Installing Windows 7 on virtualbox

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
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rayo
Posts: 15
Joined: 2. Oct 2008, 00:50

Installing Windows 7 on virtualbox

Post by rayo »

I can see that some people have installed W7 but I have not been able to do so and the reason, I think, is that the DVD that I burnt is UDF and not ISO.

I have tried burning an ISO, using Nero 7 but each time I drag the folders across I am informed that install.wim file, in one of the folders, is too large for the ISO and that UDF should be used instead. After burning a UDF, when I try to initially install using it, the virtualbox drive does not start up the DVD and I'm informed that a fatal error has occurred.

I cannot see how I can boot up the DVD within the Windows 7 virtual drive that I have set up.

If I insert the UDF DVD then it does boot up ready to install Windows 7 but not in the virtual drive.

Can anyone give me some pointers on how to remedy this situation?
Danielsan1983
Posts: 1
Joined: 14. Jan 2009, 12:04

Post by Danielsan1983 »

Have you tried to mount the iso file in the virtual machine you created to install Windows 7? I havn't finished the installation yet but with the mounted iso my virtual machine booted the windows7 installation dvd
Ripskin
Posts: 3
Joined: 14. Jan 2009, 12:18

Post by Ripskin »

If you click on devices at the top and then select mount ISO you can mount the Windows 7 iso. Just make sure you have CD / DVD rom set up in your boot order so it will jump into it.

I got min installed beautifully in 30 minutes.
rayo
Posts: 15
Joined: 2. Oct 2008, 00:50

Post by rayo »

Ripskin wrote:If you click on devices at the top and then select mount ISO you can mount the Windows 7 iso. Just make sure you have CD / DVD rom set up in your boot order so it will jump into it.

I got mine installed beautifully in 30 minutes.
Followed your instructions but find that mount ISO is greyed out. I presume that it's because the DVD is in UDF format rather than ISO.

I even deleted the Windows 7 virtual drive and started again but still the same result. I can see now why it would not boot the DVD when I tried to install from scratch.

Should I be using another program to burn the ISO, as Nero states that one of the files is too big for it? I even tried the UDF/ISO option but again received the same warning re file size.

To create the rom I unpacked the files and then dragged them into Nero and burnt a disk. They are there in the DVD but unfortunately not as an ISO but as a UDF.
HeavenlyDemonic
Posts: 2
Joined: 14. Jan 2009, 23:44

...what?

Post by HeavenlyDemonic »

rayo wrote: Should I be using another program to burn the ISO, as Nero states that one of the files is too big for it? I even tried the UDF/ISO option but again received the same warning re file size.

To create the rom I unpacked the files and then dragged them into Nero and burnt a disk. They are there in the DVD but unfortunately not as an ISO but as a UDF.
Where did you get your files from? Why are they "unpacked"? That is just wierd...

Why are you even burning a DVD if you just want to install Windows 7 in a VM? I am not even sure why you would want to make a UDF disc as no file in the package should be over 2g anyway, from what I remember, I could be wrong though.

If you still have the Windows 7 Beta ISO:

1) Open xVM and Click NEW.

2) Name your VM Whatever, Choose MS Windows for the OS, and Other for Version.

3) Put whatever you want for Base Memory. Mine defaulted to 64 meg.

4) For the Boot Hard Disk VDI Click New.

5) Use Dynamic and make it at least 8 gigs.

6) Click Finish, Next, then Finish.

7) Right Click on your new VM, then click Settings.

8) Click on the CD/DVD Rom icon, and put a check in the Mount CD/DVD Drive. Now put a check in the ISO Image File radio button, and browse to your Windows 7 Beta ISO Image.

If this does not work for you, check and make sure you have the latest xVM version (2.1.0) ... if all else fails I would try following the steps in the HELP FILE where I pulled 90% of this info (though I also created a new VM while writing this just to be sure of the steps).

I set mine up earlier this morning and it installed in about 30 minutes, no issues.
rayo
Posts: 15
Joined: 2. Oct 2008, 00:50

Re: ...what?

Post by rayo »

HeavenlyDemonic wrote:
Why are you even burning a DVD if you just want to install Windows 7 in a VM?
Because that's what I thought that I had to do. I don't use VM very often and last time, I used my install XP disk, so I assumed (incorrectly) that I had to do the same for Windows 7.
I am not even sure why you would want to make a UDF disc as no file in the package should be over 2g anyway, from what I remember, I could be wrong though.
The install.wim is 2.15GB. I have found out that using the Recorder in Nero would have solved my ISO burning problem.
If you still have the Windows 7 Beta ISO:

1) Open xVM and Click NEW.

2) Name your VM Whatever, Choose MS Windows for the OS, and Other for Version.

3) Put whatever you want for Base Memory. Mine defaulted to 64 meg.

4) For the Boot Hard Disk VDI Click New.

5) Use Dynamic and make it at least 8 gigs.

6) Click Finish, Next, then Finish.

7) Right Click on your new VM, then click Settings.

8) Click on the CD/DVD Rom icon, and put a check in the Mount CD/DVD Drive. Now put a check in the ISO Image File radio button, and browse to your Windows 7 Beta ISO Image.
I actually tried the above method a few days ago when the DVD did not work but ended up with an error message each time. However, this time it worked! Maybe its because I updated to the latest version of xVM.

Anyway, thanks for your explicit instructions.:wink:
HeavenlyDemonic
Posts: 2
Joined: 14. Jan 2009, 23:44

Re: ...what?

Post by HeavenlyDemonic »

rayo wrote:I actually tried the above method a few days ago when the DVD did not work but ended up with an error message each time. However, this time it worked! Maybe its because I updated to the latest version of xVM.

Anyway, thanks for your explicit instructions.:wink:
Super cool, glad you got it sorted!
jhsyd
Posts: 1
Joined: 16. Jan 2009, 09:41

Re: Installing Windows 7 on virtualbox

Post by jhsyd »

rayo wrote:I can see that some people have installed W7 but I have not been able to do so and the reason, I think, is that the DVD that I burnt is UDF and not ISO.

I have tried burning an ISO, using Nero 7 but each time I drag the folders across I am informed that install.wim file, in one of the folders, is too large for the ISO and that UDF should be used instead. After burning a UDF, when I try to initially install using it, the virtualbox drive does not start up the DVD and I'm informed that a fatal error has occurred.

I cannot see how I can boot up the DVD within the Windows 7 virtual drive that I have set up.

If I insert the UDF DVD then it does boot up ready to install Windows 7 but not in the virtual drive.

Can anyone give me some pointers on how to remedy this situation?
Install free CDBurnerXP -- burns ISO no problem
rayo
Posts: 15
Joined: 2. Oct 2008, 00:50

Re: Installing Windows 7 on virtualbox

Post by rayo »

jhsyd wrote: Install free CDBurnerXP -- burns ISO no problem
Thanks for the information. I have discovered since that Nero Recorder burns it without any problems.
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