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Is there a "virtual storage driver" for Windows 10 ?


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#1 Doodoo

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Posted 21 February 2023 - 02:17 AM

Hi all,

 

Many years ago, I used to create virtual disks using Hddimage and I used to mount them with these amazing little scripts that rely on Microsoft's "virtual storage driver" :

 

virtual storage driver - Windows 2K/XP/2003 - reboot.pro

 

Nowadays in Windows 10, this doesn't seem to work any longer. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure there is nothing wrong with the scripts themselves, it's only about the drivers. Is there somewhere a new version of the "virtual storage driver" for Windows 10 ?

 

My goal is to mount raw disk images as complete disks, so they appear like any other "physical" disk and be partitioned, formatted, so their MBR can be changed, so their signature can be changed, etc....



#2 misty

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Posted 21 February 2023 - 06:24 AM

@Doodoo
I haven't used Hddimage so cannot comment on this. I've just tried the Virtual Storage Driver you referred to in your post and this appears to be working on my Windows 10 21H2 system (Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC).
 
As an alternative you may want to try Arsenal image Mounter (AIM)
 
I would recommend using aim_ll.exe (Arsenal Image Mounter Low Level) as this does not have a .NET dependency and can be used for raw disk image files -  
Post #7
 
See also Post #11 for the driver files that will also be required for use with aim_ll.exe
 
cheers.gif
 
misty

#3 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 21 February 2023 - 09:11 AM

It is not clear from your report whether the issue is in creating the image or in mounting it (or however in the running of the driver).

 

BUT you can easily rule out the batch.

 

The *need* for the hddimage batch or for the original one mbrbatch and similar were due to a limitation/peculiarity of the VDK driver that was in use at the time, it connected the OS to the image (the corresponding \\PhysicalDrive) at a "level above" the disk manager, so neither disk manager gui nor diskpart could be used to partition the device.

 

The MS VSS driver and the Arsenal Image Mounter instead connect "fully", so that you can mount a 00ed (empty) disk image and use either disk manager or diskpart (or most other third party tool)  to partition it, once the image has been mounted.

 

See:

http://reboot.pro/in...=13731&p=122388

 

:duff:

Wonko




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