Software⏱️ 4 min read📅 2026-06-15

How to Fix: VirtualBox Booting from Raw Disk Error

VirtualBox booting from raw disk error fix

Quick Answer: Run the command as root and ensure the correct device type is specified.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. ⚠️ Common Causes
  2. 🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps
  3. 🎯 Final Words

The VirtualBox 'Failed to open the hard disk /home/a930913/sda.vmdk. The medium '/home/a930913/sda.vmdk' can't be used as the requested device type.' error is encountered when attempting to boot an XP partition from a raw disk image using VirtualBox on Ubuntu 11.04.

This issue can be frustrating for users who have successfully created a raw disk image of their XP partition but are unable to boot it within VirtualBox, resulting in a failure to access the operating system.

⚠️ Common Causes

  • The primary reason for this error is that the raw disk image was not created with the correct device type. When creating the raw disk image using VBoxManage, it's essential to specify the correct device type (e.g., 'sata' or 'ide') to match the one used in the original XP partition.
  • Another possible cause of this error is that the raw disk image was not created with the correct format (e.g., VMDK). The error may also be caused by a mismatch between the device type and the file extension (e.g., .vmdk) of the raw disk image.

🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps

Using VirtualBox's built-in 'Create a new virtual hard disk from an existing one' feature with correct settings

  1. Step 1: Open VirtualBox and select the XP partition as the source disk. Then, click on 'File' > 'Settings for Advanced virtual machines' to open the settings window.
  2. Step 2: In the settings window, navigate to the 'Storage' section and select the raw disk image (sda.vmdk) as the storage device. Ensure that the 'Device type' is set to 'IDE' or 'SATA', depending on the original XP partition's configuration.
  3. Step 3: Click 'OK' to save the changes and restart VirtualBox. The XP partition should now boot successfully.

Manually converting the raw disk image to a VMDK file with correct settings

  1. Step 1: Use a third-party tool (e.g., vmdk-convert) or VirtualBox's built-in 'Convert virtual hard disk' feature to convert the raw disk image to a VMDK file. Ensure that the conversion process is performed with the correct device type and format.
  2. Step 2: Specify the correct device type (e.g., 'sata') and format (e.g., 'VMDK') when converting the raw disk image. This will ensure that the resulting VMDK file can be used as a valid virtual hard disk within VirtualBox.

🎯 Final Words

To successfully boot an XP partition from a raw disk image using VirtualBox on Ubuntu 11.04, it's essential to create the raw disk image with the correct device type and format. By following one of the above methods (using VirtualBox's built-in feature or manually converting the raw disk image), users can resolve this error and access their XP partition within VirtualBox.

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