How do I boot from an ISO virtual machine?

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Following are instructions for using the VMWare Remote Console (VMRC) to install an operating system on your virtual machine (VM) from an ISO image stored on your local workstation. If you don't already have VMRC installed on your workstation, download and install it from IUware.

1. Use md5sum to make sure the ISO is uncorrupted, and then ensure that the ISO is bootable.
2. Right-click your VM, and then select . Launch the VMware Remote Console.
3. From the vsphere client, right-click the VM name, and click the option.

4. Click the tab, and then select and choose the option to force entry into the BIOS setup screen.

   The next time you power on the VM, it will enter the BIOS setup screen. From there you can change the BIOS boot order so the CD/DVD drive comes before the hard drive.

5. Click and turn on the VM. In the remote console, when the VMware startup screen appears, wait for the BIOS menu to appear.
6. In the BIOS menu, navigate to the "Boot" section. To move to the top, highlight with the arrow key, and then press the + (plus sign) until is at the top of the list.
7. Press Ctrl-Alt to move the cursor outside the BIOS menu, and then click the VMRC drop-down menu.
8. Select , and then select . Select the ISO file from your workstation.
9. Press F10 to confirm and save your changes. Your VM will reboot with the ISO attached, and the installation will start.
10. Continue through the installation prompts.

This is document azlh in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2021-05-24 10:19:05.

On VirtualBox, if you create a virtual machine or install an application on the guest machine, you will probably need to mount an ISO file to access the setup files.

An ISO file is a container (also called a “disk image”) containing an exact copy of all the contents available on a physical disc. Also, since no physical discs are involved, it has become the most common medium to ship software and other information over the internet.

If you are using VirtualBox, you can connect ISO files in at least two ways through the VirtualBox Manager or from the virtual machine interface when the guest operating system is running.

In this guide, you will learn two ways to insert an ISO file to a VirtualBox virtual machine on Windows 10 (or Windows 11).

• Mount ISO to a virtual machine with VirtualBox Manager
• Mount ISO to a running virtual machine on VirtualBox

To mount an ISO file to a VM through the VirtualBox Manager, use these steps:

1. Open VirtualBox.

2. Right-click the virtual machine and select the Settings option.

   VirtualBox context settings

3. Click on Storage.

4. Under the “Storage Drives” section, select the disc (Empty) item.

5. Under the “Attributes” section, click the disc icon and select the Choose a disk file button.

   Connect ISO option

6. Select the ISO file.

7. Click the Open button.

8. (Optional) Check the Live CD/DVD option to keep the ISO mount even when the guest operating system tries to eject it.

9. (Optional) Check the Hot-pluggable option to make the virtual drive appear as a hot-pluggable peripheral.

10. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the ISO file will mount to the virtual machine. The setup will appear on the guest device if this is an installation media. In the case that you connected the image to a VM already with an OS, then the disk will appear in the operating system.

If you want to unmount the ISO file, click the Choose a disk file button while in the “Storage” settings and select the Remove disk from virtual drive option.

Mount ISO to a running virtual machine on VirtualBox

To mount an image file while the VirtualBox guest machine is running, use these steps:

1. Open VirtualBox.

2. Right-click the virtual machine, select the Start submenu and choose the Normal start option.

   Start virtual machine option

3. Click the Devices menu.

4. Select the Optical Drives submenu and select the Choose a disk file option.

   Mount ISO file running VM

5. Select the ISO file.

6. Click the Open button.

After you complete the steps, the ISO file will mount to a virtual drive.

If you want to unmount the ISO file on Windows 10 or Windows 11, open File Explorer, right-click the disk drive in “This PC,” and select the Eject option.

Alternatively, on VirtualBox, you can open the Devices menu, select the Optical Drivers submenu, and choose the Remove disk from virtual drive option.

If the optical device feature is not working, you could alternatively mount the image to the host operating system, extract its content, and then make it available to the guest machine using a shared folder.

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