virtualbox.org

Hi, My host is Win 10 Pro 64b. I have old genealogy databases that need a 32 bit OS. Using the latest VirtualBox I ran into an immediate problem. I have a legal copy of Win 7, as an iso and as a bootable DVD. The problem is that my version of Win 7 is advertised as a combined 32/64bit iso. Regardless of whether I try to load the iso or the bootable DVD, the install gets just a short way with an error that I am trying to load W7 64bit, onto a 32 bit system. (When I was setting up VirtualBox, I set aside an amount of memory, etc and told VirtualBox that I was going to install a Win 7 32 bit).

I dug up a very old Technet standalone Win 7 32bit installer, and it installed fine, but, understandably, Microsoft rejects the activation code.

In the past I was a VMware user, but as I am long, long retired, I can't afford the million dollars they now ask.

Can/will anyone help me over this issue? May I also ask that if any kind people try to help me, please take into account that I am old, and slower than I once was.

Regards,
Doug

Make sure you created a 32bit VM, i.e. using the Win7-32bit template. That's the only way to install the 32bit variant.

Any further discussion will require a zipped VM log to be attached here first.

Edit:  Actually, thinking about it I'm slightly doubting the truth of the following statement :- Doug4907 wrote:I have old genealogy databases that need a 32 bit OS. So called "Windows 64" could be thought of as really being "Windows 32 + Windows 64", i.e. it has an inherent capacity to run Win32 apps, which it can't easily get rid of because most installers will be 32bit even if the app being installed is 64bit. If what you meant was that "the old geneology database" is 16bit, then it's true that only 32bit Windows is backwards compatible to 16bits. It would also be true if the database was to install a 32bit driver... but I doubt that a database app needs a special driver, unless it's dongled. I point out all this because it's possible that you're jumping through hoops unnecessarily.

My previous post, of course the last word should be "input". Geriatric brains, you know.

This was my first attempt to use VirtualBox but set the new machine as a Windows 7 32, definitely not 64 bit.

mpack, I'm sure that I have stipulated a 32 bit machine. The error message says that I am trying to load a 64bit programme, while I should be loading a 32 bit one. My theory is that as soon as VirtualBox sees the attempted install it only sees a 64 bit install. The install source I have, is labelled Windows 7 32/64 installation.

See Attachments

My guess is that the label on your installation disk is wrong.

I see no VM error in the log. Whatever reason the installer has for failing, it isn't caused by a VM error.

So now we need precise wording of the error message please, e.g. a screenshot (use WinSnip on the host to create a png, attach it here).

Edit:  Looking again at the log, and one oddity... I don't see any sign that any media is attached to the VM. Not only does this VM not have a CD installer attached, it doesn't appear to have any (virtual) hard drives either, to install Windows 7 onto. This is what the "Storage" panel looks like on my Win7 VM.

Hi,

VBox is definitely reading the install files from my DVD drive, which on my PC I call A: .When I initiate the install the drive spins up and the VBox window shows "loading files", etc, as is normal for a windows install. VBox works away for abt 10secs, and then gives the error as shown in my attachment. As in my OP it looks as though it doesn't find a win 32bit version.

There is a help file the VBox reads during the install media which says in part, "Decide whether to install a 32-bit or 64-bit edition of Windows 7. To run a 64-bit version of Windows, your computer must have a 64-bit-capable processor." So I think the install iso is for 32 and 64 bit as labelled, but it seems possible that VBox doesn't get far enough into the installation to get to the choice "32 or 64 bit" option. The size of the installation media is the right size for both versions to be included (3.09GB).

To be sure, I guess have to be sure both installs are on the media, and I can only think that I must find an old 32 bit PC to test it: I can't risk overwriting the my host OS. But I don't have one.

A Windows question .. If I connect a USB external drive can I do a trial install to it? (my hands are far too shaky to get inside my PC to disconnect drives etc)

BTW, I did answer you kind guys earlier, but my fingers must have pushed the wrong buttons as it has never appeared. I guess it doesn't matter now.

Just to be clear my (host) PC is a win 10 Pro 64bit PC with an i7 9700 Octa Core chip

Doug4907 wrote:my DVD drive, which on my PC I call A:

A: and B: have bees set aside for floppy drives for a long time. All new Windows installs start on C: and never assign any new drive automatically to A: or B:. Windows will let you set a drive letter to A, but it is unusual at least. I wonder if there's a glitch somewhere because of this? Maybe not...

If the media is combination 32/64-bit, you should get a screen during the install that will ask what version you want to install.

But you should confirm for us what your guest's Storage settings are. In the main Virtualbox window, click the guest in the guest list. Then on the right side of the window, click Storage. The guest's Storage window will appear, like Mpack shows here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=97713#p474094. Take a screenshot of that Storage window and post it like you did before, please.

You should not have to add drives to your PC, unless your existing physical drives are maxed out. The 'drive' for you Windows 7 guest will be a file on your host's physical drive.