Is it possible to install an OS through a virtual machine on a harddrive, and then use that harddrive to boot normally?

Solution 1:

Yes. In VirtualBox, the required feature is called raw hard disk access. I have done the reverse.

The potential problem is that the OS must be able to boot on the other hardware, and "be OK" with it. The first problem has to do with drivers. The VM's virtualized hardware is different than the actual hardware. Depending on the OS and how it is installed, when it is booted on the actual hardware, the drivers for them will be missing; or perhaps worse, the drivers that worked for the virtual hardware seem close enough, but don't actually work. So the OS will have to go through a round of detecting the new hardware and swapping all the drivers. Sometimes this works fine and sometimes it doesn't.

The second issue is mostly a Windows Activation thing. If it was activated on the virtual hardware, you'd have to re-activate on the new hardware. Depending on which SKU you installed, this may not be allowed, or require calling Microsoft to plead your case.

Solution 2:

Ok, as to the specs of hardware comparability, you must use the pc your planning on running the virtual machine on the pc you wish to run the ssd on when completed. You need to set the network manager to bridge using host Ethernet card ID. Then you need to set the data controller in the storage tab to the “use host I/O cache” and set the audio, video, to the intel or what ever the devices your pc use to operate, is possible to select. Plug ssd via USB 3.0 sata connector. Go to the usb setting inside the machine settings and on the right there are little dong icons and you right click on the green plus dong icon and a selection pane opens with all the usb connections listed. Select the 3.0 sata. It will appear in the box. Now select ok. Make sure you connect the win 10 iso to the optical disk in the storage tab. You want the machine to mimic your pc hardware as much as possible, using all “use host ???” On every part of hardware selections available. Now you start the machine. When the installation gets to it’s done copying files and’s needs to restart. Power off the machine. Take the hard drive and install it into the pc hard drive connection cable and then boot the pc into that hard drive. This will take several minutes for it to start it’s driver to hardware scan and switch needed drivers, then install any device drivers your parallel’s require, the system with think it misread the system because it only installs all the files and drivers to the hard drive, but once that reboot accurs it then reads the full hardware to driver compatibility and installs the needed drivers and syncs the system to it, leaving install system cache in the CMOS memory on the motherboard for faster start up and booting, and registers the OS in the registry at this point, so it’s hard drive cache hold the UUID of the drive, the drivers list, and system security of the install. It will give errors if user else where other than the pc it synced to. It will use the same drivers everyone it boots cause it reads cache to boot up. You would need to do a clean boot start up configuring by disabling all startup application, clearing system cache and refresh the boot folders files. This process is a no go, really. It’s best to pull the ssd as soon as it’s done installing the OS files and needs to be boot, then boot it in the pc you’re gonnarun it in, let it sync and you should be fine.