Virtual machines are fancy software implementations that allow you to run an operating system. There are many virtualization software available including VMWare and VirtualBox. Even Microsoft provides an inbuilt hypervisor called ‘Hyper-V’ to create and run virtual machines.
But have you wondered whether you can run Ubuntu installed on a USB drive inside a virtual machine? Well, it is possible to do this. In this post, we will elaborate on how to run an operating system installed on a USB drive in VMware Workstation 16 Player. Without further ado, let’s get into the details.
Why run an operating system installed on a USB drive in a virtual machine?
Well, technically you can run Ubuntu installed on a USB drive directly on your PC. All you have to do is go to the boot menu in the BIOS and select the Ubuntu drive as your boot device. But it also has its limits.
You cannot access or switch the primary operating system on your PC. But in a virtual machine, you can easily access Ubuntu or any other operating system on your USB drive. You can minimize/suspend virtualization software and access your primary operating system. No need to restart your system and then boot from the USB drive.
Everything You Need to Run Ubuntu on a Windows Virtual Machine
Here’s what you’ll need to run an OS installed on a USB drive inside a virtual machine.
We will demonstrate the process of booting Ubuntu installed on a USB drive inside a Windows Virtual Machine. Since Windows already has higher hardware requirements than Ubuntu, it should boot without issue.
Our host system is also Windows to run VMware Workstation 16 Player. Also, you won’t notice any lag while using it inside a virtual machine. Check out our guide on VirtualBox vs VMware Player to understand the difference between the two virtualization programs.
How to Run Ubuntu Installed on a USB Drive in a Windows Virtual Machine
To run an Ubuntu USB drive inside a Windows virtual machine, you must first connect the USB drive to it. Once the drive is connected and visible in the virtual machine, you need to access the boot menu options. We will divide the method into two parts, and you should follow it in a linear manner to avoid any problems.
Locate the USB drive with the Ubuntu installation and click on the Connect option. This will unmount the USB drive from your host system and attach it to the current virtual machine.
Now, you need to check whether the USB device is visible in the Windows Virtual Machine or not. It won’t show up in File Explorer because it’s an EFI partition and has restricted permissions.
Press Win + X to launch the Quick Links menu. Click on the Device Manager option from the context menu.
Keep the Windows virtual machine running, and then go to the next section.
2. Boot into the virtual machine from the Ubuntu USB drive
In this part, you will need to access the attached USB drive using the boot menu. Here’s how to do it.
Close all apps running in the virtual machine and then press Alt+F4 to bring up the shutdown utility. Select Restart from the drop-down menu.
As soon as the virtual machine restarts, mash the F10 key to get into the Boot Options menu. Timing is of the absolute essence here, otherwise, you’ll be booted to the desktop. Then you need to restart the virtual machine and press the F10 key again.
Once you are in the boot menu, you will see a list of available boot options.
Press the Down Arrow key to navigate to the EFI USB Device option and select it. Then press the Enter key to boot using the selected device.
Now, go to the top bar of the VMware Workstation 16 Player app window and click on the Restart Guest button.
Press the F10 key as soon as the virtual machine restarts. You will enter the boot menu again. This time, you will see an ‘Ubuntu’ boot option below the Windows Boot Manager.
So, you can power on the virtual machine, restart it and boot using the Ubuntu USB drive whenever needed. You can also set it as the default boot option if you want.
3. Adding Some Final Touches
Using the above method, you can easily access your Ubuntu USB drive in VMware Virtual Machine. However, it will not run full screen like in your Windows Virtual Machine. You need to change the screen resolution to match your display size. After that, simply click on the Enter Full-Screen Mode button to utilize the maximum screen space.
Make sure to plug the Ubuntu USB drive into a USB 3.0 port. If you use USB 2.0 ports, the overall usability experience can be a bit rough. But Ubuntu will still work! You can minimize VMware and access the host system. No need to shutdown Ubuntu.