- To mount an ISO in VirtualBox, open the VirtualBox Manager, go to the VM’s settings, and add the ISO under the Storage tab using the “Optical Drive” setting.
- Alternatively, while the VM is running, use the Devices > Optical Drives > Choose a disk file option to insert the ISO. The virtual machine will recognize the image as a virtual CD/DVD drive.
On VirtualBox, if you create a virtual machine or install an app on the guest device (such as Windows 11 or Windows 10), you will probably need to mount an ISO file to access the setup files. An ISO file is a container (a “disk image”) containing an exact copy of all the contents on a physical disc. Additionally, since no physical discs are involved, it has become the most common method for shipping software and other information over the internet.
On Windows 11 (or 10), you can connect an ISO file to a virtual machine 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, I’ll outline two ways to insert an ISO file into a VirtualBox virtual machine on Windows 10 (or 11).
- Mount an ISO to a virtual machine with VirtualBox Manager
- Mount an ISO to a running virtual machine on VirtualBox
Mount an ISO to a virtual machine with VirtualBox Manager
To mount an ISO file to a VM through the VirtualBox Manager on Windows 11 (or 10), follow these steps:
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Open VirtualBox.
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Right-click the virtual machine and select the Settings option.
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Click on Storage.
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Select the disc (Empty) item under the “Storage Drives” section.
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Click the disc icon and select the “Choose a disk file” button under the “Attributes” section.
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Select the ISO file.
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Click the Open button.
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(Optional) Select the “Live CD/DVD” option to prevent the ISO from being ejected by the guest operating system.
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(Optional) Check the Hot-pluggable option to make the virtual drive appear as a hot-pluggable peripheral.
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Click the OK button.
Once you complete the steps, the ISO file will mount to the virtual machine. If this is an installation media, the setup will appear on the guest device. If you connect the image to a virtual machine, the disk will appear in the operating system.
To unmount the ISO file, click the “Choose a disk file” button in the “Storage” settings and select the “Remove disk from virtual drive” option.
Mount the ISO to a running virtual machine on VirtualBox
To mount an image file while the VirtualBox guest machine is running, follow these steps:
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Open VirtualBox.
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Right-click the virtual machine, select the Start submenu, and choose the Normal start option.
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Click the Devices menu.
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Select the Optical Drives submenu and the “Choose a disk file” option.
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Select the ISO file.
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Click the Open button.
After completing the steps, the ISO file will be mounted to a virtual drive.
If you want to unmount the ISO file on Windows 11 (or 10), 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 doesn’t work, 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.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech in 2010. With over 22 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.
Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.
You can follow him on YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].