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Before you vote to close as exact duplicate, please read the full question.

I was already read:

Unfortunately, don't find answer for my problem.

I have an physical machine with 500GB HDD, on what is installed old Windows-2003 server with one server application. The application is like the windows itself, too old, no support for it today, haven't installation media and so on.. ;(

On the HDD it is used only approx. 100GB (maybe less when will delete all unnecessary files).

Want convert the the machine into the VirtualBox, and the VirtualBox should run on the same machine. Is possible to do this with the next steps?

  • I can attach another HDD (via USB or internally)
  • Boot an live Linux from CD, mount HDDs
  • Run "something" on the Linux (the above wikipedia article have many pointer for the SW) for the conversion and store the image on the USB HDD - unfortunately, many of tools uses Windows' Volume Snapshot capability, introduced in Windows XP. No informations about Windows-2003 server, so what is an working solution for Windows-2003?
  • try boot the virtual image with VirtualBox
  • when it will run ok, remove the old installation, install Linux on the old 500GB hdd, copy the image and run..

The above should works (i hope), but the problems:

  • i currently have only 320GB external USB hdd. (ofc, i can remove it from a box and enter it as internal HDD too)
  • so, for the conversion I looking for the on the fly HDD shrink, so while moving the physical 500GB HDD need shrink it into smaller HDD - as i told above, only 100GB is used
  • Exists something for this? (free) - or the only way is buying and larger 1TB hdd and using it for the conversion?

Another question are:

  • is anybody have real experience with windows-2003 conversion into VirtualBox? Looking for an answer from someone who really doing it and can figure out real pitfalls. (googling can do myself).
  • exists here better approach for the solution?
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    Acronis, g4l and possibly even Clonezilla can 'shrink/compress' on the fly. But your best solution would be to resize the partition first before making an image of it... It would probably be quicker and you can check the OS is ok after it before imaging.
    – HaydnWVN
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 10:45
  • @HaydnWVN OMG! Resize the partition before conversion. It is probably the BEST solution. You should write this as answer. ;) Really, thank you very much!!!
    – clt60
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 11:04
  • technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ee656415.aspx Disk to VHD might help too.
    – rtf
    Commented Sep 5, 2012 at 14:13

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Acronis, G4L and possibly even Clonezilla can 'shrink/compress' on the fly.

Your best solution would be to resize the partition first before making an image of it... It would probably be quicker and you can check the OS is OK before imaging.

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