Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: Virtual Box storage format error while installing Windows 10 tech. preview

Error installing Windows 10 technical preview via Virtual Box on Windows 8.1 laptop.

Quick Answer: Check if the ISO file is corrupted and try using a different version or re-downloading the file.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 💡 Why You Are Getting This Error
  2. 🚀 How to Resolve This Issue
  3. 💡 Conclusion

The error 'Failed to open the optical disk file C:\Users\Manish\Downloads\WindowsTechnicalPreview-x86-EN-US.iso. Could not get the storage format of the medium 'C:\\Users\\Manish\\Downloads\\WindowsTechnicalPreview-x86-EN-US.iso' (VERR_NOT_SUPPORTED).' occurs when you try to install Windows 10 technical preview via Virtual Box on a Windows 8.1 32 bit laptop. This error affects users who have downloaded the ISO file from Microsoft's website and are trying to install it using Virtual Box.

This error can be frustrating as it prevents you from installing the operating system, which is essential for testing and development purposes. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to troubleshoot and resolve this issue.

💡 Why You Are Getting This Error

  • The primary reason for this error is that the downloaded ISO file may not be in a compatible format with Virtual Box. The 'VERR_NOT_SUPPORTED' error code indicates that the storage format of the medium is not supported by Virtual Box.
  • Another possible cause is that the ISO file is corrupted, which can lead to compatibility issues with Virtual Box.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

Verifying the ISO File Format

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Check the ISO file format using a tool like MD5sums.exe. This will ensure that the file is not corrupted and has the correct checksum.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: Verify that the downloaded ISO file matches the expected format for Virtual Box. You can check this by comparing the MD5 sum or SHA-1 hash value provided by Microsoft with the actual checksum of the file.
  3. Step 3: Step 3: If the ISO file is still not in a compatible format, try re-downloading it from Microsoft's website and repeat steps 1-2.

Using a Different Storage Format

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Create a new virtual machine using Virtual Box and select 'VMDK' as the storage format. This is a more compatible format with Virtual Box.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: Mount the Windows 10 technical preview ISO file using VMDK, and then copy the contents to the virtual machine's hard drive.

💡 Conclusion

To resolve the error 'Failed to open the optical disk file' when installing Windows 10 technical preview via Virtual Box, try verifying the ISO file format using a tool like MD5sums.exe. If the file is still not compatible, consider using a different storage format like VMDK and mounting the ISO file accordingly.

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