How to boot from a USB Flash Drive in VirtualBox. This process will allow you to run your Portable Linux from the USB Flash Drive or external hard drive while still running from a Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X Host. By default VirtualBox does not support USB Boot. However, this is easily attainable by mapping a virtual machine (.vmdk file) to the USB Drive.
If you can't start up from the bootable installer, make sure that the External Boot setting in Startup Security Utility is set to allow booting from external media. Choose your language, if prompted. Select Install macOS (or Install OS X) from the Utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions. Restart your computer. Restart your computer and wait for that first screen to pop up. Often, it’ll say.
A best practice is to make one of these with an old USB stick and leave it in a drawer for a 'rainy day'. However if you are having difficulty booting into your OS this can be done using another Windows PC. Aug 24, 2020 There are a bunch of tools that let you load an operating system onto a USB flash drive, allowing you to boot from that drive and either run or install the OS. Ventoy isn’t the first multi. Once your USB drive is set up as a bootable drive with an appropriate operating system on it, you’ll need to set up your Surface to boot from this drive. This requires you to make changes in the UEFI so that the USB drive is the first option.
VirtualBox Website: https://www.virtualbox.org
Boot a USB Flash Drive from VirtualBox (Windows Host)
- Download and run VirtualBox (Installing to the default path).
- You'll need to use the command line to perform steps 3-6,
To open a command prompt;
1.) From the Windows '⌕ Type here to search' box, type cmd.exe
2.) Then click Run as administrator - At the command prompt, type
diskmgmt.msc
and press Enter to open the Windows Disk Management Tool.diskmgmt.msc
Then, Identify your USB Disk # - Now, back at the command line, type
cd %programfiles%oraclevirtualbox
- Replacing # with your USB Disk number from step 3, type
VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename '%USERPROFILE%'.VirtualBoxusb.vmdk -rawdisk .PhysicalDrive#
- To start VirtualBox as Admin, type
start virtualbox
- Click New, and then proceed to Create a New Virtual Machine.
- When prompted for a Virtual Hard Disk, tick use existing hard disk. Then, browse to your %USERPROFILE%.VirtualBox folder, and select the usb.vmdk file.
- Once done creating your New Virtual Machine, click Start.
If all goes well, VirtualBox should now be emulating, booting, and running your USB device from within Windows.
Getting Persistence to work in VirtualBox (Windows)
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At first the USB flash drive might not work exactly like it does when booted natively. Things like Ubuntu's casper persistent feature won't work. Some distributions might not even boot, or will boot with errors. This is because the volumes on the device are mounted by Windows, preventing VirtualBox from gaining full access. In order to fix these issues, you can use a tool called LockDismount. Then simply run the tool (using the following steps), prior to starting the Virtual Machine that is tied to your USB.
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1. Download the LockDismount tool
2. Launch the tool right before starting your VirtualBox VM
Gimp org down. 3. Select your USB from the drop-list, then Press Lock it!
(optionally you can check Force Dismount)
Now your flash drive should be able to boot in VirtualBox exactly as it does when booted natively on a physical machine. ?
Boot from a USB Flash Drive in VirtualBox (Linux Host)
The following was performed from a running Ubuntu Operating environment. The same should work for most Debian/Ubuntu Linux based environments.
- Open a Terminal and type
sudo apt install virtualbox
sudo apt install virtualbox
- Next, Type
sudo fdisk -l
sudo fdisk -l
- Replacing x with your actual device letter found from step 2, typeHow to download pictures from my android phone.
sudo vboxmanage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename ~/usb.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sdx
- Type
sudo virtualbox
to start the program, and proceed create a New Virtual Machine. - When prompted for a Virtual Hard Disk, tick use existing hard disk, then browse to your Home directory and select usb.vmdk.
- Once you've finished creating your New Virtual Machine, click Start.
If all went smoothly, you should now be running your USB flash drive from VirtualBox on the Linux Host.
Boot from a USB Flash Drive in VirtualBox (Mac OS X)
Easily Boot Multiple Operating Systems From A USB Flash Drive ..
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- Download and install VirtualBox for OS X Hosts via the .dmg file.
- Open a Terminal and type
diskutil list
diskutil list
(make note of which disk is your USB drive I.E. /dev/disk#) - Replacing # with the disk number of your USB drive, type
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk#
- Again, replacing # with your actual disk number, type
vboxmanage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename ~/usb.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/disk#
- Once more, replacing # with the disk number, type
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk#
- Finally, to start the program with root access, type
sudo virtualbox
- Next, Proceed to create a New Virtual Machine.
When prompted for a Virtual Hard Disk, tick use existing hard disk.
Then, browse to your Home directory and select usb.vmdk. - Once finished creating your New Virtual Machine, click Start.
You should now be booting from your USB flash drive on the Mac OS X host using VirtualBox, while retaining the ability to boot from the drive natively as well.
Recommended Fast Solid State USB Flash Drives
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