Stumped - need to add 2nd HDD to a XP VirtualBox VM

I need to create a XP VM to run some old cash register program. I have a Macrium backup of the XP hdd which is about 30GB. I've tried multipls ways to make this mrimg file available to the VM so I can run macrium to restore to new hardware but I can't get Virtualbox to make it work.

My last attempt was to use a 250GB HDD attached as a 2nd internal HDD.
First I created a VDMK file using

Code:

VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename "c:\Users\Owner\Virtualbox VMs\XP System\Drive2.vmdk" -rawdisk \\.\PhysicalDrive1

I then created the XP VM under Oracle VB and tried to create a 2nd HDD on the AHCI drive controller but it always gets VERR_ACCESS_DENIED. I get this even if I take ownership of the file. Looking further in the error message I see

Code:

Permission problems accessing the file for the 
medium c:\Users\Owner\Virtualbox VMs\XP System\Drive2.vmdk
VBOX_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND (0X80BB0001).

I've also tried using a 32GB flash drive but I couldn't get the XP VM to see it.

Any suggestions welcome.

Note I can't use HyperV as it doesn't handle XP.

I've had similar issues in the past.
It might sound like a bold move but it does the trick: make an ISO image containing the Macrium Reflect image.

Place the .mrimg in a folder, add the folder to Folder2Iso to create an ISO of it.
Then simple use that large ISO in the VM.
You will need a second virtual DVD drive for the second iso (backup image) asuming the first one boots Macrium Reflect cd/iso.

Note:
This works on all hypervisor platforms, since it's using iso disk image. This is available during boot.

But on VirtualBox: why not use a share folder and place the .mrimg there... assuming you have the guest additions up and running in XP guest. Your second HDD can act as a shared folder, be it temporary for the needed image.
EDIT => my bad, in order to restore it entirely, we boot from Macrium so there are no additions for shared folder requirements.

- - - Updated - - -

Ztruker said:

Note I can't use HyperV as it doesn't handle XP.

Yes it does.

I've used XP a couple of times in Hyper-V, on Win10.
You can even install some additions / integrated services (applies to XP SP3) using the older integration iso from 2008 or 2012... but XP is pretty functional as is.

Ztruker said:

Note I can't use HyperV as it doesn't handle XP.

Not sure why you say that. I have created XP VMs in Hyper-V twice now, once by booting the VM from an ISO of the XP install disk, the second by restoring a Macrium Reflect image of a dead XP machine's HDD to an empty Hyper-V VM.

For the second one, I had installed software on an old XP laptop that I wanted to keep but the only part of the laptop that was still working was its (IDE) hard drive. I put the HDD in an expansion adapter and took a Macrium Reflect image of it, then booted a Hyper-V VM from a Macrium recovery ISO. In order that Macrium could find and restore the image I created a vhd disk, mounted it, then copied the .mrimg file to it. I then attached it as a second drive for the VM.

My purpose was to upgrade it from XP to Windows 10 keeping files and apps, which you can do, but in stages. First XP > Vista, then Vista to W7, and finally W7 to W10.

jimbo45 said:

not sure why this doesn't work
1) on Windows HOST simply run Macrium Free to restore the XP image to an iso image

Windows cannot write to iso, from what I've seen. ISO is read-only.

But this point still applies: you restore the XP image to a VHD virtual disk attached/mounted on the host.

Then simply detach from host and add that VHD disk in VM to boot from it.

Thanks all, I'll give it another try tomorrow. Thanks for the ideas I hadn't tried.

Then simply detach from host and add that VHD disk in VM to boot from it.

That's the part that doesn't work for me.

Edit: I'm trying to add it as a 2nd HDD, not the primary. See below about Restore to new hardware option

Hmmm, is this due to having Hyper-V active when I'm trying to use VirtualBox? I'll check that and if it is I'll turn it of and see what happens.

Otherwise I'm going to try Hyper-V instead of VB and see if I can get that working. I can't go the mrimg to ISO route because I need to make use of Macrium's Restore to new hardware option after doing a restore.

One way or another it sounds like I should be able to get this working.

Thanks for the help.

Ztruker said:

Then simply detach from host and add that VHD disk in VM to boot from it.
That's the part that doesn't work for me.

Not sure you understood that. This part is not in the VM.
On the host use a VHD disk by mounting it --> attaching it via Disk Managment.
Then when you're done using it, detach it via Disk Management. Otherwise the VHD is not usable in VM.

Edit: I'm trying to add it as a 2nd HDD, not the primary. See below about Restore to new hardware option

I believe this is in the VM...
It has no importance what disk order that is, just add the VHD to the right IDE controller.
I've never used "restore to new hardware" since I use the free version. But I can restore practically anywhere the regular way.

Hmmm, is this due to having Hyper-V active when I'm trying to use VirtualBox? I'll check that and if it is I'll turn it of and see what happens.

For disk issues this is irrelevant. It shouldn't be a problem. Something can be wrong in the VM settings.

It's a matter of speed when both are active and VirtualBox has to run.
I don't recommend you use VirtualBox with Hyper-V on.
Last time I used this, I had the 'green turtle' thing active in VirtualBox and VM was practically in slow motion, unusable. Or is it just me or my hardware...

If you can, try the whole operation in Hyper-V, as many have noted, XP is usable there.

Otherwise, just in case, but I recommend, you disable Hyper-V if you plan on using VirtualBox.

I'm going to try Hyper-V first, thanks.

Still think Restore to new hardware is the better choice so I'll give that a try first (as a VHD attached to the host).