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[BUG] ImDisk 2.0.10 can't read partitions formatted as NTFS

imdisk ntfs winnt win2k winxp

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#1 ppgrainbow

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 01:58 AM

Okay, I have a problem with the latest version of ImDisk (version 2.0.10). As we all know, ImDisk can read partitions formatted as either FAT or FAT32, but for some reason why I try to mount a hard disk image formatted as a NTFS partition created using Windows 2000 and later, the image file offset is displayed as 0 instead of an offset of 63 sectors and when I try to mount it, Windows tells me the following:

 

Windows format message: https://imgur.com/a/k74RlHU

When I manually select the image offset for a NTFS formatted partition to 63 sectors, I still get this error message. There needs to be a prompt where you need to select partition in disk image if the drive is formatted as NTFS as well.

This example that I provided when I mounted the hard disk image D:\WinXP\hdd0.vmdk, the VMware compressed hard disk image where Windows XP is installed. When ImDisk mounts the hard disk image, it recognises it as drive I.

 

Please look into this issue as soon as possible. Thanks! :)


Edited by ppgrainbow, 10 December 2018 - 01:58 AM.


#2 Olof Lagerkvist

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 02:27 AM

ImDisk itself does not support vmdk image file format, natively it only supports raw image files. There are however ways to mount vmdk images through tools that use libraries supporting this file format. For example you can use ImDisk toolkit, or you can use the DiscUtilsDevio command line tool or using devio.exe with libvmdk.dll at command line.

#3 ppgrainbow

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 04:44 AM

ImDisk itself does not support vmdk image file format, natively it only supports raw image files. There are however ways to mount vmdk images through tools that use libraries supporting this file format. For example you can use ImDisk toolkit, or you can use the DiscUtilsDevio command line tool or using devio.exe with libvmdk.dll at command line.

 

Thank you for explaining this. The ImDisk Toolkit was last updated on September 24th...so, I will have to wait until a new version of the ImDisk Toolkit comes out.

 

As for VMDK images which ImDisk doesn't support, I can mount FAT images and it works fine, just not under the NTFS file system.


Edited by ppgrainbow, 10 December 2018 - 04:47 AM.


#4 Olof Lagerkvist

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 05:13 AM

You could install latest ImDisk Toolkit and after that install latest ImDisk Virtual Disk Driver from my web site, that would practically speaking have the same effect in this case as waiting for a new version of the Toolkit.

#5 ppgrainbow

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 05:34 AM

You could install latest ImDisk Toolkit and after that install latest ImDisk Virtual Disk Driver from my web site, that would practically speaking have the same effect in this case as waiting for a new version of the Toolkit.

 

That would work! I managed to install ImDisk Toolkit 20180924 (last release) and install the DevIO driver that came with it. I then had to install the newer version of DevIO and it works like a charm! :)

 

Nevertheless, I still can't wait for the newer version of the ImDisk Toolkit to be released.


Edited by ppgrainbow, 10 December 2018 - 05:50 AM.


#6 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 09:12 AM

As a side note (and just for the record), among the many .vmdk formats there is one where the file is actually two files, a RAW image and a descriptor file.
The descriptor file is used for mounting the RAW file in (say) VmWare and VirtualBox, the RAW file remains accessible directly by IMDISK and similar tools.

Some reference:
https://www.forensic...wtopic/t=15861/
including a small batch to create the descriptor file (tested on VirtualBox, might need some adjustments for other VM's).

And this reminds me that I have to tell erwan.l about the small glitch in Clonedisk.

:duff:
Wonko

#7 v77

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 09:36 AM

About the Toolkit, I didn't take the time to test everything yet, but on SourceForge, in the Documentation section, I added informations in the "Installation tips" part:
-----
The installer handles the case where the driver has been installed alone.
A new version of the driver, downloaded here, can also be installed after the Toolkit. However, context menus can be changed. To restore them, go to the General Settings panel (see the shortcut in the ImDisk folder in the Windows Start Menu, or directly start config.exe in the installation folder), check "Enable entries in context menus" and "Request administrator rights in Explorer", and then click the OK button.

-----

 

I will try to update the Toolkit before the end of the week.



#8 erwan.l

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 09:38 AM

As a side note (and just for the record), among the many .vmdk formats there is one where the file is actually two files, a RAW image and a descriptor file.
The descriptor file is used for mounting the RAW file in (say) VmWare and VirtualBox, the RAW file remains accessible directly by IMDISK and similar tools.

Some reference:
https://www.forensic...wtopic/t=15861/
including a small batch to create the descriptor file (tested on VirtualBox, might need some adjustments for other VM's).

And this reminds me that I have to tell erwan.l about the small glitch in Clonedisk.

:duff:
Wonko

 

You kindly told me a while back and I updated Clonedisk accordingly :)

 

Side note : you can use a VMDK proxy (here) with imdisk/devio to read VMDK files.



#9 Olof Lagerkvist

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 05:13 PM

Side note : you can use a VMDK proxy (here) with imdisk/devio to read VMDK files.

 

We later discussed this further, fixed a few issues and I built similar libraries for some other image formats as well:

http://reboot.pro/to...vio-and-imdisk/



#10 ppgrainbow

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Posted 10 December 2018 - 07:01 PM

About the Toolkit, I didn't take the time to test everything yet, but on SourceForge, in the Documentation section, I added informations in the "Installation tips" part:
-----
The installer handles the case where the driver has been installed alone.
A new version of the driver, downloaded here, can also be installed after the Toolkit. However, context menus can be changed. To restore them, go to the General Settings panel (see the shortcut in the ImDisk folder in the Windows Start Menu, or directly start config.exe in the installation folder), check "Enable entries in context menus" and "Request administrator rights in Explorer", and then click the OK button.

-----

 

I will try to update the Toolkit before the end of the week.

 

Thank you so much for the heads up! :D I appreciate it.







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