virtualbox.org

Hello,

I am using VB 4.3.26. I need help installing a Windows 7 guest from an ISO file on my hard drive. I am able to add the ISO as an IDE CD/DVD controller (as the primary master), but I do not know how to get VB to look at that CD / DVD to install from. I tried clicking Start thinking it would give me a dropdown box like is does when installing from a physical CD, but it doesn't. It just says "No bootable media found!" I can successfully install the Windows 7 from the physical DVD that I made from the ISO file that I am trying to install from now.

What am I doing wrong?


Thanks

Mrs. C wrote:It just says "No bootable media found!"

You description is a little confused, but it sounds like you probably set it up correctly. I could be more sure of that if you provided a VM log file: right click the VM in the GUI. Select "Show Log". Save "VBox.log" (ONLY) to a file. Compress that file and attach it to a message here. Make sure the VM is fully shut down before taking a log.

As to the message, where did you get the ISO? A ISO is merely an image of a CD or DVD. The ISO will be bootable (and contain an OS installer) if the original DVD was (and did). Assuming that the CD/DVD device is selected in your VM boot order, then the message is telling you that DVD media is not bootable.

Hello,

I made the ISO from my bootable Windows 7 disc.

Please find the attached LOG file.


Mrs. C

Mrs. C wrote:I made the ISO from my bootable Windows 7 disc.

That's ambiguous.

Let's cut to the chase. I have a feeling you used CD burning software to bundle up the files from the hard disk of a Win7 PC. That will not work. An ISO isn't bootable and installable just because it has the right file extension. It is bootable and installable only if was made by imaging a suitable CD or DVD (i.e. one that itself was itself bootable and contained an install program), and I don't think you did that.

If you are trying to convert a physical Win7 into a virtual Win7 then the process is called P2V for short and you can find out lots of tips on how to do it by Googling P2V Disk2VHD site:forums.virtualbox.org.

Bear in mind however that Win7 requires activation, and you usually can't activate the same Win7 image simultaneously on two different PCs (a VM counts as a different PC, regardless of what the host is).

I have a physical DVD of Windows 7. This physical DVD is bootable. I made an ISO of it. I put the ISO on my computer's hard drive. I did not burn any DVDs. I went into VB, created a VM. In that VM, I added a virtual CD / DVD drive. I pointed that virtual CD / DVD to the ISO file that I created from the physical, bootable DVD. When I clicked VB's Start button, I got the no bootable medium error.

The whole point of doing this is so I will not have to handle the physical DVD.

I am not running two Windows 7's. The host is Windows 8.1.

Mrs. C

If that is the case, the only possible problem is the way you created the iso image. If in fact the iso file is an accurate image of the DVD, everything will be fine.

I am mystified by your reasons for doing this. I cannot see the difference between putting a DVD is a physical drive to create an iso file from it and putting the DVD in the same physical drive and installing an OS on a vm from it.

There are times that I need to recreate the VM (I use it for testing), and rather than getting the DVD out, it's easier to just have it on my hard drive.

I used the free version of BurnAware to create the ISO. I set the file system in BurnAware to UDF. Should I use ISO 9660?


Mrs. C

BillG wrote: I am mystified by your reasons for doing this. I cannot see the difference between putting a DVD is a physical drive to create an iso file from it and putting the DVD in the same physical drive and installing an OS on a vm from it.

I understand the reasons: an ISO is way more reliable than a mechanical drive, and quieter, and can't be interfered with by the host OS (e.g. autorun kicking in). An ISO is also easier to find, e.g. I go to my ISOs folder instead of raking in a drawer for a disk.

Mrs. C wrote:I used the free version of BurnAware to create the ISO. I set the file system in BurnAware to UDF. Should I use ISO 9660?

With an image the filesystem will be whatever was used by the original DVD, so you shouldn't even have seen the question.

This probably means that you didn't create an image, you instead compiled a new CD containing a bunch of files which happened to have come off another CD. The new CD however lacks the boot sectors of the original, since that isn't in a visible file.

I suggest that you download ImgBurn. Perhaps it offers clearer options.

I AM setting up VB correctly, the problem is with the ISO file I created. Thank you, mpack, for getting to the problem! I was thinking I was not setting VB up correctly. I will try ImgBurn!


Mrs. C