VM: Boot to ISO.

[SThompson86]

Hello, I am having trouble getting and understanding how to boot to an ISO with Virtual Box. I have followed these instructions http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives...ot-an-iso-image-without-burning-to-cd-or-dvd/ , but I still can not get it to boot to the ISO. I think I am doing right by loading the ISO into the CD-ROM ( see picture), but I am not sure. All I know is I still keep getting a Cannot find boot device error.

I know one thing is odd with those instructions I followed. When I click on my Virtual Machines settings I do not have a CD/DVD option as stated in the linked directions.

Thanks in advanced for the help.

Shane

 

[vdub12]

Is your iso a bootable image?

 

[Psychoticus]

I have used a few different VM programs and i must say that i think virtualbox is a very unstable product, there are constantly updates to fix bugs that break other things, i can see that you're only running windows programs, i personally would suggest MS'Hyper-V i really enjoy it, if you're looking for something free it has a trial or you can try virtualPC by MS, and no im not a MS fanboy either but these are some solid products.

As for your actual problem have you changed your boot order and if so what is that "FATAL"error i can see in the background? might be interesting to know.

 

[SThompson86]

I have used a few different VM programs and i must say that i think virtualbox is a very unstable product, there are constantly updates to fix bugs that break other things, i can see that you're only running windows programs, i personally would suggest MS'Hyper-V i really enjoy it, if you're looking for something free it has a trial or you can try virtualPC by MS, and no im not a MS fanboy either but these are some solid products.

As for your actual problem have you changed your boot order and if so what is that "FATAL"error i can see in the background? might be interesting to know.

I was just hitting F12, and selecting my CD. That is the only way I see to point it towards the ISO file.

Vdub- I suppose it is a bootable ISO I ripped it from a Dell disc.

 

[vdub12]

I have used a few different VM programs and i must say that i think virtualbox is a very unstable product, there are constantly updates to fix bugs that break other things, i can see that you're only running windows programs, i personally would suggest MS'Hyper-V i really enjoy it, if you're looking for something free it has a trial or you can try virtualPC by MS, and no im not a MS fanboy either but these are some solid products.

As for your actual problem have you changed your boot order and if so what is that "FATAL"error i can see in the background? might be interesting to know.

I'm assuming by the name of the VM and the name of the ISO this is a brand new VM. At first boot virtualbox will automatically boot from CD. I use the Linux version of virtualbox and have been using it for a year at least. I run multiple XP VM's a windows 7, a few Linux VM's and I also have my webserver as a win2003 VM and I have never had stability problems. Psychoticus, what kind of problems have you had? I think the only problems I have ever had is I have to recompile the kernel driver whenever I update my kernel. However, thats only a Linux problem and from the sound of it you run windows.

 

[SThompson86]

I'm assuming by the name of the VM and the name of the ISO this is a brand new VM.

Yes I had just made it.

 

[SThompson86]

I am unable to get Virtual PC to boot to an ISO either. I am going to settings CD/DVD drives and changing everything over to Open an ISO Image and the selected my ISO. I keep getting the "select proper boot device"

This is not a big deal, I just thought I might be missing something simple. I just would like to be able to test about 20 ISO`s I have.

 

[Psychoticus]

I'm assuming by the name of the VM and the name of the ISO this is a brand new VM. At first boot virtualbox will automatically boot from CD. I use the Linux version of virtualbox and have been using it for a year at least. I run multiple XP VM's a windows 7, a few Linux VM's and I also have my webserver as a win2003 VM and I have never had stability problems. Psychoticus, what kind of problems have you had? I think the only problems I have ever had is I have to recompile the kernel driver whenever I update my kernel. However, thats only a Linux problem and from the sound of it you run windows.

I have had a lot of little problems that i could fix but shouldn't have to, the most recent problem i had was that the routing and remote access wouldn't work for my XP client from my Server 2003 machine, it would get an address via dhcp and could resolve the domain names etc etc but wouldn't be able to get to the outside world, and i know it was the correct config i even had someone check my work and they couldnt find any problems with it so i installed virtual pc and it just worked as it should have, i have used vmware but i find it, in the past, that it has been very bloated but have also been told that this has changed in the latest release.

@OP: Do your other ISO's work? if so then it could just be that copy, i would try getting another one from another disc.

 

[vdub12]

I am unable to get Virtual PC to boot to an ISO either. I am going to settings CD/DVD drives and changing everything over to Open an ISO Image and the selected my ISO. I keep getting the "select proper boot device"

This is not a big deal, I just thought I might be missing something simple. I just would like to be able to test about 20 ISO`s I have.

Why not just install using the host drive?

 

[vdub12]

I have had a lot of little problems that i could fix but shouldn't have to, the most recent problem i had was that the routing and remote access wouldn't work for my XP client from my Server 2003 machine, it would get an address via dhcp and could resolve the domain names etc etc but wouldn't be able to get to the outside world, and i know it was the correct config i even had someone check my work and they couldnt find any problems with it so i installed virtual pc and it just worked as it should have, i have used vmware but i find it, in the past, that it has been very bloated but have also been told that this has changed in the latest release.

@OP: Do your other ISO's work? if so then it could just be that copy, i would try getting another one from another disc.

Sounds like you have the network adapter setup as NAT with the host. Change the adapter setting to bridged and the VM will act as its own entity.

 

[SThompson86]

Why not just install using the host drive?

O I am trying not to burn 20+ cd`s.

 

[vdub12]

O I am trying not to burn 20+ cd`s.

You had said that you made the ISO from a dell CD I thought you had an original that you could use.

Its nice to have a burned copy on had anyway. I have a CD binder that has copy's of all kinds of stuff like that.

 

[SThompson86]

You had said that you made the ISO from a dell CD I thought you had an original that you could use.

.

OOoO I am sorry I see where you are coming from. The Dell ISO rip just happened to be the 1 I was testing I have about 19 more that I do not have burned that I would like to test with the virtual machine.

 

[ATTech]

Sounds to me like an issue with the .ISO file. Try downloading a small iso like Memtest86, mounting it, then booting the computer.

 

[dbdawn]

I have used a few different VM programs and i must say that i think virtualbox is a very unstable product, there are constantly updates to fix bugs that break other things, i can see that you're only running windows programs, i personally would suggest MS'Hyper-V i really enjoy it, if you're looking for something free it has a trial or you can try virtualPC by MS, and no im not a MS fanboy either but these are some solid products.

As for your actual problem have you changed your boot order and if so what is that "FATAL"error i can see in the background? might be interesting to know.

+1
I am very happy with virtual pc it meets the needs that I have and is super stable.

 

[coreyspeed]

if you have 19 other iso then try one of these instead, it looks like when you ripped the dell cd you have missed the bootable part, try using roxio to rip it instead

 

[SThompson86]

Sounds to me like an issue with the .ISO file. Try downloading a small iso like Memtest86, mounting it, then booting the computer.

I will try that. Thanks

 

[SThompson86]

if you have 19 other iso then try one of these instead, it looks like when you ripped the dell cd you have missed the bootable part, try using roxio to rip it instead

I have tried several since making this post. still not getting it to work.

 

[kagman]

I have used virtual box, virtual pc and hyper-v .. Love them all.. However sometimes the Microsoft stuff does not play nice with linux..lol.. And sometimes you just need a real computer to test a bad ISO image that will not boot into a virtual machine...

 

[SThompson86]

sometimes you just need a real computer to test a bad ISO image that will not boot into a virtual machine...

Thats what I am leaning towards.

Thanks