9 replies to this topic

[L A M A]

Hi

I mapped a 1st*.vhd on memory but now i want to map another 2nd*.vhd (that is inside the 1st*.vhd memory).

Will grub4dos find 2nd*.vhd straight from hooked 1st*.vhd?

I'm trying to completely cut off IOs from physical disk...

[tinybit]

yes, it will.

[sixcentgeorge]

do you know paragon rescue kit 14 : https://www.paragon-...m/home/rk-free/

it backups hds in vhd ; when you do a single partition ; the file is like a hd inside

 

 

but if you backup a hd with a boot part like win7 8 10 then it creates files with number 1 2 3... with ntfs ; so it is like 1.ntfs 2.ntfs in the vhd

 

 

is grub4dos able of mounting the two drives ?

[Wonko the Sane]

That is how 7-zip shows the contents of the file.

 

The first screenshot is about a file that is a volume (the thing that gets a drive letter in Windows, corresponding to a - primary - partition) image or it is a hard disk (whole thing) with just one volume/partition in it.

 

The second screenshot is about a file that is actually a hard disk (whole thing) image with more than one partition and what you see are the partitions or volumes in it (and the "2" is the unpartitioned space after the second partition).

 

Hint:

in 7-zip try double clicking on the 0.ntfs or on the 1.ntfs file, they will open exactly like the first screenshot.

 

grub4dos doesn't "mount" anything, at the most it can map (and access) them, but since it is a hard disk image, with a partition table you map the hard disk, and grub4dos will parse its MBR and allow you access to the two volumes/partitions in it.

Example:

map /a-senselessly-long-path/hdd-0.vhd (hd3)

map --hook

root (hd3,0)

ls

root (hd3,1)

ls

 

Wonko

[sixcentgeorge]

the files 1.ntfs are open by 7zip but if i rename them like 1.vhd and try to mount the partition with diskmgmt then that fails ....

if i delete one partition then the vhd opens with files in 7zip .

[Wonko the Sane]

the files 1.ntfs are open by 7zip but if i rename them like 1.vhd and try to mount the partition with diskmgmt then that fails ....

if i delete one partition then the vhd opens with files in 7zip .

 

Diskmgmt will read an image that is a "whole disk" image (which first sector is a MBR) AND with the .vhd image format (which in case of a static .vhd is a RAW disk image with a given footer).

When you extract the 0.ntfs, 1.ntfs, etc. you obtain a RAW volume image.

Is this what you are doing?

WHY?

 

Wonko

[sixcentgeorge]

i try to "Run Windows 10 from RamDisk" ....using a vhd made by backup instead of at install : http://reboot.pro/to...7-from-ramdisk/

i wonder if i ll have troubles with bootmgr 's guids this way... i tested 3 tools that say they backup in vhd , all files of the same disc or partitions have not the same size ...and none is able to save only the partition [ i have to use some partitions tools for that or edit in diskmgmt.msc ... ]

[Wonko the Sane]

I don't get it.

You are trying or you are wondering?

What (the heck) has the way 7-zip sees a .vhd to do with this?

 

Why (the heck) are you attempting to use this or that among 3 different (2 unnamed) "backup" tools which you don't know or understand the behaviour?

 

Wouldn't be more productive to study and understand the matter first then use simple tools like dd or similar, create a simple. RAW image and then "convert" it to static .vhd?

 

Of course you will need to adapt the \boot\BCD to work with a .vhd instead of the "plain" install.

 

And of course if you want a (stupid) Windows 10 install entirely in ramdisk you will need a much smaller partition image than the 220 Gb one shown in your previous post.

 

In any case all this has nothing to do with grub4dos (that can map those files fine, as long as they are "static" .vhd's) .

 

Wonko

[sixcentgeorge]

i am asking me if "simple tools like dd or similar, create a simple. RAW image and then "convert" it to static .vhd?"   will make names like 1 or 2   .ntfs in the RAW ?

[Wonko the Sane]

i am asking me if "simple tools like dd or similar, create a simple. RAW image and then "convert" it to static .vhd?"   will make names like 1 or 2   .ntfs in the RAW ?

I don't understand the question.

 

A RAW image (as made by dd or similar "plain" tools) is a byte-by-byte, sector-by-sector image of a disk (the whole thing).

If the source disk has two partitions, the RAW disk image will have them (and in 7-zip they will appear as 0.ntfs, etc.)

 

You add to it a footer to convert it into a "static" .vhd, there are quite a few little tools around for this, among them the smaller/simpler is probably:

http://reboot.pro/to...ges/#entry83781

 

And - just as a shameless plug - the OFSGPT001 here:

http://reboot.pro/to...o-gpt/?p=193947

includes a couple of half-@§§ed batches that may be useful if you want to actually understand how a "Conectix" footer for a "static" .vhd is made

 

And of course our friend's erwan.l's Clonedisk can do also create the disk image directly or convert it:
http://reboot.pro/to...8480-clonedisk/

Wonko