Keywords: vmdk vmware virtualbox vmdk

Problem: You've converted a physical Windows XP machine to a .vmdk file (e.g. using VMWare Converter), and want to use Virtualbox instead of VMWare. But when you try to boot the image, the virtual system blue screens with a STOP 7B error.

Cause: Incompatible IDE drivers.

Solution: Boot the Microsoft ERD (Recovery disk) -- Google is your friend(!), attach to existing Windows installation and then copy the following files from C:\%SystemRoot%\Driver Cache\I386\Drivers.cab (and/or sp3.cab) into C:\%SystemRoot%\system32\Drivers:

	Atapi.sys
	Intelide.sys
	Pciide.sys
	Pciidex.sys

You also need to mount this floppy image and install (double click) the registry file A:\merge.reg.

These steps are described in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314082. The registry entries are also described here, but note that it is not possible to cut+paste these entries from your host to the virtual system when you have booted ERD in the VirtualBox host.

Shut down the system, unmount the CD and floppy images and reboot. The BSOD should be gone and the system should start normally.