Recover a Drive Image from Host machine USB drive to VM guest m.

Normally its in setting to allow usb from host VirtualBox USB passthrough guide | Connect USB to VirtualBox

ittiandro said:

b. .Once it is detected, how do I restore this Drive Image for viewing it on my VBox? .

You need to make a bootable ISO of your Aomei Backupper.

Making Bootable ISO File
If you do not have CD or USB disk, or if there is a problem when making the bootable CD, you could create a bootable ISO file...

Create Bootable Disc Based on Windows PE or Linux

Then you need to set up your VirtualBox VM to boot from the ISO in order to restore the image to the VM's drive. I wrote a tutorial on how to do this using Macrium Reflect, it will show you how to boot VirtualBox from your ISO.

Testing Macrium Reflect restore using VirtualBox virtual machine Tutorial | Windows 11 Forum

I suppose my VBOX must be able to connect to the USB drive, but it doesn’t see it How?

In my tutorial I show how to do that by sharing the drive from your Host machine so that the VM can see it. Reflect can restore from a network drive, so can Aomei.

Restore Windows System Image Backup over Network via AOMEI Backupper

You do realise that you need a new Windows 7 licence to activate it?

If you have a retail licence, you can use that in vm provided not in use on old pc anymore.

If you try and run windows 7 unactivated, eventually it will go into reduced function mode and a lot of things will not work.

A better and more secure option os to upgrade wife's pc to Windows 10 and then transfer to vm. Windows 10 will run indefinitely unactivated with only restriction ability to personalise some features e.g. desktop background.

cereberus said:

You do realise that you need a new Windows 7 licence to activate it?

You may be able to activate it with the key from the CoA sticker on the wife's Windows 7 PC.

Bree said:

You may be able to activate it with the key from the CoA sticker on the wife's Windows 7 PC.

Yes but OP wants to use this as a backup. Licencing was stricter on W7 so if OP activates on vm, it may be necessary to deactivate on wife's pc.

cereberus said:

Yes but OP wants to use this as a backup. Licencing was stricter on W7 so if OP activates on vm, it may be necessary to deactivate on wife's pc.

For a PC supplied with an OEM install of Windows 7 the installed key is actually an OEM-specific generic key, which self-activates in conjunction with an OEM SLP marker in the bios. The same generic key is used in any OEM-supplied recovery media.

The CoA key is there as a 'spare' should you ever need to clean install with standard Microsoft install media. If that has not happened then the CoA key will never have been used. Activating using a CoA key will probably require automatic phone activation, it did last time I activated a Win7 VM.

Activate Windows 7 by Phone | Tutorials

Bree said:

For a PC supplied with an OEM install of Windows 7 the installed key is actually an OEM-specific generic key, which self-activates in conjunction with an OEM SLP marker in the bios. The same generic key is used in any OEM-supplied recovery media.

The CoA key is there as a 'spare' should you ever need to clean install with standard Microsoft install media. If that has not happened then the CoA key will never have been used. Activating using a CoA key will probably require automatic phone activation, it did last time I activated a Win7 VM.

Activate Windows 7 by Phone | Tutorials

True unless OP has used COA key.
Of course, it does contravene EULA to do this. In the end 1 PC, one licence.

The COA is an override mechanism not a spare licence.

So it may work of course, but OPs original pc could get deactivated if COA key has been used before e.g. doing a clean install.

Of course, us even discussing is borderline against forum rules.