I'm interested in this too but If I do this, what file do I capture the Image from? With VMware, I do Sysprep and mount & capture the image from .vmdk file.
I don't know about these sysrep and capturing image things. May somebody see this thread and reply you. I suggest my friend for you @Tiger-1
when trying to install linux on vmware it gave some error but i didn't get that error in virtualbox. i forgot what that error was.
When you create a VM with VirtualBox, you have various format options: VDI (default) but also VHD. When you create the VM using VHD you can later mount the volume with Disk Manager (included with Windows), which will allow you to capture it. Once you've created and configured the VM with VHD you can go ahead and install Windows as you would; after last boot during Windows install, don't customize anything regarding the user account, only press keys CTRL-SHIFT-F3. Then Windows will reboot into audit mode. Once OS loads, the little sysprep dialogue pops up -- it will do this each time you reboot from here on, and each time you can exit (x) the sysprep dialogue (you only use this when the install is updated and you're ready to finalize). Then once you're done with updating the image, perhaps installing runtimes or some other things you want to include, you can then finalize by choosing OOBE->Generalize->Shutdown. Sysprep dialogue will show a progress bar until done and then the VM shuts down. You can then mount the VM (as it is VHD format) with Disk Manager. At this point several drive letters, one with mounted install, will show up in explorer. Personally I use some scripts and have very whittled down (couple of mb's) components from WAIK and WADK (Win7, 10, etc) that the scripts refer to, and upon running the scripts it'll start capturing the image. There are some good little apps you can use the capture, too, I have used my method so long I don't even look around anymore But this is the process in a nutshell.
Yes. VB, upon creating of a VM will ask you which format you want to create, and this includes the VHD option. It's nice VB offers that option natively, no converting necessary. Like I said, you can just use Disk Manager within Windows to mount the VHD. Open Disk Manager, go to Action -> Attach VHD and navigate to the location of VB VM (by default %UserProfile%\VirtualBox VMs) and select the VHD, and it will then mount it. Looks like you have the rest under control, I also use DISM (as part of the WAIK/WADK files I mentioned) and use these switches to capture: Code: /Capture-Image /Compress:max /ImageFile:D:\install11Pro64-2021.09.17.wim /CaptureDir:I:\ /Name:"Windows 11 Pro" where in this instance D:\ stands for the drive it saves to, and I:\ stand for the drive letter of the mounted VHD; and of course the "install11Pro64-2021.09.17.wim" is just the name I give the wim to distinguish it but you could just name it install.wim.
Many thanks for all the help parafer. Highly appreciated. Two questions though, does the VM's are created at the root of userprofiles orm like VMware in the documents folder? and what'ds this Disk manager you talk about? I haven't encountered it in my 8 years operating windows.
I said "Disk Manager" didn't I? I meant "Disk Management." Just go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management and then click Disk Management under Storage in the nav pane there. Or, just type in Disk Management in start menu search and it'll come up. I always run an automated start menu sorting that creates some shortcuts to the more "hidden" utils in the OS, so I always have a Disk Management shortcut in my start menu by default so I kind of forgot to mention how to get there As for the default location of VB VMs -- say your user profile is named ceo54, it'll be at this addess: C:\Users\ceo54\VirtualBox VMs PS: If you want to make a shortcut for Disk Management then this is the target: C:\Windows\System32\diskmgmt.msc
Thanks Tito, the title of the thread however should be capturing image using VirtualBox is what we're discussing.
Preferences, I guess. I mostly just figure out the correct command lines once and then reuse them over and over, again.
This is the command I use with Dism, always have. Initial command has always been the same, added more switches as I learned more Code: dism /capture-image /imagefile:c:\temp\install.wim /capturedir:z:\ /name:2004_SINGLELANGUAGE_X64_EN-US /description:2004_SINGLELANGUAGE_X64_EN-US /ConfigFile:c:\wimscript.ini /compress:maximum /checkintegrity /verify /bootable
vhd is ok with vmware ( vhdx not supported yet ). it cannot create vhd but it works with existing vhd (eg: created from Disk Management). dism support offline image from mounted vhd. (dism doesn't like mounted vmdk by vmware)