Disk2vhd

[guinness]

Added To TPFC: http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=1560
Vote Note!

[guinness]

V1.5 available. Updated entry.

[MiDoJo]

Gonna use this soon to make a virtual machine for my sister-in-law's Mac of her old Win2000 machine. Thanks Guiness

[guinness]

So you will Vote once tested?

[MiDoJo]

/me Nods

[webfork]

This would be a phenomenal support tool because if a mission critical computer needs work, you can run a backup without taking anything offline.

However, while there are mount programs for Vista and 7, but does anyone know of a way to just open VHD file contents in Windows XP? This is important because it's not really a backup program if you can't open the file inside the OS you just backed up.

7-zip's beta claims to open VHD files.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzi ... ic/3487471

I've found a few, one from some unknown website:
http://blog.compugeeksoftware.com/blog/ ... t-1-0-2-0/

The only other one is a commercial offering I already knew about:
http://www.winmount.com/mount_vhd.html

Thoughts?

[guinness]

I know it's not what your looking for and you probably know it already but VirtualBox can mount .VHD files. I know it's a painful way of doing it, but I have been unsuccessful in finding a program for XP. I think the new 7-Zip is your only option.

[webfork]

> probably know it already but VirtualBox can mount .VHD files

No I didn't know that so thank you. VirtualBox isn't ideal but at least it runs XP, is smaller and faster than VirtualPC, and is GPL'd.

Can someone out there give the 7-zip beta and let me know if it works?

[guinness]

@MiDoJo How did the testing go?

[MiDoJo]

eep

Haven't had the time to do it yet hope to do it soon, so she can get rid of her ugly crt monitor

[webfork]

Opening created VHD files with 7-zip beta test results:

----

WinXP SP3 test:

1. VHD file contains an NTFS file (not NTFS format, an NTFS file extension).
2. The NTFS files inside are HUGE. These files are usually the size of your hard drive (and I'm guessing the free space has been compressed in the VHD file).
3. The latest 7zip beta can open the VHD file and the NTFS file inside but this took a very long time and for whatever reason 7zip created a temporary file locally (even when I specified otherwise) that filled up the drive. Crash-tastic.

Verdict: fail

----

WinXP SP2 (newly installed, no updates)

Opened right away with all the files and directories and structures right there for you. Bam.

Verdict: success

----

So I'm confused. It *sort of* works?

[guinness]

Weird! I found this on DownloadSquad, it discusses about Disk2Vhd, but doesn't help you that much because most apps are for Win7, but still a good read.

Have you managed to get Disk2Vhd working on a drive that has more than 1 partition?

[webfork]

I found this on DownloadSquad

Thanks Guinness -- some really good stuff there. The VHD thing is becoming quite the platform. Also, PeaZip (not in beta) lists support for VHD files. Have not tested.

Have you managed to get Disk2Vhd working on a drive that has more than 1 partition?

I have not, although I don't think it would have any issue apart having to run the program a second time on the other partition. I suggest this only because I think the program does some type of specific read on the NTFS file system and actively avoids anything to do with its contents, which allows for "live" backups.

[guinness]

I will have to read a little more because I have had a few problems with x64!

[guinness]

V1.6 is available. Updated the DB entry. Still not public, so it won't show as a new application anymore when using [@] in the search field.