How to Mount an ISO File in VirtualBox on Windows 10 and 11
When preparing to install software or operating systems like Windows 10 or 11 on a virtual machine using VirtualBox, you may need to mount an ISO file. An ISO file acts as a digital replica of a physical disc, containing all its data in a single file. This method has become the standard for distributing software electronically, as it eliminates the need for physical media.
Methods to Mount an ISO in VirtualBox
You can mount an ISO file in VirtualBox using one of two methods: through the VirtualBox Manager or directly from a running virtual machine. Below, we’ll outline the steps for both approaches.
Mount an ISO via VirtualBox Manager
To mount an ISO file to a virtual machine in VirtualBox Manager on Windows 10 or 11, follow these straightforward steps:
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Launch the VirtualBox application.
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Right-click on the desired virtual machine and select Settings.
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Navigate to the Storage tab.
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Select the Empty disc icon under the Storage Drives section.
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Click on the disc icon and choose “Choose a disk file” from the Attributes section.
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Locate and select your ISO file.
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Press Open.
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(Optional) Enable the “Live CD/DVD” option to keep the ISO mounted regardless of guest operating system actions.
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(Optional) Activate Hot-pluggable to allow the virtual drive to operate as removable media.
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Finally, click OK.
Upon completing these steps, the ISO file will be successfully mounted to the virtual machine. If the ISO contains installation media, the setup interface will automatically launch when you power on the guest operating system.
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To unmount the ISO file, return to the Storage settings, click “Choose a disk file”, and select the “Remove disk from virtual drive” option.
Mount an ISO on a Running Virtual Machine
If you want to mount an ISO file while your virtual machine is already running, follow these steps:
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Open VirtualBox.
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Right-click your virtual machine, navigate to the Start submenu, and select Normal Start.
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Select the Devices menu from the top toolbar.
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Expand the Optical Drives submenu and choose “Choose a disk file”.
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Locate and click on your desired ISO file.
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Hit the Open button.
Once completed, your ISO file will be mounted to the virtual drive. If you wish to unmount it afterward, simply open File Explorer, right-click the corresponding disk drive in This PC, and select Eject.
As an alternative method, you can also unmount the ISO through the Devices menu by selecting “Remove disk from virtual drive”.
If you encounter issues with the optical device feature, consider mounting the ISO directly onto the host operating system. You can extract the content from the ISO and share it with the guest machine via a shared folder.
For further details and images relevant to this process, check out the source.
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