How to install Win XP on MAc host with no cd drive

[Pickle]

I just created a new VM and need to load Windows XP on it but I have no CD drive to install the windows xp software. I do have it saved in a folder on a "shared" folder for the new machine. I can also put it somewhere else. How do I get the new VM when I go to start it (and I know you choose an .iso or something else from which to boot from)...but how do I get it so Windows XP will start launching and installing?

[BillG]

The installation media does not need to be in the guest - it just needs to be accessible to the host.

From the Virtualbox manager on the host, allocate the iso file of the installation media to the cd drive of the vm, then start the vm.

If you only have the physical CD, most CD/DVD software programs can create an iso file from the CD.

[mpack]

most CD/DVD software programs can create an iso file from the CD.

Sorry, I feel I have to clarify that.

Most CD burning programs can create ISO files in two ways.

1. An existing CD/DVD can be copied (imaged), with the image saved as a file. By definition, this is an .ISO file. The user never needs to look at what the CD contains.
2. The burner software can construct a "ready to burn" image from scratch itself, bundling any files and folders selected by the user.

@Pickles: you want option (1). What you don't want to do is apply (2) to the contents of the CD root folder, as lots of things can go wrong with that.

[Pickle]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME! IM SO FRUSTRATED AND DESPARATE! SO I TRIED CREATING AN ISO FILE...DIDNT WORK. CALLED APPLE, NO HELP! SO I BOUGHT A USB AND LOADED XP CONTENT ON THERE AND THE VM WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE IT. THEN BOUGHT AN EXTERNAL CD/DVD DRIVE AND STILL CANNOT GET THE VM TO RECOGNIZE IT. I PUT THE WINDOWS XP CD IN THE EXTERNAL DRIVE. WTF! WHAT AM I MISSING? I HAVE GOT TO GET THIS GOING AND GET THE VM INSTALLED WITH WINDOWS XP RUNNING.

MAYBE IM MISSING SOMETHING BUT CAN SOME ONE PLEASE GIVE ME ...THE STEPS TO CONNECT EITHER A USB WITH THE WINDOWS XP FILES INSTALLED OR USING AN EXTERNAL CD/DVD DRIVE WHICH HAS THE WINDOWS XP CD IN IT TO CREATE A NEW VIRTUAL MACHINE AND LAUCH WINDOWS XP. IM SOMEWHAT SAVVY BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I KNOW WE ARE DOING AWAY WITH CD/DVD DRVIES BUT I NEED SOME SORT OF SUPPORT....AND VIRTUAL BOX HAS NO NUMBER, WINDOWS SUPPORT PASSES ME TO APPLE AND APPLE PASSES ME TO WINDOWS! AHHHHHHH!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME!

[mpack]

That's unreadable. All caps constitutes shouting, and it's a big turn off. If you did that with Apple support then I wouldn't be surprised if they fobbed you off.

In any case teaching you how to image a CD on a Mac is outside the remit of these forums. If Apple support can't help you with that then I doubt we can. I'll give you a hint however: VirtualBox accepts .dmg format CDs as well. Presumably Apple support can tell you how to produce them (though frankly I wouldn't: it's not portable).