virtualbox.org

I'm sure this one is in here, but the search feature is not working at this time.

Can I install Server 2008 (or any OS) directly to Virtual Box from an ISO, or do I have to install it to a hard drive and then image it? If it must be imaged from a hard drive, what is a good free/shareware application for doing this?

All the info you need is in here: http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/VirtualB ... oxLiveShow

MacInAction wrote:Can I install Server 2008 (or any OS) directly to Virtual Box from an ISO?

Yes, you can install any supported OS (and many unsupported ones) into a VM from an ISO image of bootable install CD. In fact that is IMHO the preferred route, since it avoids possible confusion and contention with the host - and media errors - that sometimes happens when you use a physical CD.

If you are installing an old OS that predates bootable CDs then the ISO image is still useful, but you typically need to boot up from a floppy image first, loading a DOS CD driver, letting you access the virtual CD image and run the setup program manually.

Thanks for all the information. It seems to have compatibility issues with Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Enterprise and Standard (x86) - DVD (English), Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (x86, x64) - DVD (Multilanguage), and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (x86) - CD (All Languages). Server 2008 locks after entering the product key. The other two require no key and give the 'Fatal: No bootable medium found! System halted' message. It looks as if I need to keep downloading the different versions until I can find something that works. Hopefully some updates for VB will follow that will allow the newers OSes to work like the older ones. The only one I have been able to use is Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition with SP1 (English).

MacInAction wrote:Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (x86, x64) - DVD (Multilanguage), and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (x86) - CD (All Languages).

Those are language packs or updates (update the OS to a service pack level). That's why you get the Boot media error, they are not OS install discs.

MacInAction wrote:Server 2008 locks after entering the product key.

That might suggest an error in the ISO image. I don't know if MS makes the file hash available, but if they do, check it with your copy. You might need to download the image again.

Just worked through this (ver 4.0.0) as a tool for testing VistaPE boot disks.

I found it was pretty simple once you find the Menus you need. What worked for me was:

Use Settings -> Storage -> IDE Controller to setup the Virtual DVD (i.e. ISO DVD Image)

Then use the green + sign to add a new device. When prompted to, during the add, browse to the bootable ISO file that is to be used as the Virtual DVD (DVD image) to install.
Then make sure the ISO is assigned as the Primary Master for the Virtual DVD. The Storage Form, right panel has the drop-down box to configure devices.

You can setup several ISO files and the Host CD drive as primary and secondary virtual devices. By configuring the Primary and Secondary Drive assignments, you can boot from any image or from a physical Host drive.

Hope this saves someone some time and results in less wasted DVD blanks.

Thank you by dpminusa! You saved me a lot of grief in installing from the ISO.

Even though it has sent me to the next battle. The empty page in 'Prepare Partitions'. Should find a workaround for that.

Regards

I got a similar problem.

My problem is that I had virtual box trying to boot from the (virtual) harddrive, what I needed to do was get it to boot from the (virtual) cd/dvd drive. I only discovered this by pressing F12 during the startup of virtual box and selecting "boot from cd"

bzzzzz wrote:I only discovered this by pressing F12 during the startup of virtual box and selecting "boot from cd"

If you go to VM Settings | System | Motherboard tab you'll see a panel for selecting "Boot Order". If the CD drive line is ticked then booting from virtual CD is allowed. If the CD is also first in the order (note the up/down arrows which adjust the order), then the VM will boot from the CD in preference to booting from the hard disk.