CD image to the Vbox start Vbox and go to File->Virtual Media Manager and click on CD/DVD image tab and add your newly created grub iso. Click on settings for your windows 7 vm and choose Storage and then add an IDE Controller and select your grub.iso file in CD/DVD Device drop down box.

Thats it now you can safely run windows 7 both natively and as a guest OS through VBox without worrying about the issue stated by D Parker

Re: Taming Windows 7 in a VirtualBox VM Using Raw Disk Access

Pareja Mario — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:16:03 -0000

Are you now able to alternate between booting natively and booting in a VM without having to repair?