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Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 19. Jan 2018, 14:20
by Packie
I purchased win7 on a USB stick and I am wondering if someone could advise me how I can go about installing it to use with VirtualBox. I do not have a optical drive on my Mac High Sierra.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 19. Jan 2018, 14:46
by andyp73
Firstly, this probably ought to have gone in MAC OS Hosts or Windows Guests seeing as you have one of those and are trying to install the other. One of the admins will no doubt be along shortly to push the thread into the right location.
As far as I recall, the BIOS in VirtualBox doesn't allow booting from USB sticks and so you will need to find a mechanism to rip the contents of the USB stick into a bootable ISO image that you can mount in the virtual optical drive.
-Andy.
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 19. Jan 2018, 15:15
by ChipMcK
Tips: How to make Windows 10 install media on macOS High Sierra
(appleinsider.com/articles/18/01/18/tips-how-to-make-windows-10-install-media-on-macos-high-sierra)
Mod warning; Do *not* follow these instructions. These are instructions to generate a USB from an ISO, not the other way around. You will destroy your Windows 10 USB!!!
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 19. Jan 2018, 15:17
by socratis
Moving to "OSX Hosts" from "OSX guests" since this is more of a host question and tools that have to be used on the host.
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 19. Jan 2018, 15:58
by Packie
Sorry about posting to the wrong group
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 19. Jan 2018, 22:09
by socratis
@ChipMcK,
I took a look at the instructions link that you posted and it's the
exact opposite of what the OP wants. You'll pardon me for taking the liberty and editing your message to prevent an accidental data loss, because the first step talks about formatting the USB stick! Oops... there goes your Win10 installer!!!
The way to create an ISO file from the bootable USB is through the "Disk Utility". Select the whole USB (not an individual partition) and choose to create a CD/DVD master from that USB disk.
@Packie,
You then select that newly created CD/DVD master and you boot your VM from that.
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 20. Jan 2018, 15:15
by ChipMcK
First, get the .ISO file from Microsoft here. Importantly, this doesn't contain a license code, so you'll need to get one of those yourself.
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 20. Jan 2018, 21:14
by socratis
But ChipMcK, if they do have the ISO, they don't need to create the USB. You can boot a VM from an ISO...
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 20. Jan 2018, 21:43
by ChipMcK
and OP has the .ISO ?
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 20. Jan 2018, 22:00
by socratis
No. The OP has a bought USB Win10 installation. OK, let's recap:
- The OP has a USB. Wants to boot the VM. The easiest way is to convert that USB to an ISO.
- You said, get the ISO from MS, then convert it to USB.
- I said that your linked article would destroy the bought Win10 USB.
- You said, but you have to have the ISO first to convert it to USB.
- I said, if you have the ISO, you don't need to convert it to USB. Boot directly from it.
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 20. Jan 2018, 23:31
by Packie
Just for clarity I have purchased:
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1 Full Version & License COA Product Key on USB
"The way to create an ISO file from the bootable USB is through the "Disk Utility". Select the whole USB (not an individual partition) and choose to create a CD/DVD master from that USB disk."
Since there is no optical drive on the Mac High Sierra does that mean I need to go out and purchase one?
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 21. Jan 2018, 00:55
by BillG
The fact that you have the OS on a USB key is handy if you can install from that (but you cannot do that for a vm). The important thing is that you have a product key.
You can convert the installation media stored on the USB to an ISO, but you do not really need to. As long as you have a product key you can download the ISO directly from Microsoft. Make sure that you specify the version which matches your product key.
Once you have the ISO you simply assign it to the optical drive of your vm from settings. Then start the vm.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/softwar ... d/windows7
ISOBoot.PNG
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 21. Jan 2018, 11:15
by andyp73
Packie wrote:"The way to create an ISO file from the bootable USB is through the "Disk Utility". Select the whole USB (not an individual partition) and choose to create a CD/DVD master from that USB disk."
Since there is no optical drive on the Mac High Sierra does that mean I need to go out and purchase one?
Nope, no physical optical drive required. If you follow the instructions using Disk Utility you will end up with a file with a .iso extension somewhere on your hosts hard disk which you can then mount in the virtual optical drive of your guest.
-Andy,
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 21. Jan 2018, 13:02
by socratis
andyp73 wrote: If you follow the instructions using Disk Utility you will end up with a file with a .iso extension
Slight correction; Disk Utility is a little "stubborn" and no matter what name/extension you give it, it will always add a ".cdr" extension
(Why Apple, why???). Just rename that ".cdr" to ".iso" and you should be all set.
Re: Install Win7 from USB
Posted: 22. Jan 2018, 10:36
by andyp73
socratis wrote:Why Apple, why???)
Because they can!
-Andy.