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Mounting vmdk disk volumes

Started by JimmyW , Mar 10 2008 01:56 AM

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#1 JimmyW

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Posted 10 March 2008 - 01:56 AM

I just installed ImDisk and have a question. I did a little searching, but if it's answered elsewhere, just a link to the location will be appreciated. I'd like to know whether ImDisk can mount a volume that's conatined in a vmdk virtual disk (Windows/NTFS). I've found that I can mount the physical disk from the vmdk file, but not the volume it contains using the same approach that I tried with success for a single dd image. Using the GUI, I've tried everything that I thought might work: I entered 32256 for the image file offset and selected harddisk volume. Perhaps I'm proceding incorrectly.

When I deal with XP systems, I create a VMware disk from a dd image, which must remain unchanged. Then, I take a snapshot, mount the snapshop with VMware, and edit the snapshot before booting my VM guest in my XP64 host. However, this approach isn't working when I start with a dd image of a Vista drive, as an issue in VMware prevents it from mounting at least most Vista disks. Perhaps it's the fact that the VBS is at Sector 2048. I can use Ken Kato's VDK, but that doesn't run on 64 (I can run it in a 32 guest and use VDK therein to mount a Vista disk in the guest - kind of like a VM in a VM). I'm hoping thst ImDisk, which is 64 compatible, can help me. Thanks!

#2 was_jaclaz

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Posted 10 March 2008 - 07:24 AM

You need to give to IMDISK the correct offset:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=21237
http://www.forensicf...m...sc&start=38
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=2220

32256 may be correct or may be not.

jaclaz

#3 JimmyW

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Posted 11 March 2008 - 04:17 PM

Thanks very much, jaclaz. I reviewed the links and, unless I'm missing something particular with respect to vmdk files, the vbs is indeed at sector 63 of the disk. If I mount the vmdk with other tools, I can verify this. I've tried only one vmdk thus far. I've tried a few dd images using the same approach, and they mount flawlessly, even the dd image that corresponds with the vmdk whose partition I cannot mount.

Also, I visited the link to the 64-bit versions, but saw that only AMD and Itanium appear to be supported. Is there an XP 64 driver available? Thanks agaun for your time.

#4 was_jaclaz

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Posted 12 March 2008 - 10:49 AM

There are various versions of .vmdk files, I cannot say if they are all the same:
http://www.911cd.net...o...=19333&st=9
usually the bootsector is at offset 128 sectors in .vmdk, as reported by cdob, i.e. 65536 bytes.

As said, you should check for the initial string:
http://www.boot-land...?...c=2220&st=3
and check if 508 bytes later there is the "magic" signature 55AA

jaclaz

P.S.: on second thought, if you need to deal with .vmdk images, is there a reason for NOT using VDK.EXE? :):
http://www.911cd.net...o...21242&st=32

#5 JimmyW

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Posted 13 March 2008 - 01:56 AM

P.S.: on second thought, if you need to deal with .vmdk images, is there a reason for NOT using VDK.EXE?

Thanks again, jaclaz. I appreciate your help. As I mentioned in my initial post, I do use VDK, but desire a tool that runs on XP64 natively. I can use VDK in a 32-bit VMware guest on a 64 host, but it's inconvenient. VMware will not mount Vista partitions, and I can't seem to get a straight answer as to why. The better answer would be why doesn't VMware address the issue. I may have been under the wrong impression when I thought that there was an XP64 driver for Imdisk.

#6 was_jaclaz

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Posted 13 March 2008 - 11:46 AM

I see. :)

You might want to contact Sherpya, his was the 64 bit porting of IMdisk.
http://oss.netfarm.it/win32/

And since VDK is somewhat derived by Filedisk, and Gilles Vollant ported it to 64 bit, maybe, if you ask him nicely enough, Sherpya could port VDK to 64 bit? :(

jaclaz

#7 JimmyW

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Posted 13 March 2008 - 06:45 PM

Thanks again. I sent an email to Sherpya.

#8 JimmyW

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Posted 14 March 2008 - 11:17 PM

. . .if you ask him nicely enough, Sherpya could port VDK to 64 bit?


Sherpya was kind enough to send a 64-bit VDK driver, which seems to work very well! Thanks for the suggestion. :)

#9 was_jaclaz

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Posted 15 March 2008 - 03:28 PM

Happy to hear problem is solved :)

jaclaz

#10 sanbarrow

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Posted 16 March 2008 - 01:47 AM

Sherpya was kind enough to send a 64-bit VDK driver, which seems to work very well! Thanks for the suggestion. :)


Very good news - do you know if he plans to offer a download ?

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#11 Sherpya

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Posted 12 April 2008 - 08:08 AM

please go on my site to download amd64 build

#12 Olof Lagerkvist

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Posted 12 April 2008 - 08:43 AM

Also, I visited the link to the 64-bit versions, but saw that only AMD and Itanium appear to be supported. Is there an XP 64 driver available? Thanks agaun for your time.

I think you have misunderstood something here... :thumbsup:

If you are using Windows XP 64-bit or Windows Server 2003 64-bit you have to select the correct driver, Itanium or AMD64 depending on which architecture you are running Windows on. If you have an Intel 64-bit CPU chose Itanium, if you have an AMD CPU chose AMD64.

#13 Galapo

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 09:20 AM

Just came across another compile of vdk for 64-bit here: http://www.drivesnap....de/en/Tips.htm.

Nice thing is, detects 32- and 64-bit on-the-fly, so you just use the one vdk.exe which contains both drivers.

Regards,
Galapo.

#14 Lancelot

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 01:18 PM

Galapo

vdk.exe here
http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/vm.htm
cant give drive letter so not usable (at least for x64)

Maybe i am mistaken !? Batch File i use for test is:
del "test.img"

fsutil.exe file createnew test.img 268435456

vdk.exe open * test.img /rw /p:0

pause

#15 was_jaclaz

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 01:21 PM

Maybe i am mistaken !?


Maybe you should apply a "something" to the image, like a bootsector or a MBR or possibly just a 
55AA
in bytes 510 and 511 of the first sector, or try with manual commands instead of using the *.

jaclaz

#16 Lancelot

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 01:25 PM

You are highly probably right jaclaz :) , I was just reporting my test.
forgot to mention, the batch file works nicely with sherpya's x64 compiled vdk.exe

#17 was_jaclaz

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 01:38 PM

You are highly probably right jaclaz :) , I was just reporting my test.
forgot to mention, the batch file works nicely with sherpya's x64 compiled vdk.exe

Cannot say, if "normal" 32 bit VDK finds "nothing" i.e. 00's in first sector it will normally mount the drive as "raw" (and assign a drive letter).
Maybe the little modifications only involved this part and if there are not all 00's the thing works. :)
Or it is possible that they removed "everything" and left only the \\.\PHYSICALDRIVEn kind of connection.
What happens with dd -list?, better with ddlistw.cmd :):
http://www.boot-land...?...c=6492&st=7

jaclaz

#18 fuwi

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Posted 10 June 2010 - 09:17 AM

Galapo

vdk.exe here
http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/vm.htm
cant give drive letter so not usable (at least for x64)

Maybe i am mistaken !? Batch File i use for test is:

del "test.img"

				   fsutil.exe file createnew test.img 268435456

				   vdk.exe open * test.img /rw /p:0

				   pause

For assigning a drive letter with the 32/64-bit version of vdk.exe from http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/vm.htm
you must use the vdk.exe 'link' command.
The following batch works on all 32-bit and 64-bit Windows versions, including Windows 7 64-bit.
And the best of all, the drivers are digitally signed, so there is definitely no problem in Windows 7 64-bit!
@echo off

				 cd /d %~dp0

				 

				 set ImageDriveLetter=

				 if exist "test.img" del "test.img"

				 

				 fsutil.exe file createnew test.img 1048576

				 

				 vdk.exe open * test.img /rw

				 for /F  "tokens=5" %%a in ('Vdk.exe link 0 0' ^| findstr.exe /I "Assigned"') DO (

					 set ImageDriveLetter=%%a

				 )

				 

				 set ImageDriveLetter=%ImageDriveLetter:~-2%

				 set ImageDriveLetter=%ImageDriveLetter:~0,1%:

				 echo.

				 echo Image Drive Letter = %ImageDriveLetter%

				 echo.

				 pause

				 vdk.exe remove
Note: run this batch as administrator!

fuwi
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