No register option in vboxmanage.exe internalcommands creatrawvmdk

[Leo Pilachowski]

When using vboxmanage.exe (windows 7_64 host) to create a raw hard disk as the "virtual hard drive", the created vmdk file cannot be register with VirtualBox. The -register option no loner exists.

Previously (ver 3.x.x):

vboxmanage.exe internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename c:\local\myvm.vmdk -rawdisk \.\PhysicalDrive0 -partions 5,6 -register

would create and register the physical drive as the "virtual hard drive". With ver 4.0.4 (and 4.0.2), the above command gives an error that -register is not a valid option. The register option is no longer listed by vboxmanage. However, the current 4.0.4 user manual lists register as a valid option.

Additionally, there appears to be no other way to register the new vmdk files so that the "virtual hard disk" can be attacked to a virtual machine.

[Fred]

I have the same issue but I have a work-around. First allow me to add some details to show the misleading nature of the error messages. My host is Windows 7 64bit HP-SP1.

Omitting the "-register" option, the command makes the vmdk file successfuly, only if you run the command with full admin privilege (not just runas admin). Otherwise the error message is "access denied". (Access to what, and how to get it?)

OK then I have the hdd.vmdk and hdd-pt.vmdk files. So I tried to attach the vmdk file in Settings/Storage of an existing vm. The error message is "failed to open... can't be used as requested device type" (pic_1). Seems like my hdd specification is inadequate. After all, it's not mentioned in the virtualbox.xml file.

So I editted the virtualbox.xml file to effectively register the media in the old way. Upon starting up vbox the message is "media not currently accessible" (pic_2). Maybe I have to wait 10 minutes. Go ahead and attach it. Still nogo. So I de-attached the unaccessible media and restored the xml.

Finally I got inspired. I started up virtualbox with full admin privilege by checking the box in the shortcut's compatibility tab. Now the vmdk file attaches perfectly. No explicit registration required.

At least the documentation should be updated to explain this issue. And virtualbox should prompt the user, whenever required, to get elevated access to whatever. Ultimately virtualbox should get elevated access by itself, but that might have to wait until Windows provides an appropriate mechanism.

[Klaus Espenlaub]

This was actually a documentation bug which was fixed in VirtualBox 4.0.6. In VirtualBox 4.0 the medium handling was significantly changed, and essentially the registration business is gone. Unfortunately the documentation update for the createrawvmdk command was forgotten.