How to mount ISO on virtual machine in VirtualBox

In VirtualBox, if you are creating a virtual machine or installing an application on a guest device, you may need to mount the ISO file to access the setup files. An ISO file is a container (“disc image”) that contains an exact copy of all the content on a physical disk. Also, because no physical disk is involved, it has become the most common method of delivering software and other information over the internet.

Using VirtualBox, you can link ISO files in at least two ways via VirtualBox Manager or from the virtual machine interface while the guest operating system is running.

This guide will teach you two ways to insert an ISO file into a VirtualBox virtual machine in Windows 10 (or 11).

Mount the ISO to the virtual machine with VirtualBox Manager

To mount the ISO file to the VM via VirtualBox Manager, use these steps:

Open VirtualBox on Windows 11.

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Right click the virtual machine and select options Arrangement.

Click Storage.

Under the “Storage Drives” section, select the disk item (Blank).

Under “Attributes”, click the icon disc and select a button “Select disk file”.

Select files ISO.

Click button Open.

(Optional) Check Live CD/DVD Option to persist the ISO mount even if the guest operating system tries to eject it.

(Optional) Check the options Hot-pluggable to make the virtual drive appear as a hot-pluggable device.

Click button OK.

After you complete the steps, the ISO file will be mounted to the virtual machine. If this is installation media, the setup will appear on the guest device. If you connect the image to the virtual machine, the disk will appear in the operating system.

If you want to unmount the ISO file, click the button “Choose a disc file” while in the “Storage” settings and select the option “Erase disk from virtual drive”.

Mount the ISO to run the virtual machine in VirtualBox

To mount an image file while the VirtualBox guest machine is running, use these steps:

Open VirtualBox.

Right click virtual machine, select button Start the submenu, and select an option Start normally.

Click Device .

Select a submenu Optical Drive and options “Select disk file”.

Select files ISO.

Click button Open.

After you complete the steps, the ISO file will be mounted to the virtual drive.

If you want to unmount the ISO file in Windows 11 (or 10), open it “File Explorers,” right-click the disk drive in “This PC”, and select options “remove”.

Or, in VirtualBox, you can open menu “Device”select a submenu “Optical Driver”and select an option “Erase disk from virtual drive”.

If optical device features don’t work, alternatively, you can mount the image to the host operating system, extract its contents, and then make it available to the guest machine using a shared folder.

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