(Solved) How can I install Windows 10 in VirtualBox?

[Matthew_Wai]

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#deb cdrom:[Linux Mint 19.1 _Tessa_ - Release amd64 20181217]/ bionic contrib m$

Which version below applies to the above? I intend to install Windows 10 in VirtualBox on Mint.
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

[gm10]

As mentioned in all LM19.x release notes, LM19.x is based on Ubuntu 18.04.

[Matthew_Wai]

Sorry for my ignorance. I have just replaced Windows with Mint today. I will try my best not to ask stupid questions again.

[AndyMH]

VB version 6.0 has been recently released, I installed it from deb files.

[gm10]

Sorry for my ignorance. I have just replaced Windows with Mint today. I will try my best not to ask stupid questions again.

Hey, I even gave you the answer instead of saying RTFM, but please, do RTFM. And welcome to Linux.

[Matthew_Wai]

A Windows ISO file is already in the "Home" folder, which is on the hard disk. After I start the machine in VirtualBox, I press "F12" to enter the boot menu. I select "1) Hard disk". Then it says "FATAL: No bootable medium found! System halted!"

How can I install Windows directly from the Windows ISO file? I don't want to burn it to a DVD.

[gm10]

An .iso is not a hard disk, it's an image of an optical disk. Before you start the VM, go to its settings and add the .iso to or as an optical drive. Then just start the VM, it will boot from it automatically. Make sure you've added a virtual hard drive to install to as well though.

[Matthew_Wai]

Before you start the VM, go to its settings and add the .iso to or as an optical drive. Then just start the VM, it will boot from it automatically.

Is the following correct? After installation, should the ISO file be removed from "Storage"?

Storage (changed).jpg

[gm10]

Looks good. You can also just eject the DVD from within Windows after installation, or by using the Devices menu of the running VM (it'll probably ask you to remove it at some point, actually. haven't installed Windows in a while).

[Matthew_Wai]

You can also just eject the DVD from within Windows after installation,

The "Windows 10 Version 1709" ISO file is in the "Home" folder rather than on a DVD. What should I do with the ISO file after the installation?

[gm10]

You can also just eject the DVD from within Windows after installation,

The "Windows 10 Version 1709" ISO file is in the "Home" folder rather than on a DVD. What should I do with the ISO file after the installation?

My friend, your Windows will be running inside a virtual machine, for all it'll know that's indeed a DVD.

And you can delete the iso once you're all done, or just keep it in case you might need it again.

[AndyMH]

Three other things to do if you haven't done them already:

• Check you are a member of the vboxusers group - without this you can't share USB ports.

• Download and install the extension pack - once downloaded double click on it, if virtualbox doesn't automatically run it, type virtualbox in the window.

• Install guest additions inside win10 - also needed for USB ports among other things. If running full screen right click on the optical drive icon bottom right in the vb toolbar (I think, I always run seamless). If seamless, it's in the 'drop down menu'.

Full screen:

Win71 [Running] - Oracle VM VirtualBox_010.png

Seamless:

conky (T430)_012.png

[Matthew_Wai]

• Check you are a member of the vboxusers group - without this you can't share USB ports.

How can I check it? I just ran sudo usermod -a -G vboxusers $USER in Terminal. Am I a member now?
I have not yet installed Windows.

• Install guest additions inside win10

Have I understood correctly that "guest additions" should be installed AFTER Windows 10 has been installed? Could you post a download link to the additions? Please guide me step by step because I am a novice.

I am now downloading "Win10_1809Oct_Chinese(Traditional)_x64.iso", the latest version, which will be used instead of the old version mentioned above.

[AndyMH]

Assume you are running cinnamon, the easiest way to check membership of groups is menu > admininistration > users and groups, which will get you to:

Screenshot from 2019-01-03 08-39-08.png

Click on your name and you can see the groups you are members of to the right. If you are not a member of vboxusers, click anywhere on the groups and you get a set of checkboxes, just scroll down and check vboxusers.

Workspace 1_013.png

You do this after you have installed virtualbox (vb creates the vboxusers group). A lot easier than using the terminal!

You install guestadditions inside windows, so you have to start windows in your VM first. You tell vb to mount the guestadditions image as per my previous post. It will either then start automatically inside windows or you goto my computer in windows and you will see the guestadditions 'CD', install as you would any normal windows program. You don't need to download anything extra for guestadditions, it comes 'packaged' with the virtualbox deb.

If you are running mint 19.1 cinnamon do not try and run seamless mode - there is a bug (something I found when upgrading from mint 19.0 to 19.1). So only run win full screen (which is the default when it starts). You are fine with seamless and mint 19.0 cinnamon or the mate flavour of 19.1.

[Matthew_Wai]

I have just installed Windows 10, which can access only drive C.
For example, it says "No USB devices connected".
Is it possible to read other drives and devices, eg USB sticks, on Windows?
Is it possible to copy a file into Windows?
Also how can I change the display from 4:3 to 16:9?
The setting "File-->Preferences-->Display, 'Hint' + '1600' + '900'" does not work.

[AndyMH]

I'll answer the bits I can:

I have just installed Windows 10, which can access only drive C.

To talk to the 'outside world' you have to set up shared folders. This is an important mechanism for limiting access of your VM to the rest of your system - don't give it any more access than you need to! You do this from the virtualbox control panel:

Screenshot from 2019-01-03 14-17-33.png

I have two set up as shown above. In windows they appear as network drives:

Workspace 1_015.png

For example, it says "No USB devices connected".

This is why you have to have the extension pack installed in virtualbox, guestadditions in windows and be a member of the vboxusers group. When you have done that, if you click on the usb icon in the virtualbox menu (bottom of screen in full screen mode), you can select which USB devices to connect to:

Workspace 1_017.png

Once you have selected a USB device you cannot access the same device from linux unless you disconnect from it in windows or shut win down. Once you have selected a USB drive it will appear in 'my computer' in windows as normal.

Is it possible to read other drives and devices, eg USB sticks, on Windows?

As above.

Is it possible to copy a file into Windows

Yes win can copy to/from the shared folders (and read/write) and of course in linux you have access to the whole system.

Also how can I change the display from 4:3 to 16:9?

Don't know on that one, when I go full screen win uses all the screen except for the virtualbox control bar along the bottom. Have a look in the user interface in the settings in virtualbox and make sure that show in full screen/seamless is checked. Also on the same window look at the devices tab and make sure all you want are checked. This tab is also another way of inserting the guestadditions CD - there is a checkbox for it. I'd add another screenshot but limited to three.

[Matthew_Wai]

If you are running mint 19.1 cinnamon do not try and run seamless mode - there is a bug (something I found when upgrading from mint 19.0 to 19.1). So only run win full screen (which is the default when it starts). You are fine with seamless and mint 19.0 cinnamon or the mate flavour of 19.1.

Yes, I am running Mint 19.1 Cinnamon.

when I go full screen win uses all the screen except for the virtualbox control bar along the bottom. Have a look in the user interface in the settings in virtualbox and make sure that show in full screen/seamless is checked.

"Seamless" is greyed out in my Mint 19.1 Cinnamon, in which Windows does not use all the screen. Do I have to install 19.0 instead of 19.1 so as to use the seamless mode?

[AndyMH]

If you want to run seamless (which I do), then, yes, you will need to install LM19.0 cinnamon (or install LM19.1 mate - that appears to work), there is a bug in LM19.1 cinnamon. VB will work in LM19.0 seamless, but not in LM19.1:

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=284141

[Matthew_Wai]

• Install guest additions inside win10 - also needed for USB ports among other things. If running full screen right click on the optical drive icon bottom right in the vb toolbar (I think, I always run seamless). If seamless, it's in the 'drop down menu'.

Blue disk.jpg

I clicked on "Insert Guest Additions CD image" below, but nothing happened. No shared folders can be used. What should I do?

Insert Guest Additions CD image.jpg

[AndyMH]

Having inserted guestadditions, goto my computer in windows, you should see it there in the CD drive, double click to install:

Workspace 1_018.png

Once installed you will be able to set up shared folders.

Have you installed the extension pack in mint?