How do i run an ISO file?!?!?!
 

Im trying to install windows xp from an .iso so i can use windows for work and linux for personal use. but i cant figure out how to run an .iso file. how do you do it?

Are you trying to install it as dual boot or as a virtual machine? If you're trying to install dual boot, you need to burn the .iso to a CD or DVD depending on what type of iso it is (i.e. a CD iso goes on a CD and a DVD iso on a DVD). If you want to install it to a virtual machine, you should just point the VM Host machine's CD drive to the .iso file.

You don't run an iso file. You can either use the iso image and install windows in a virtual machine or burn an iso to a cd/dvd and install it directly on your computer (alongside linux).
Which option do you have in mind?

you know i probably should have made the question more....... descriptive. i am at the moment using a netbook which has no dvd drive. which means i have to install windows which i want to dual boot with, from an iso file. does that make more sence?

If it is Windows 7, then use this. You can do the thumb drive formatting from linux using GParted.

Also, see this thread.

Have you got an access to an external usb dvd/cd drive? That would be the simplest solution. With linux there are options to do the installation from a usb drive. I have no idea if that's possible with windows.

Actually it seems to be possible:

http://www.liliputing.com/2008/04/in...-note-usb.html
http://wiki.eeeuser.com/windowsxpusb

sorry, double post

i dont have access to a external usb dvd drive, or a 4 gig usb. but in windows there are programs such as virtual clone drive which act as a fake dvd drive for mounting .iso files, is there anything like that for linux ubuntu 10.04

Yes, you can mount a dvd image, but in this case it's not going to help you much as you need to start the installation on your netbook from some medium (dvd/usb).



What netbook have you got?

2x Intel(R) Atom(TM) Cpu N270 @ 1.60GHz
Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Remix
1016700 Total Memory
ATA Hitachi HTS54321

There is, but the problem is that they don't work at boot time (just like virtual clone drive doesn't work at boot time). Linux uses what they call a loopback interface. That lets you mount and access iso files. But to install Windows, you'll need to access the iso file when you boot up the machine. That is considerably more difficult. If Ubuntu 10.04 uses Grub2, it has some limited ability to boot iso files, but I'm not sure if it will work with a Windows disc or not.

Your netbook seems to support PXE install.
You can google 'windows pxe install'

These are instructions for doing it if you've got another machine running windows:
http://www.lockstockmods.net/2008/04...work-with-pxe/

edit: Having said that, I think getting a usb stick would be really the easiest option. If you can't buy it, I'm sure someone can lend it to you for a couple of days.

you know i really appreciate all the help, but i dont really have cash at the moment because i got laid off. do you guys know where you can get a big usb stick for cheap?

Sorry to hear that. I understand it. I'm just saying that's technically the easiest option. I wasn't talking about borrowing money, just a usb stick, LOL.