What do I need to run a windows virtual machine?

Like most Linux os installed on a desktop, mine originally sold with Windows installed. My goal is to run it on a virtual machine. I made an image of my Windows bootable USB stick on an external hd (ESD-ISO) that has ext ‘img’. But virtualbox needs an *iso file, not *img. Also, I’m unable to restore the USB stick: it doesn’t mount (1). What are my options?

(1) restore using gnome-disk-utility 43.0 appears to work, but then the stick is not listed as a device on Thunar, so I am not able to do anything with it from vb.



Screenshot_2023-01-30_21-05-54

You can download a Windows 11 ISO but not sure you can install it on vm without a licence number.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows11

I have a license for 7. It’s an OEM.

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It is installing right now on my vmware. I chose i don’t have licence right now just to see if it would install and yes it is going.

I’m not able to download it anyway. Unlike what the msg hints at, I’m not hiding my IP or whatever.

Not sure which country you are in? Maybe it restricts downloads? I don’t know.

Edit: This is a link from this Country.

TPM 2.0 is required to run Windows 11. Old laptop.

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Yes…Your only option then is Windows 10

Edit:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10ISO

Edit: I did install it but you need to have a licence number afterwards or before.

Hi,

Can you please be clear on what you really want to do?

  • Do you want to use your customized or captured .img file to install Windows in VirtualBox?
  • Or do you want to freshly install a Windows copy in VirtualBox?

I might be able to help but need to know what you really want to do.

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I assumed by this information the OP wanted an ISO image.

If he wants to convert the .img to .iso then he can use ccd2iso. Here is a guide to do that. And use yay -S ccd2iso to install it from the AUR.

After that try using it with VB. But I like to recommend Vmware Workstation over VB for Windows gusts. Because VB Windows gusts performance is pretty bad. Or KVM but KVM setup might be overwhelming for him.

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How can he do that if he has this problem? I just thought it was easier to download the ISO directly from Microsoft. :thinking:

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I thought he had a generated .img file.

He seems to have used cloning software to create the USB. And even if he manages to get the pen working I don’t think he would be able to restore the image. His sources folder is 48.0 KiB there’s no install.wim or install.esd in there.

The best option for him as you said @ricklinux download an ISO copy from Microsoft or there are other ways he can obtain a copy of Windows. :wink:

For installing Win11 when you don’t have a TPM 2.0 and know like me that you computer can run W10 with no problem (except windows itself :innocent:).

This tutorial work on hardware and with vm.

Boot you ISO as always. When you see the start of the installation of windows press shift+F10

A terminal will open. Type in it:

diskpart

Next you will need to list you disk and select the good one (in vm its simple, because they’re only one drive by default)

list disk

With my 1 drive, the command will be:

select disk 0

Now on real hw we maybe gonna need to converting the disk if needed in gpt

conv gpt

Now it’s time to create the efi partition:

create par efi size=512

We formating it:

format fs=fat32 quick

We assign a letter to the par:

assign letter g

Same for the primary:

create par pri

format quick

if the following command don’t work, its because you have already have a volume with the same letter. Use another (its will be c: in windows)

assign letter c

Now we need to get the letter: of the ISO:

list vol

For me its d. We can now leave diskpart:

exit

With DISM we gonna list all the index in your ISO (Win11 home, pro, …):

DISM /Get-ImageInfo /imagefile:d:\sources\install.wim

If you have a error try with install.esd

With the previous command, you will need to find the good index/version that you wish to install. For me its 1 (custom edited iso). With the ID of the index:

DISM /apply-image /imagefile:d:\sources\install.wim /index:1 /applydir:c:\

DISM is gonna do all the job for us!

When its done. We need to fix the boot partiton with:

bcdboot c:\Windows /s G: /f ALL

And that all :partying_face: :enos_flag:

That’s an awesome method. Reminds me of how we used to install Windows 95 or 98. But there are installations that don’t need to do anything. Setup will do everything. Can those be trusted? I would answer yes. I’ve been using one like this for some time. Found no miscellaneous stuff.

This method also work with W10.

I use a ISO downloaded directly with Microsoft and then edited with NTLite by myself. I don’t remove or edit files for tricking windows to think i have the good hw.

Coupled with this installation method, i can be sure that no one have done anything with it.

I don’t use NLite. Why pay when we can do it for free :wink: . I can create an ISO which doesn’t check TPM for Windows 11. But I’m just too lazy so I just download it from another who is trusted.

It can be. I just did it yesterday. The defaults do not work.
Just be sure to select manual installation.

It is fairly easy to install Windows11 without TPM chip. All you need is to set a few registry keys in the very early stage of the installation process. I have done that in vmware and it works just fine. You can find several tutorials on the internet.

e.g.

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I don’t have a need to circumvent the TPM, but these methods are useful to know.

How about version updates, will Windows 11 overwrite those modifications, and you’ll have to do it again?