The installation failed - when installing virtualBox

The account I'm trying with is an admin account. I booted safe mode. Still wouldn't install. While booted safe mode I re-tried the Preferences >

Security & Privacy, and clicked "Allow" for "System software from developer "Oracle America, Inc." That actually took this time. Still couldn't install. I rebooted back to normal (not safe) mode, verified that "Oracle America" was still not showing on Preference > Security & Privacy, and re-tried installing. It worked that time! Whew, what an ordeal! I don't think it's supposed to be that painful.

Now, next step. I was able to fire up the Oracle VM Manager and configure a VM. I've installed several Windows 7 VMs on Linux, so this is no (should not be) new territory for me. This Mac is a Mini with DVD drive. I inserted a Windows 7 installation DVD in the drive. I kept getting a notice dialog, "You have inserted a blank DVD. Choose and action ...". Choices are Eject, Ignore or Open Finder. I chose Ignore.

The VM Manager shows "Host Drive HL-DT-ST DVDRW GA32N" configured and enabled and presumably accessible. Yet, when I try to open the VM I've created it can find no bootable media. On Linux, it finds the bootable DVD in the drive and proceeds to install Windows 7.

Since some of you have apparently successfully installed VMs on your Macs, how do you do this? How do you get it to "boot" from the installation drive?

VikingOSX: Well, I've never installed a VM without using the DVD. I suppose it's possible the DVD doesn't work at all on this Mac Mini. This is actually the first DVD I've tried reading since buying it. Windows installation DVDs read fine in Linux, no special format. Perhaps the drive is broken! I'll test that with some other disc later.

So, I did use the .iso method. For others who might need to do this: Settings > Storage > click on "+" icon for Optical Drives > Choose Disk. Navigate to the location of your .iso. Click 'Open'.

An important step: if you do have the real DVD drive showing in Settings > Storage (mine was "Host Drive HL-DT-ST DVDRW GA32N"), you'll have to click on the "-" icon at bottom to remove it. If you don't, it will continue to try the physical DVD drive and continue to fail.

Once that is done and the VM is started, it does find the disk and installed Windows w/o problem.

Lastly, installing the Guest Additions virtual DVD requires another step. First, you have to remove the installation .iso: Settings > Storage > select ISO image > click on the "-" icon at bottom. Then you have to create and empty optical drive: Settings > Storage > click on "+" icon for Optical Drives > Leave Empty. Now, when the VM is started and you are logged in as the admin user, go to the VM Menu > Devices > Insert Guest Additions CD image. Then just follow the prompts.

Thanks all for helping on this!!!

I did have another serious question, but I can't remember what it was just now. Meanwhile, I have a minor question: my VM Virtual Box Manager on Linux has 'Details', 'Machine Tools' and 'Global Tools' icons at the top. The 'Details' option shows all the config information. This button is missing on the Mac version. Is it just missing or do I have to set something?

Ah, not very intuitive, but that did the trick! Thank.