Restoring Virtual hard drive images (vhd or vmdk) to a physical hard drive

The question came to mind, how possible is to just transfer what I have in Virtual Machine to a real PC as I have already register and install some applications on top of it? After went through Google search, I could not find any applications that can convert ‘directly’. But at the end I managed to do that and maybe you want to know how? It was quite tricky but I successfully managed it. How? Here it is!
Prerequisites:

• Preformatted Windows 7 in VHD. You can download it from here. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/cc442495.aspx?ITPID=wtcfeed
• Because it is preformatted in VHD (to be used with Microsoft Virtual PC) and I am using VMware, I have to convert it VMDK. If you need assistance read my other post about how to convert Virtual disk Images.
• Symantec Ghost, to clone (capture) hard drive images. You can install on host computer (Computer that running VMware) or have it also in VMware format like what I have, I installed Symantec Ghost on Win Server 2003 but in Virtual Machine with DHCP enabled. Just for your information, because I like VMware, I do have most of OS in VMware format the likes Win 98, Vista, XP, Server 2003, server 2008, Ubuntu, mail server Exchange, Qmail server, Active Directory+DNS+DCHP, Fedora, ISA server and etc…….., all these stuff just help me to play around with different OS and applications just in A SINGLE LAPTOP which is my lovely ACER TM6292.
• Ghost Boot CD, you need 2, one is universal driver in ISO format and the other one contains NIC driver of PC that you are going install (restore) Windows 7 on it. In my case, I am going to install (restore) Windows 7 on my desktop HP Compaq MT530d with NIC details: Intel Gigabyte.  You may need to read my other post on how to make Ghost boot CD.

So let’s start.
First part: Capturing Win 7 hard drive image using Symantec Ghost running on VMware.

1. Start your VMware applications. See image 1.
   

   Image 1 - 'VMware Interface'
2. Set Network adapter to NAT, on both virtual machine (Virtual Machine the running Win server 2003-Symantec Ghost and Virtual Machine that running Win 7). Why NAT? This to provide TCP/IP communications between these two virtual machines. See image 1.
3. Start Virtual machine that running Symantec Ghost, point to GhosChast server and follow the procedures how to capture hard drive image, see image 2. Attention:  when you select location to save hard drive images, it is advised to save it in a folder in host computer, how to connect to your virtual machine to a folder in host computer? see my other post here. If you need assistance, read my other post on how to capture hard drive image using Symantec Ghost.
   
   

   Image 2 - GhostChast Server on 'Win 2k3' VM
4. Open Virtual Machine that running Win 7 and configure virtual CD-ROM drive to boot from universal ghost boot ISO (see prerequisites point 4). When finish configuring CD-ROM, press start button to run. This virtual machine SHOULD NOT load Win 7 but SHOULD boot from ISO and start with Symantec GhostChast Menu, see image3. You can now continue with procedure how to capture hard drive image. If you need assistance, read my other post on how to capture hard drive image using Symantec Ghost.
   

   Image 3 - GhostChast menu on 'Win 7' VM

Second part: Restoring Win 7 hard drive image to physical hard drive.

1. On the first part, we have captured Win 7 hard drive image and I believe you have the images saved somewhere on your host computer.
2. Now connect the computer you are going to install Win 7 with your host computer, start virtual machine that run ‘Windows Server 2003 – Symantec Ghost’, this time you have to change Virtual Network Adapter to “Bridged: Connected directly to a physical network“. Why? This will provide TCP/IP communications between virtual machine and host computer and other computer you are going to install Win 7.
3. On virtual machine, open GhostCast server and start transferring image to your PC. If you need assistance, read my other post on how to transfer/clone hard drive image using Symantec Ghost. So, after a few minutes, my desktop HP Compaq MT530d has finished and I can see Widows 7 on it. BRAVO!