How to Install VirtualBox: Easy Guide for Beginners

VirtualBox is a program that emulates a second computer, allowing you to install and use operating systems (e.g., Windows, Linux) on VirtualBox without having to change your computer's actual operating system. This wikiHow teaches you how to install and use the VirtualBox application on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.

Installing VirtualBox: Quick Steps

Download the installation file for your operating system from VirtualBox.org.
Run the installation file in your Downloads folder and follow the prompts.
Open VirtualBox and click New.
Select an ISO file next to “ISO Image.”
Click Specify virtual hardware and allocate RAM and CPUS.
Click Specify virtual hard disk and allocate hard disk space.
Click Finish.

Section 1 of 4:

Installing VirtualBox on Windows

Download Article

Go to www.virtualbox.org in your computer's Internet browser. This is the website from which you'll download the VirtualBox setup file.
It's a blue button in the middle of the page. Doing so will open the downloads page.

Advertisement
You'll see this link below the "VirtualBox 6.1.14 platform packages" heading. The VirtualBox EXE file will begin downloading onto your computer.^{[1]
X
Research source}
By default, your downloaded files can be found in your Downloads folder. Go to the location where the EXE file was downloaded and double-click the file. Doing so will open the VirtualBox installation window.^{[2]
X
Research source}
5
Navigate through the installation prompts. Do the following:^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Click Next on the first page.
- Select “I agree to the terms of the license agreement” and click Next.
- Click Next to install VirtualBox at the default location.
  - If you want to select a different install location, click Change and select a different install location.
- Click Yes when prompted.
  - If you don’t install all the dependencies, you may get a warning. Click Yes to continue.
- Uncheck any startup options (i.e., desktop shortcut, Windows Start menu) you don’t want and click Next.
- Click Install
- Click Finish to complete the installation.
By default, VirtualBox will launch automatically when you finish the installation. However, you can also open it from the Windows Start menu. To do so, click the Windows Start menu and type VirtualBox.

Section 2 of 4:

Installing VirtualBox on a Mac

Download Article

Go to www.virtualbox.org in your Mac's Internet browser. This is the website from which you'll download the VirtualBox DMG file.
It's a blue button in the middle of the page. Doing so will open the downloads page.
3
Click macOS / Intel Host or macOS / Apple Silicon Host. You’ll need to select the proper download for the type of Mac you have. If you have an Apple Silicon Mac, you’ll need to click macOS / Apple Silicon Host. If you have an Intel-based Mac, you’ll need to click macOS / Intel Host.
- Most Macs built after 2020 are Apple Silicon-based Macs. To tell what type of Mac you have, click the Apple icon in the menu bar and click About This Mac. If you have an Apple M chip (i.e., M1, M2, M3, or M4), then you have an Apple Silicon Mac. If you have an Intel chip, you have an Intel-based Mac.^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
Once the VirtualBox DMG finishes downloading, double-click the file to open it.
It's a brown box-shaped icon in the upper-left corner of the window. Doing so will prompt VirtualBox's installation window to open.
6
Navigate through the installation prompts. Click Continue when prompted, then do the following:^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Click Continue in the bottom-right corner of the window.
- Click Install in the bottom-right corner of the window.
  - If you want to change the installation location, click Change install location and select where you want to install VirtualBox.
- Enter your Mac user password when prompted.
- Click Install Software
Click Spotlight, type in VirtualBox, and double-click VirtualBox in the resulting drop-down menu. Now that you've installed and opened VirtualBox, you can create a virtual machine in order to run any operating system on your Mac.

Section 3 of 4:

Installing VirtualBox on Linux

Download Article

1
Open a Terminal and enter the installation command. This will vary depending on your Linux distribution and which version of VirtualBox you want to install. Use one of the following steps to install VirtualBox from the Terminal:
- Ubuntu/Debian-based variants:
  - Update your repository: sudo apt update
  - Install VirtualBox: sudo apt install virtualbox -y
- Using Oracle Repository (latest version)/Red Hat Enterprise Linux:^{[6]
  X
  Research source}
  - Download GPG key: wget -O- https://www.virtualbox.org/download/oracle_vbox_2016.asc
  - Add Oracle Repository: sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list
  - Update the repository: sudo apt update
  - Install VirtualBox: sudo apt install virtualbox-7.0
- Fedora/Red Hat:^{[7]
  X
  Research source}
  - Update the repository: sudo dnf upgrade --refresh
  - Enable RPM Fusion: sudo dnf install "https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-${FEDORA_VERSION}.noarch.rpm"
  - Install VirtualBox: sudo dnf install VirtualBox akmod-VirtualBox
- Oracle Linux:
  - Enable the developer release channel: yum install oraclelinux-developer-release-*
  - Install VirtualBox: yum install VirtualBox-7.1
This will install VirtualBox.
Type in VirtualBox and press ↵ Enter to do so. This will prompt the VirtualBox main window to open. Now that you've installed and opened VirtualBox, you can proceed with creating a virtual machine in order to run any operating system on your computer.

Section 4 of 4:

Creating a Virtual Machine in VirtualBox

Download Article

1
Gather your installation files. When creating a virtual machine, you will need to install the operating system just like you would on a regular computer. This means that you will need the installation files for the operating system you want to install on the virtual machine.
- You will typically install an operating system using an ISO file.
This will open the wizard that will guide you through the process to create your first virtual machine.^{[8]
X
Research source}
You can give it any name you want; enter the name for the virtual computer next to “VM Name.”
Use the drop-down menu next to “ISO Image” to select an ISO file for the operating system you want to install.
Typically, VirtualBox will do this automatically. Check to make sure it has the correct operating system next to “OS.” If it doesn’t use this drop-down menu to select the correct operating system.
Use the drop-down menu next to “OS Version” to select the version of the operating system you want to install.
This expands a menu allowing you to specify how much RAM and how many CPUs you want to allocate to the virtual machine.
8
Set the amount of RAM. You can use the slider bar next to “Base memory” to specify how much RAM you want to allocate to the virtual machine. VirtualBox will automatically choose the recommended minimum amount for the operating system you selected, but you can increase or decrease this if you'd like.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- You can only go as high as the amount of RAM physically installed in your system.
- It is not recommended that you set it to the max amount, as there won't be any left for your regular operating system to use when the virtual machine is running.
Use the slider bar next to “Number of CPUs” to select how many CPUs you want to allocate to your virtual machine. You cannot allocate more CPUs than your physical computer has.
This explains the menu that allows you to create a virtual hard disk.
To do so, ensure “Create a New Virtual Hard Disk” is checked. Then use the slider bar to allocate hard drive space to the virtual hard disk.
Once you have finished setting up your virtual machine, click Finish.
To do so, select the virtual machine in your list of virtual machines and click Start at the top of the page.
14
Install the operating system. After selecting the installation media, the operating system installation will begin. Installation proceeds the same way it would, as if you were installing the operating system on a regular computer. See the following guides for instructions on installing the operating system of your choice:
- Windows 8
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
- Install OS X
- Linux Mint
- Ubuntu Linux
15
Boot up your virtual machine. Once the operating system is installed, your virtual machine is ready to go. Simply double-click the name of your virtual machine in the left menu of the VirtualBox main page to start it up. The virtual computer will boot and load into the operating system that you installed.
- Your virtual machine will run in a window. Whenever the virtual machine window has focus, any keystrokes or mouse clicks will affect the virtual machine and not your physical computer.
16
Shut down your virtual machine. You have a couple of different options when closing your virtual machine, and each will affect the machine slightly differently. When you click the "X" in the upper-right corner of the window, you will be presented with several options:
- Save the machine state - This will save the virtual machine in exactly the state that it's in when you close it. Any programs you are running will be saved in their current state, and everything will be restored when you start the machine again.
- Send the shutdown signal - This will send a power-down signal to the virtual machine, and it will shut down as if the power button was pressed on a physical computer.
- Power off the machine - This will power down the machine as if power were cut to the computer. Nothing will be saved.
17
Take snapshots of your virtual machine. VirtualBox allows you to copy your virtual machine's exact state, allowing you to return to that state at any time. This is incredibly useful for testing software or other configurations.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- You can take a snapshot by clicking the Machine menu and selecting Take snapshot. The snapshot will be added to the list of your virtual machines on the left side of the VirtualBox menu.
- You can restore a snapshot by right-clicking the snapshot and selecting Restore. Any changes to your virtual hard drive since the time the snapshot was created will be lost when the snapshot is restored.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How do I remove if I installed Linux?

Banana Head

Top Answerer

First: If you are still in the virtual machine with Linux installed, click the X and choose "Power off the machine". Close Virtual Box. Boot up Virtual Box. Right click the computer that has Linux installed. Choose "Remove" from the menu. Select "Delete all existing files".

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 7
Question

How much RAM can be used with a VirtualBox?

Community Answer

As much as your PC has. For example, if your real PC has 4 GB of RAM, your VM has access to 4 GB of RAM, although that will not leave any RAM for the main PC functions, like the operating system.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 7 Helpful 18
Question

Does installing VirtualBox make the computer forget the network it's currently connected to?

Banana Head

Top Answerer

It does not! Installing VirtualBox will be like installing any other computer program. Your real computer will remain connected to your real WiFi and will not disconnect or forget your network. The same goes for creating a Virtual Machine. Your real computer will never be disconnected from the WiFi.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 11

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

VirtualBox can be used to test software that won't work on your computer's built-in operating system. For example, if you have a Mac and you want to test a Windows program, VirtualBox provides a solution.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Any operating system used in VirtualBox will run somewhat sluggishly due to the sheer processing power needed to run two operating systems at once on one computer.

Thanks
Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0