windows ISO file to use with VirtualBox

Question

I read here on superuser.com that windows XP ISO files are not generally available for downloads from legitimate sources. What version of Windows can I use then, to mount as an ISO file with VirtualBox? And from where do i get it?

Solution 1

Make your own image (*.iso) from physical media with any of a number of CD imaging tools. ImgBurn is a popular choice.

Also worth noting that an MSDN OS Subscription from Microsoft lets you download ISOs for pretty much every version of Windows they've ever shipped, including all variants of Windows XP, which are readily usable in VMs.

Solution 2

Windows Vista SP1
Windows 7 SP1

Those contain official links from Microsoft's distributor DigitalRiver. Note that you'll still need a licence key to activate them, though.

You can also get a 90-day evaluation version of Windows 7 Enterprise from Technet:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/cc442495

Comments

[pnp]

for that you need a CD right? I dont have it and that is exactly the reason i asked this...

[Daniel Andersson]

@pnp: If you don't have a Windows installation media and license, then you cannot install it legitimately. It's as simple as that.

[rubenvb]

@DanielAndersson if you still have a genuine license key you can legitimately install it from not-so-trusted sources. There are unmodified ISOs available, which you can check through the publicly visible checksums for the ISO files.