Install Oracle Virtualbox For Mac



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Certain programs such as Microsoft Access and Excel Add-Ons (@Risk, StatTools, other Decision Tools) are not compatible for use on a Mac. Faculty, staff, and students who need their computer to run these types of programs for work or a class will need to install Oracle's VirtualBox onto their Mac computer. VirtualBox allows the MacOS to run a Windows system on top of their computer. This is not permanent and should only be used when the user opens the VirtualBox application to run the restricted programs. VirtualBox is a free virtual machine provided by Oracle that is available for faculty, staff, and students to use.

Mac OS is a computer operating system developed by Apple.This is a operating system with beautiful interface, however, to own a the computer of Apple with this operating system, you need to use a lot of money, normally with the double price than that of common computers using Windows operating system.Fortunately, you can experience the Mac OS right on your computer by installing a Mac OS. On Mac OS X hosts, this file is in the application bundle of Oracle VM VirtualBox. Right-click on the Oracle VM VirtualBox icon in Finder and choose Show Package Contents. The file is located in the Contents/MacOS folder. Extract the Image File with Winrar or 7zip. The first thing that you should do is go ahead and install. Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack. Free for personal, educational or evaluation use under the terms of the VirtualBox Personal Use and Evaluation License on Windows, Mac.


The following instructions are for the installation of VirtualBox on a Mac:

Prior to installing, make sure you have:

  • ~30 GB of free space
  • ~45 minutes for complete installation


First, install VirtualBox application:

  1. Go to https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
  2. Under 'VirtualBox platform packages', click 'OS hosts'.
    1. This will download the base VirtualBox application
  3. Under 'VirtualBox Oracle VM Extension Pack', click 'All supported platforms'
    1. This will download the VB extension pack
  4. Locate the 2 downloaded files in your folder, and open the first file VirtualBox-6.1.10-138449-OSX.dmg
    1. It will open a drive window, click 'VirtualBox.pkg
    2. Proceed with the installation by clicking through to Agree
    3. *** If you get an error that says Installation Failed, follow these steps:
      1. Open up System Preferences
      2. Click on the Security & Privacy icon
      3. Hopefully you’ll see a message saying System software from developer “Oracle America, Inc.” was blocked from loading.
      4. If you do see the message, click the lock icon in the bottom left of the window
      5. Enter your Mac password
      6. Then click the Allow button
      7. Try the installation again
  5. Locate the second file and open Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-6.1.10.vbox-extpack
    1. Double-clicking the file will automatically open the VirtualBox application
    2. Either click 'install' or 'upgrade'
    3. Allow the extension pack to install and once you're done, it should look like this

Now that you have VirtualBox installed, you need to install the OVA file that allows Windows 10 to be run with VirtualBox:


  1. Go to https://utexas.app.box.com/v/msb-student-vms
  2. Login with your EID and Password
  3. Click the 3 dots to the right of the Windows10-2004.ova file and click Download
  4. Once the file finishes downloading, locate the file and double-click to open. **Do not delete the OVA file from your computer
  5. Make sure these settings are selected and click Import
  6. Let the installer run and once it is done you can open VirtualBox


Next, we want to change some settings so we can view the window in full screen:

  1. Open VirtualBox from your Launchpad or list of applications
  2. Select Windows2004 from the left side
  3. Click the green Start arrow
  4. Windows will power up
  5. Navigate to the toolbar at the top of the screen and select Device
  6. Click Insert Guest Additions CD Image...
  7. Open file explorer from the taskbar at the bottom > This PC
  8. Double-click CD Drive (D:) VirtualBox Guest Additions
  9. Click Next>and follow through with the installation
  10. Select to Reboot Now at the end of the installer
  11. Once the Windows system reboots, navigate to the toolbar at the top of the screen
  12. Click View > Full-Screen Mode


Next, we will create shared folders. This will allow you to share the same folder such as 'Downloads' between the Mac side and Windows side. This will allow you to download files into your MacOS in a folder and access it from the Windows VirtualBox and vice versa.

  1. Navigate to the toolbar at the top of the screen, click Devices > Shared Folders > Shared Folder Settings
  2. Click the Folder with a plus sign on the right
  3. Click the drop-down arrow next to Folder Path and click Other
  4. Choose the folder from your Mac that you would like to share
  5. Once the folder is chosen, check the boxes Auto-Mount and Make Permanent
  6. Click Ok
  7. To access the shared folder, go to File Explorer > This PC and the shared folder will be a Z or Y drive


The following steps are to install Microsoft Office onto the Windows interface:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge
  2. Go to office365.austin.utexas.edu
  3. Select Office 365 Portal
  4. Sign in with your EID and Password. Authenticate with DUO if asked to.
  5. Once logged on, click Install Office > Office 365 Apps

  6. Click Run when asked to download file and wait for Office to install

If you need Decision Tools to run these following Excel Add-ons (@Risk, StatTools, PrecisionTree, TopRank, etc.) follow these steps:

  1. In VirtualBox, open Microsoft Edge
  2. Go to https://utexas.box.com/v/dtsinstaller
  3. Login with your EID and password
  4. Click Download and allow the file to Run
  5. Open DTS_Installer.exe
  6. Click Install and allow the installation to run
  7. The installer will suddenly close when the progress bar is close to the end. Wait a few moments and a second installer will pop up
  8. Click OK and select Next through the installation without changing any settings to finish the installation
  9. The Decision Tools icons will now show up on your desktop or you can find them by looking in the Start Menu under Palisade Decision Tools
  10. Double-click the program you are looking for and Excel will automatically open. The add-on will be available at the top. *Make sure to not have excel open already


When you are done using VirtualBox, make sure to always shut it down completely. Navigate cursor to top left corner to hit the red close button and select Power Off Machine. Click Ok.



FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

  • Can I use the Windows VirtualBox to install video games or other Windows-specific programs?
    • You can at your discretion, but it is highly not recommended. It will be slow and almost impossible to use.
  • Why is it so slow?
    • VirtualBox is a free program from Oracle, therefore it is not the fastest machine to use-- especially if you are on a MacBook Air or something that has a lower RAM. It is recommended that when you are using the Windows side that you don't switch back and forth between viewing the Mac system and the Windows system (even to answer iMessages). This can cause it to move slower.
  • Can I uninstall VirtualBox when I'm done using it for a class?
    • Yes, you can uninstall from your computer by following these steps:
      • Open the VirtualBox program
      • Right-click on Windows2004 on the left side
      • Click Remove > Delete all files
      • Allow VirtualBox to finish deleting the file
      • Once that's removed, go to your Applications folder (Cmd+Shift+A while on the Desktop)
      • Drag and drop VirtualBox to the trashcan
  • Are there any other options to use @Risk, PrecisionTree, or other Windows specific programs if I don't want to install this big program?
    • The computers in the MOD Lab and NRG all have these applications available for use.
Install


If you have any other questions or need help with the installation, please contact the McCombs Service Desk at 512-232-6616 or submit a help ticket at https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/tech

Windows, macOS – which one do you want to use today? On a traditional setup, you’re stuck with one or the other. But with virtual box, you actually have macOS on a Windows PC.

It’s the freedom that computer users have enjoyed with Linux and other operating systems.

But Apple has made it difficult to install their operating system on anything other than their own hardware. All of that is changing, and Virtual Box is responsible for it and the rise of the Hackintosh.

New to hackintosh? Learn more about it in our what is hackintosh? overview.

Note: A lot of people will be able to get a mac virtual machine one Windows running smoothly, but sound doesn’t seem to work well. That’s really not an issue because you’ll still be able to access all of your apps and software.

I also recommend that you have access to a real Mac. You might be able to find some distributions of the High Sierra ISO online, but there is always a risk when downloading from an unofficial source. Instead, borrow a Mac from a friend, or use your own and download the High Sierra OS from the App Store.

Check out our high sierra installation guide for hackintosh

Everything You Need to Get Started with Installing macOS on VirtualBox

Before we go through the steps on how to install macOS on Virtual Box, let’s get everything together that you’ll need to get started.

  1. Open up your Mac
  2. Go to the App Store
  3. Type in “High Sierra”

You’ll want to search for your desired operating system (we’ll be using High Sierra), and Download it.

Note: You’ll need a decent computer to be able to run Virtual Box. Your computer will need to meet these minimum requirements:

  • Dual core processor
  • 4GB Ram or higher
  • 64-bit

If your computer doesn’t meet these requirements, you won’t be able to run macOS properly. You’ll be able to download VirtualBox from the official website. I’m not going to go through the installation process, as the website will have all of the information you need to be able to install VirtualBox.

I do recommend that you read all of the documentation and ask any questions that you have in the community section of the website.

VirtualBox 6.0 was just released, so it’s definitely a great time to get started with your own macOS.

Extract macOS Sierra

Make sure you’ve downloaded High Sierra, and then you’ll want to run a few commands from your terminal . You’ll be able to open the terminal at: Applications > Utilities > Terminal. Once inside of the terminal, you’ll want to run the following commands:

Go to your desktop and rename the file, removing the “.cdr” extension. You need this extension to read “.iso” for it to work properly.

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You’ve successfully created your own ISO file so that you can bootup your macOS.

The next step is to copy the file over to your Windows machine (using a large USB drive seems to work best). This file will be mounted in your virtual machine later on in the article, so it’s very important that this step is completed successfully.

Creating a mac Virtual Machine on Windows

You’ll want to create a virtual machine, and this is really easy. You’ll open up VirtualBox and click New. You’ll want to have the following parameters selected or entered before clicking Next.

  • Name: High Sierra
  • Type: Mac OS X
  • Version: Mac OS X (64-bit)

Pay attention when selecting the version because you may find that High Sierra is offered as a version when you go to install it. But if it’s not, you can just choose the settings I listed above and they should work fine.

You’ll then be proceeding through all of the settings.

When you come up to the RAM setting, you’ll want to be generous. VirtualBox requires a minimum of 4GB or RAM to run, but the more the better.

Why?

You’ll want to provide at least 4GB to your macOS, or 4096MB to be precise. A general rule of thumb is that if you can spare it, supply more RAM to your virtual machine. RAM will allow the operating system to put more information into memory and retrieve it faster.

For better overall performance, supply as much RAM as you can.

The next steps are also important, and they’ll include:

  • Hard Disk: Choose the “Create a virtual hard disk now” setting.
    • Choose VDI when choosing the hard disk type.
    • Choose Fixed Size instead of Dynamic for added speed.
    • Set the size of the drive to at least 25GB.

You’ll now have your virtual machine using the RAM and disk space properly, and you’ll have to work your way through a few screen prompts before having everything setup properly.

Configuring Your VirtualBox to Run macOS High Sierra

We’ve made a lot of progress so far, and now it’s time to configure your virtual machine properly. You’ll see in the main window of VirtualBox that “High Sierra” is listed. Click on this and then click on the “Settings” button.

You’ll want to go to “System” and make sure that the following are unchecked on the Motherboard tab:

  • Floppy
  • Network

Click on the Processor tab and make sure that you have 2 or more CPUs set for your virtual machine.

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The next few settings are rather simple:

  • Display: Video Memory with a minimum of 128MB
  • Storage: Click “Empty” and then click on the CD at the top right. Choose your High Sierra ISO file

Now you’ll need to click “Ok,” and save all of the changes you’ve made. Close out your VirtualBox now.

Apple is very strict on the system that their operating system runs on, so it’s very important that you do your best to configure your virtual machine in such a way that it tricks the installer to thinking you’re on a retail machine.

We’ll now be going into the Windowscommand prompt.

You’ll do this by:

  • Clicking the Start Menu
  • Typing “Command Prompt”
  • Right-clicking on the Command Prompt desktop app
  • Choosing Run as administrator

It’s very important to follow all of the following command prompts exactly. Your goal is to run each command, one by one, hitting the Enter button and waiting for the command to complete successfully.

Remember that VirtualBox needs to be closed before running these commands, or it won’t work properly.

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You have to make sure that the virtual machine is properly named “High Sierra” for this method to work. If not, you’ll be able to go back and make changes to the name to get everything to work properly.

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Once all of the commands are completed, and there are no errors, you’ll then be able to open up your VirtualBox and get macOS High Sierra installed properly on VirtualBox.

It’s a long process, but we’re almost done with your installation.

Running VirtualBox and the macOS Installer

You’ve almost learned how to install macOS on VirtualBox entirely, and we’re on the home stretch. You’ll want to open up your VirtualBox and then click on your virtual machine that you set up earlier.

Now, click “Start.”

There will be a lot of information displayed on the screen as everything starts running. I recommend stepping away from the machine and letting it run for a few minutes before coming back. Some errors can hang for 5 minutes or longer.

If you’ve done everything properly, you can be confident that the installer will boot properly.

You’ll eventually be presented with the option to pick a Language. If you’ve reached this point, you’re doing very well and are almost ready to run your macOS.

The next steps can be followed:

  • Choose your desired language, and click
  • Click “Disk Utility” and then
  • Click “View” and then “Show All Devices.”
  • Click on your empty virtual drive that has been setup and click “Erase.”
  • Choose the following settings:
    • Name: Macintosh HD
    • Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    • Scheme: GUID Partition Map
  • Click “Erase” and close Disk Utility when the process is complete.
  • Click “Reinstall macOS.”
  • Click “Continue.”

You’ll come up to one point where you’ll be asked to choose a hard drive, and you’ll want to select the Macintosh HD partition that you just created with the Disk Utility.

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We’ve successfully copied all of the files on the virtual machine, but we’re not done just yet.

Exit your virtual machine and then go back to your virtual machine’s settings. You’ll need to change up your Storage settings. Click on your ISO for High Sierra in the “Storage Tree.” You’ll click that CD icon just like we did earlier and then choose “Remove Disk from Virtual Disk.”

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You need to do this to unlink the ISO from your virtual machine.

Start up your virtual machine and you should come across a black screen with the EFI Internal Shell. You’ll want to look for FS1. If this is listed in yellow, click on the virtual machine and then type fs1: and hit the Enter button.

You should be in the fs1 directory.

Type in the following commands:

  1. cd “macOS Install Data”
  2. cd “Locked Files”
  3. cd “Boot Files”

Now we’ll run the installer by running: boot.efi and hitting enter.

If everything goes well, you’ll come across a graphical installer and will just have to work through the prompts. The virtual machine will reboot eventually and then you’ll need to go through the settings and the rest of the setup process.

Soon enough, you’ll be right inside of macOS, where you’ll be able to start using your mac virtual machine on Windows.

Having a virtualbox mac OS is the easiest method of using mac as and when you need it. In addition, using virtualbox is far less complicated than the dual boot hackintosh method we have looked at previously.





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