Booting from a bootable USB flash stick?

[ant]

I downloaded and made a bootable USB Ventoy (https://www.ventoy.net) with its Windows GUI app in my updated 64-bit W10 Pro PC. However, I couldn't seem to get my VirtualBox v7.0.12 to see this PNY 64 GB USB flash stick when booting up with F12 key. I had no problems booting this USB flash drive on the same host PC. I read VirtualBox can boot from bootable USB flash sticks so it should work. Am I missing something?

Thank you for reading and hopefully answering soon.

[scottgus1]

Virtualbox must use EFI BIOS to boot from a USB stick. Legacy BIOS doesn't speak USB. Note that EFI BIOS does not use the F12 key or the System Motherboard boot order settings. EFI BIOS has its own boot menu, accessed by tapping ESC during the splash screen or typing exit if you get to the EFI shell.

Then you need a correct USB Filter to get the USB stick into the VM. USB basics and troubleshooting I'd suggest trying to get the USB stick to appear in the file manager of an existing running VM first (doesn't matter the BIOS type here), then copying the filter contents to the EFI VM that is to boot from the USB stick.

Finally, your USB stick has to be bootable. I have tried this process with a Windows 10 installer USB stick and it works. I have not tried it with a Ventoy stick, YMMV.

[ant]

USB stick is bootable on host PC. Bummer, no old school BIOS boot in VMs? I thought it did in the newer BIOS versions.

I tried changing to EFI and pressing ESC key while booting up. That gave me a boot menu. However, booting from detected USB flash stick showed "ERROR Verification failed: (0x1A) Security Violation". So, I assume this is the Secure Boot. I poked around in the EFI settings, found and disabled it, and rebooted. Now, it works. Sheesh! Thanks.

[scottgus1]

Glad you're up and running!