How do I recover files from a corrupt VDI file?

Is it possible to repair a corrupt VDI file? The OS on the VDI (XP) doesn't boot at all, it just hangs at a black screen. I was getting file errors before on its last boot, but now its not working at all.

Sector viewer shows 'Invalid partition table Error loading operating system Missing operating system'. I tried mounting the file from the host OS, but it just says that the drive isn't formatted. I don't need to be able to run the VDI, but I do need some files that are on it.

Is there any way to recover files from the corrupt VDI file?

Eric Packwood

Posted 2011-01-21T19:00:14.453

Reputation: 277

last time you ran the VM was it shut down correctly? – madmaze – 2011-01-21T20:09:45.473

prolly not, I think it had a power out shutdown – Eric Packwood – 2011-01-21T20:31:22.747

2Can you boot it with an ISO then either repair the OS installation or retrieve your files? – Cheeto – 2011-01-21T21:44:06.780

Answers

Most of the time a crash while running a VM with VirtualBox will corrupt the profile, not the VDI.

Try making a fresh profile and add the existing VDI as the disk. You could also try a scandisk on the host system if you haven't.

Beanstalk

Posted 2011-01-21T19:00:14.453

Reputation: 146

Well I'll be damned this actually worked. – Tek – 2014-08-06T19:52:24.487

This worked for my. I kept getting "read only" errors when trying to boot my VM. After several attempts, I switched it off and created a new VM with the troublesome VDI image. I was able to boot up! Then I shut down cleanly, and rebooted the broken VM - everything worked again!!! – Eamorr – 2015-02-20T19:23:43.003

In my case, I just removed the problematic VHD disk and then added it again. Worked. Runned scandisk and other tools just for sure. – EMBarbosa – 2015-10-26T13:39:16.633

1Can confirm this worked for me. Created a new VM using the same VDI. Up and running again. – user727382 – 2012-02-04T05:23:45.897

In my case the VDI crashed within a new profile too.

Do the following steps to rescue data:

create a new profile with your .vdi to rescue as a harddisk
download a linux live CD (like puppy, xubunu...) and add it as a live-cd image to the new profile
start the VM
mount the .vdi file (in my case it was sda2) and rescue your files as you like (send them as email to yourself)

have fun

julez

Posted 2011-01-21T19:00:14.453

Reputation: 21

He "plugged" the VDI hard drive into a Linux OS and copied all the files he would still need. Then he setup a fresh new Windows XP installation and copied the files he had just rescued before. – Peter Wippermann – 2016-02-02T08:16:51.813

1Could you explain this in more detail please? I would really appreciate it. – picxelplay – 2012-04-05T10:04:37.700

mounting the drive somehow to retrieve your files would be your best option. I don't know of any repair solutions for a VDI file, but I did stumble across this:

http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=2097

NoCarrier

Posted 2011-01-21T19:00:14.453

Reputation: 3 481

I have also seen this to be a "false alarm!" Quite recently, VirtualBox ominously told me that the main-hard-drive VDI file of a Linux VM was "unavailable," and yet the VM subsequently booted just fine. There was, in fact, nothing wrong with the disk at all. – Mike Robinson – 2016-03-14T14:47:07.843