Error installing Windows 7 host from external CD/DVD drive

[Joe7894]

Hi all,

I copied the code found below after receiving an error while booting my empty VM to install Windows 7 to it.

My host is a new MacBook Air running Mountain Lion.

Code: Select all

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine Win7.

PIIX3 cannot attach drive to the Secondary Master (VERR_GENERAL_FAILURE).

Result Code: NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component: Console
Interface: IConsole {db7ab4ca-2a3f-4183-9243-c1208da92392}

I fear the problem could be that VirtualBox dislikes my external CD/DVD drive but I'd really like to solve this problem so that I don't have to burn the CD to another computer, convert it to ISO then send it back...

[mpack]

You don't need to convert a CD to ISO format, it already is in ISO format ("ISO" refers to the ISO 9660 standard for the filesystem on data CDs). So, all you need do is make an image of the CD disk. I know that Macs come bundled with the necessary tools to do that, though off the top of my head I don't recall what they're called (not being a Mac user myself).

To answer the implied question: yes, installing from an ISO(or DMG) is the way to go. It bypasses these problems with host CD drives that aren't.

[Joe7894]

Thanks mpac,

I decided to simply create an iso in the end. I've done it that way before so I'll stick to what I know...