2 drives:
150gb - Linux Mint (not encrypted)
300gb - Windows Vista 64-bit (truecrypt with preboot authentication)
I need to repair my windows install (freezes trying to load a system dll, spinrite gives the drive a clean bill of health, so its just a corrupted system file.) Running repair off the windows install dvd wont work because it can't see my windows partition (due to truecrypt).
Here's what i've done:
- Boot into linux partition, install virtualbox and truecrypt gui
- Use truecrypt GUI to mount the windows drive (it is now mounted under
/media/truecrypt1
, and I can see all of my files, great! I can at least save the redownload time of installing my steam games if I have to reinstall) - I created a virtualmachine and attached the host DVD drive to it so it can boot the windows installation dvd.
I want to be able to have the virtualmachine repair the windows install that is currently mounted under /media/truecrypt1
. How do I create a passthrough vmdk so that I can mount it in the virtualmachine so that the windows repair tool will be able to see the windows install.
SOLUTION (thanks to tapped-out):
create vmdk passthrough so that virtualbox can use the truecrypt drive:
VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename ./passthrough.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/mapper/truecrypt1
Run virtualbox as root:
sudo virtualbox
Add the
passthrough.vmdk
to your virtualmachine's drivesBoot the virtualmachine from the windows install dvd, click
Repair computer
It will NOT find the drive to repair, but if you click
Load Drivers
it will allow you to browse your windows install. Don't load any drivers, just clickNext
. There will be an option to allow you to open a command prompt.cd /D c:\
and thenchkdsk /f /r
Dont know if it will fix my corrupt dll, but mission accomplished: mounted a pre-boot authenticated truecrypt drive under a virtualmachine so I could run checkdisk on it.