Convert VHD to VDI

Understanding VHD and VDI file formats

VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) is a file format that represents a virtual hard disk drive. It is commonly used by virtualization software like Microsoft Hyper-V. VHD files can contain disk partitions and file systems, making them useful for creating virtual machines.

VDI (Virtual Disk Image) is another virtual disk format used by Oracle's VirtualBox. Like VHD, it is used to store the contents of a virtual machine's hard disk. VDI files are specifically designed for use with VirtualBox, offering features like dynamic resizing.

How to convert VHD to VDI

Converting a VHD file to a VDI file is a common task when migrating virtual machines from Microsoft Hyper-V to Oracle VirtualBox. This conversion can be done using VirtualBox's built-in tools.

Best software for VHD to VDI conversion

The best software for converting VHD to VDI is Oracle VirtualBox. It provides a command-line tool called VBoxManage that can be used for this conversion. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open a command prompt or terminal.
2. Navigate to the directory where VirtualBox is installed.
3. Use the following command to convert the file: VBoxManage clonehd "source.vhd" "target.vdi" --format vdi

This command will convert the VHD file to a VDI file, making it ready for use with VirtualBox.

Alternative method using VirtualBox GUI

If you prefer a graphical interface, you can also use the VirtualBox GUI:

1. Open VirtualBox and go to File → Virtual Media Manager.
2. Select the VHD file you want to convert.
3. Click on Copy and choose VDI as the target format.
4. Follow the prompts to complete the conversion.