Not recognizing mounted iso file

[joelflr09]

I downloaded the virual box fine but when i try to use a iso file to boot on it says that the boot media cannot be read, i need to know if it matters what kind of cd i make the iso file with or if im doing something wrong. someone pleas help me im stuck

[vbox4me2]

Usually its something like 'write track' and then selecting ISO format. Or copy CD with ISO on a harddisk as target.

[TerryE]

I've also found with many (if not most) posts that people dust off an old CD/DVD media and wonder why they can't boot their VM from it -- only to find that the problem is actually very simple: the media is dirty or scratched. Try giving the disk a clean, and also visually inspect the surface for scratches.

[joelflr2009]

nope that didnt work

[TerryE]

If you already have the iso file and it is correctly connected to the VM, but it doesn't boot then almost certainly the ISO is corrupted as most CDs bootstrap through an x86 based loader that makes minimal assumptions about the H/W.

[joelflr2009]

so what kind of cd or dvd would definatelty work?

[TerryE]

My answer is almost any that is complete and designed to boot native off x86 or AMD64 (if you have a 64bit CPU and configured a 64bit VM). The only time that I've had difficulties is with ISOs that I've downloaded and they have died before the download is complete. Now, I always validate the MD5s or use bitTorrent protocols.

[Sasquatch]

Are you sure the disc is actually bootable? That is also a common mistake, they don't check if it's bootable with their own system.

[joelflr08]

could you please explain that to me in laymen terms im not as smartas you as you can tell.

[Sasquatch]

You say you want to create an ISO from a physical CD, right? Did you check if that CD actually boots properly? If it doesn't, it won't boot in VB either. If you want to burn the ISO to a CD (do the opposite), then it's fair to say that the ISO itself isn't even bootable. Please explain a bit more what you are trying to do.

[joelflr08]

im trying to download windows xp with vb with an iso file but the vb says it cant read the boot medium what is the boot medium?

[Sasquatch]

You can't download XP with VB. You have to provide an install medium yourself. If you don't have Windows XP retail version, buy an OEM version (or retail) from a store and use that disc to install XP as guest. Note that the license of an OEM is locked per hardware, so if you already have XP installed on a system, it's actually not allowed to install XP with the same key on a different system (like a VM).