An operating system wasn't found

[MarkFoley]

I've successfully installed plenty of Windows 7 guests with Linux hosts, and one Windows 10. But that WIN10 was using a DVD. I've just now tried installing using a Windows 10 USB. I followed the instructions here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/693719/ ... virtualbox, which are:

1. Add user to vboxusers and disk group
2. insert Windows USB
3. As installing user: VBoxManage convertfromraw /dev/sdb ./usb.vmdk --format vmdk
4. In VirtualBox Manager, create Window 10 64bit VM.
5. Settings > Storage > Add New Storage Controller > Add IDE Controller > Add Hard Disk > Choose Existing Disk; then, browse to usb.vmdk and add.
6. Start VM

The above all worked and when the VM booted it ran the Windows 10 Installation. That all worked fine. After installing, I added the Extension Pack and Guest Additions. Next, I removed the usb.vmdk from the Settings > Storage and tried starting the VM again. This time I got "FATAL: INT18 BOOT". Using instructions found here: https://neosmart.net/wiki/fatal-int18-boot-failure, fix #2, I set the partition to active.

When I tried starting the VM again, I go the error, "An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that don't contain an operating system. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart." One poster on this forum suggest setting the Settings > System > motherboard > Enable EFI. I tried that, but that didn't work.

If I add the usb.vmdk back in, the VM boots OK.

What did I do wrong and how do I fix this?

[socratis]

What did I do wrong and how do I fix this?

You're actually booting from the USB from the description. I'll need to see a ZIPPED VBox.log and the .vbox for the VM.

How do you fix it? Just boot from the ISO until VirtualBox adds proper support for USB booting.

[mpack]

Converting the USB stick to a hard disk (vmdk) seems wrong. I'd convert it to a CD image.

Another option is to map the USB stick using the virtual ISO feature - this worked fine for me recently: I mapped a Macrium Bootable Rescue USB (which is based on Windows PE) into a bootable "ad hoc ISO" (actually I copied the stick files into a host PC folder and mapped that). I recall it was easier if I enabled EFI support in the VM, as that enables smarter boot management.

[socratis]

I mapped a ... USB ... into a bootable "ad hoc ISO"

How did you do that? How did the boot sectors and all that worked?

I recall it was easier if I enabled EFI support in the VM, as that enables smarter boot management.

The only way that I ever got a USB device to boot a VM was to:

1. Create a rawdisk VMDK for the USB stick.
2. Enable EFI as the boot option for the VM with the VMDK as the primary boot disk.

A pain...

[MarkFoley]

What did I do wrong and how do I fix this?

You're actually booting from the USB from the description. I'll need to see a ZIPPED VBox.log and the .vbox for the VM.

Do you want the log from booting from the the USB or the log from the failed boot w/o the USB?

How do you fix it? Just boot from the ISO until VirtualBox adds proper support for USB booting.

I don't have an ISO for this Windows installation, just USB. Leaving the USB in the machine permanently is not an option.

Converting the USB stick to a hard disk (vmdk) seems wrong. I'd convert it to a CD image.

Another option is to map the USB stick using the virtual ISO feature - this worked fine for me recently: I mapped a Macrium Bootable Rescue USB (which is based on Windows PE) into a bootable "ad hoc ISO" (actually I copied the stick files into a host PC folder and mapped that). I recall it was easier if I enabled EFI support in the VM, as that enables smarter boot management.

I'll investigate how to convert this USB to a CD image, but if you know how to do either of your suggestions, it would save me some research if you posted your steps.

[scottgus1]

Silly question which would be answered from the .vbox file:

In VirtualBox Manager, create Window 10 64bit VM.

Did you make a drive for the guest in addition to adding the usb.vmdk?

The Int 18 error, according to your linked Neosmart tutorial, is strictly a Windows error when the MBR can't find the next step in the boot process.

If I add the usb.vmdk back in, the VM boots OK.

I may be wrong, but it sounds almost like you accidentally installed Windows on another partition of the USB drive.

At this time Virtualbox doesn't support booting from USB drives directly. The raw-disk setup fakes Virtualbox into thinking the USB drive is a typical virtual hard drive. And the guest OS will think the USB drive is a hard drive, with the possibility that the USB drive might get mistaken for a hard drive and used.

A very left-field thought, but still...

[mpack]

I may be wrong, but it sounds almost like you accidentally installed Windows on another partition of the USB drive.

I was thinking that he installed Windows on the USB drive all right, but Windows saw it as a dual boot config, with Windows on the secondary drive and the boot manager remaining on the USB drive. This issue wouldn't arise if the VM wasn't made to think of the rescue media as a primary disk drive. Hence my comments about CD boot being better.

[MarkFoley]

I've found a work-around for the time being, until VirtualBox eventually (hopefully) supports installing from USB.

I have an Acronis image backup from another Windows10 system. I simply restored that using the Acronis Boot/Recovery DVD. Worked fine. Now I just have to figure out how to activate Windows using the new license key, but that's not this forum's problem.

Thanks for helping me identify the problem.