Existing Win7 machine: Install Ubuntu and convert existing Win7 to VirtualBox VM

I found the solution for this. I post the answer in hopes other may find this and be helped

The first link I posted above (from virtualbox.org) basically is correct. I will use that as the basis here and give updated answer for win7 / virtualbox.

1. Prepare the Windows registry using MergeIDE utility mentioned in the link. Don't bother with the .bat or .exe files just import the .reg file directly (utilities are not design for win7, but reg keys are same).
2. Run disk2vhd utility
3. Deselect vxhd and use Volume Shadow copy if they are selected (for me only vxhd was selected by default)
4. Make sure you select boot partition and system reserved partition (both are needed, if you only select c:\ drive it will fail)
5. Select a different partition other than c:\ to save the VHD on to supposedly save time (on and off both appeared to take same amt time for me, ymmv)

Now you have your VHD file. So, you may be thinking, 'Cool, virtualbox now supports VHD, I'll just fire this up'. I recommened convert to a VDI file anyway, twice my system crashed and the entire 80GB VHD was irreparably corrupted. No idea whether that could just as easily happen with VDI format, but why mess around.

Only other thing you may have to do, is change the controller that vhd lives on. Mine defauled to IDE, the image wouldn't boot until I changed to SATA

Other notes:

-- When I booted the VHD, it had to run chkdsk and correct some files -- When I booted into Win7 the first time after running the VHD in virtualbox, for some reason the chkdisk also needed to run and clean some files

I mention these last 2 points since that gave me the impression I may have done something wrong. If others see this that have the knowledge, hopefully they can add comments or edit the post.