VirtualBox destroys VmWare 7.0.1 Image

[Sharky444]

I've just tried using a vmdk image with Windows XP on it. It was created by VMWare 7.0.1, my VB version is 3.1.4 and the host is Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

Result: the vmdk got corrupted, you get a loading operating system error when Windows starts to boot. This is no blue screen, just a text message on a black screen.

What is bad about this, is that the vmdk was destroyed. You cannot use it in VMWare anymore, you get the same loading operating system error.

Luckily I had a backup of it. After restoring the backup I've tested it with VMWare. Works. Loaded again with Virtualbox. It has been destroyed again.

Since I've still the backup, I can repeat the operation if needed.

[Technologov]

hmmm... this issue deserves higher priority.

-Technologov

[Klaus Espenlaub]

Do you happen to have a "flat" VMDK file (i.e. a fixed size image) where this happens? Would simplify investigation, as I suspect the text descriptor file is the source of all problems.

[aeichner]

Couldn't reproduce here so far. Tried with a VMDK created with VMware workstation 7.1.0. The guest is Windows Vista. Boots fine with VirtualBox and no sign of corruption.

[Chris Wolf]

Here are several workarounds for both VMDK type=2 (monolithicFlat) and type=0 (monolithicSparse):

​http://communities.vmware.com/message/983441#983441

[Chris Wolf]

Replying to aeichner:

Couldn't reproduce here so far. Tried with a VMDK created with VMware workstation 7.1.0. The guest is Windows Vista. Boots fine with VirtualBox and no sign of corruption.

Right, because the issue is not booting with VirtualBox, but booting with VMware, once that VMDK is booted by VirtualBox - it gets modified by VirtualBox by adding the following Disk DescriptorFile entries:

• ddb.uuid.modification
• ddb.uuid.parent
• ddb.uuid.parentmodification
• ddb.geometry.biosCylinders
• ddb.geometry.biosHeads
• ddb.geometry.biosSectors

These entries cause VMware to fail to load the VMDK, so yes, it will boot fine with VirtualBox, but not VMware. To restore the VMDK file back to the way it was before VirtualBox modified it, you can try one of these procedures:

​http://communities.vmware.com/message/983441#983441

[Chris Wolf]

Replying to chriswolf:

Replying to aeichner:

Couldn't reproduce here so far. Tried with a VMDK created with VMware workstation 7.1.0. The guest is Windows Vista. Boots fine with VirtualBox and no sign of corruption.

Right, because the issue is not booting with VirtualBox, but booting with VMware, once that VMDK is booted by VirtualBox - it gets modified by VirtualBox by adding the following Disk DescriptorFile entries: [...]

I tried a Windows-XP guest and the issue does NOT occur - it appears to be when the guest OS is Linux, specifically Ubuntu-9.1. At some point I may try a different flavor of Linux to see if the issue is specific to Ubuntu/Debian or generic to Linux.

[Frank Mehnert]

Please reopen if still relevant with VBox 4.0.4.