Virtualbox is a great application that allows you to run different operating systems on your computer. You can have Windows on your computer as the primary OS while having the option to run different operating systems on Virtualbox. The benefit of using Virtualbox is that you don’t need to partition your hard disk manually. Virtualbox does all the necessary settings by itself. Nevertheless, there isn’t to say that Virtualbox users don’t encounter errors. An error message that you may receive is “No bootable medium found”. The error in question is pretty common and is related to Virtualbox only. There are different reasons why users get this error message, but each can be solved easily. If you were on the receiving end of the “No bootable medium found” error in VirtualBox, then fear not, as this guide will help you get rid of it. We will guide you step-by-step on how to troubleshoot the error and resolve the problem with ease. As stated earlier, there are various reasons why a user might get this error. We shall discuss the most prominent reasons for this error and methods to resolve it. So buckle up, and let’s begin!
Reason 1: Incorrect Bootable Disk Created.
Virtualbox requires an ISO file or a CD/DVD to boot an OS from. An ISO file is a disk image file that contains all the data of an optical disk (CD or DVD). Complete operating systems can be converted into an ISO file, which can be used by Virtualbox for booting. Similarly, CD/DVD can also be used to store an operating system and for booting purposes. The error occurs if the ISO file being used is corrupted. In the case of a CD/DVD, if they were being burnt as a data disc without selecting the “Bootable Disc” option, then they can not be used to boot an OS. To check that you are facing the above-mentioned problems or not, you can do the following: If your operating system works just fine after following either of the steps, then be at ease as you’ve resolved the issue while understanding the error. If this doesn’t solve the problem, however, we shall move on to troubleshooting for the next reason.
Reason 2: Virtual Optical Drive is Empty or Doesn’t Exist.
Virtualbox, as the name suggests, is a virtual computer. Just as a computer has CD/DVD drives, Virtualbox comes with its virtual optical drive. This is where the user has to either attach the ISO file or select a host drive containing the bootable CD/DVD. You can encounter these two situations when you either fail to create an optical drive for the OS you are trying to run or fail to load any resources in the optical drive after creating it. But need not worry, both can be easily rectified. Follow these steps to successfully create an optical drive and attach relative resources: After successfully executing these steps, you should be able to make your virtual machine work. In case this doesn’t work either, you can search and apply fixes for the reason mentioned below.
Reason 3: Incorrect Boot Order.
Selecting an incorrect boot order is another reason that you may receive the error message. This happens when the virtual drive where the OS is situated is selected as a boot device, and the virtual hard disk is not selected as a bootable medium. This can also happen when the drive containing the OS is selected in a lower boot order position. If you have done this, it can easily be corrected, and you can then use your virtual machine as it should work. Follow these steps: The machine should work on this specific boot order. If it works, then you know, this was the reason for the error message. If it still gives the error, then you should troubleshoot for the reasons below.
Other Fixes for “No Bootable Medium Found” Error in VirtualBox.
If you are still receiving the same message after many attempts at fixing the problems, we advise that you look at tutorials for choosing the correct settings in Virtualbox. You should not face any problems if you follow the tutorials step by step. Virtualbox comes with a user manual available on its official website. The manual is divided into chapters with information covering various topics from installation to usage. You can look for more advice about troubleshooting by clicking here. The links provided are the best way to ensure you do not make any errors while setting up an operating system on Virtualbox. So, for an error-free experience, this is the way to go. Virtualbox allows you to use operating systems without going through the process of dual booting your device. Now you can use your preferred OS for daily tasks to work on a different OS like Ubuntu. Speaking of Ubuntu, if you have trouble uninstalling applications on it, you can follow this article to resolve your problem. This guide went through the reasons why you might get the “No Bootable Medium Found” error in VirtualBox. Also, we provided ways and steps to resolve the error for good. We hope that you were able to get rid of the error and wish that you have a fun experience using your new OS on Virtualbox. If this guide helped you out, please share it. 🙂
