Macrium viboot question.

Hi folks

I created a Windows VM in KVM. The windows system runs on a vhdx file created on a kvm qcow2 formatted vdisk

Question is if I send from within the VM the vhdx file to a Windows disk will viboot be able to boot that windows file.

@cereberus -- when you were using kvm did you try this.

It would be nice to know if this works before I create a new Windows system with HYPER-V enabled and viboot installed.

cheers
jimbo

@jimbo45
Seems like a nice puzzle there.
If I got that correctly the VM in KVM runs on a qcow2 disk format, on the host side.
And inside the VM, Windows is installed on a vhdx disk?

If you send the vhdx to a Windows disk? Backed-up or just for direct booting?
At some point you'll need to make it a Macrium image, then present it to viBoot.

Since you guys played a lot with vhdx boot I'm curious about this.
Though I'm pretty sure viBoot will work as long as your entire boot logic alongside your vhdx is in the Macrium image.

Hopachi said:

If you send the vhdx to a Windows disk? Backed-up or just for direct booting?
At some point you'll need to make it a Macrium image, then present it to viBoot.

Since you guys played a lot with vhdx boot I'm curious about this.
Though I'm pretty sure viBoot will work as long as your entire boot logic alongside your vhdx is in the Macrium image.

Click to expand...

Scenario is this :

Running a Windows VM on a vhdx file. The VM software is on a LINUX host running KVM with the (VM) disk formatted as qcow2. It could be say in vmware or vbox formatted FROM THE HOST whether Windows or Linux as whatever the vm disk has as its format -- doesn't matter --the principle is the same.

So from WITHIN the VM I attach a physical USB (or other disk) and via disk part create an efi partition (formatted fat32) and a standard ntfs partition.

Then from Macrium I "Clone" the running Windows system (i.e the GUEST Windows OS ) to the other disk, and install the boot loader via bcdboot on the efi partition.

Then reboot entire system and select the Windows system (real).

It boots but of course missing loads of drivers. But the trick is to have saved from any previous (physical) Windows 11 install the windows drivers. Go down the hardware list and install each one that's missing manually.

Now you can update the drivers via "update manually from folder on this pc/ -- And this works beautifully -- it's far easier than those half baked V2P (Virtual to Physical) conversions / converters out there. Also if your VM was activated then activation stays !!!!! Nice "W11" real freebie !!!.






But my real question is can a vhdx file I created INSIDE A VM i.e on the Guest OS which is sent to a "physical Windows disk" be booted via Macrium's VI boot.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

But my real question is can a vhdx file I created INSIDE A VM i.e on the Guest OS which is sent to a "physical Windows disk" be booted via Macrium's VI boot.

Click to expand...

viBoot's purpose is to boot Macrium Reflect image (mrimg) files.
So as I said, you'll need to make an image (backup) of this disk.
If it will boot the vhdx directly (as in not a mrimg) I have no idea.

See the fourth paragraph on viBoot here:

Technically the mrimg will be mapped through a vhdx to use in Hyper-V and the data will be stored on a second differencing vhdx.

My point stands, you need an image first to use in viBoot. Otherwise why going through the hassle of running it through viBoot if you can boot your vhdx directly in Hyper-V.

jimbo45 said:

Hi folks

I created a Windows VM in KVM. The windows system runs on a vhdx file created on a kvm qcow2 formatted vdisk

Question is if I send from within the VM the vhdx file to a Windows disk will viboot be able to boot that windows file.

@cereberus -- when you were using kvm did you try this.

It would be nice to know if this works before I create a new Windows system with HYPER-V enabled and viboot installed.

cheers
jimbo

Click to expand...

I don't see why not assuming vhdx file contains EFI partition assuming UEFI pc. You will need to create Reflect image to use Viboot - rather pointless really if you have vhdx file.