How to convert .img to usable VirtualBox format

Question

I have a .img file for Windows 10, and I need to turn it into something which I can use in VirtualBox, such as an ISO, or turning it into a bootable virtual disk for an ICT project.

Solution 1

1. Select a virtual machine by clicking its name in the VirtualBox window
2. Click the Machine menu at the top of the VirtualBox window, and click Settings
3. Click the Storage category in the Settings window
4. Right-click in the storage tree pane, and click Add Floppy Controller
5. Right-click the Floppy Controller device, and click Add Floppy Device
6. Click the Choose Disk button in the prompt window that appears
7. Navigate to the floppy disk image file (.IMG) on your computer and double-click it

If that doesn't work, try renaming the .IMG as .ISO and mount it.

If that too doesn't work, use VBoxManage's convertfromraw command as follows:

VBoxManage convertfromraw --format VDI [filename].img [filename].vdi

Mount the VDI as a hard disk.

Solution 2

Windows 10 can mount .img files as a drive. This drive can then be accessed by a virtual machine.

1. In Windows Explorer, right click on the .img file, select Mount.
2. Start the virtual machine
3. In the Devices menu => Optical Drives => select the Host Drive created in step 1.

Comments

[user1686]

If this was Linux, I'd suggest qemu-img convert. On Windows, it's more fun to install Win1 yourself from floppy images

[Anthony]

Thanks so much! It worked, and a few days before the project was due.

[ThorSummoner]

Is this reversible?

[Karan]

@ThorSummoner: Try VBoxManage clonehd --format RAW [filename].vdi [filename].img (syntax help for clonehd here).

[Amit Bhagat]

Thanks! Renaming .img to .iso worked in my case, I had SharePoint 2013 Server.

[Jorduino]

The fully quallified command path is: /Applications/VirtualBox.app/Contents/MacOS/VBoxManage clonehd --format RAW [filename].vdi [filename].img

[weberjn]

convertfromraw was the only way that worked for me to convert a Volumio.img into a VirtualBox vdi and boot from it.

[vhs]

Just a note it will not work if the image file converted is built for a different architecture. For example, you cannot convert a Raspian (ARM) image for use in VirtualBox (x86) using this method.

[Gurpreet]

sometimes it wont , for e.g. i tried to mount an octopi img file in windows 10 and it said the image file is corrupt

[GChuf]

I'm also experiencing a "corrupted image file" which came from a raspberry pi.

[Anton Andreev]

convertfromraw is what worked for me.

[Tim McElwee]

The Rasberry Pi images might be ARM processor based, instead of x86-based.