11-16-2023, 09:55 AM
Installing Oracle VirtualBox is a pretty straightforward process, and I’m happy to walk you through it. Trust me; once you get the hang of it, you’ll see how easy it is to set up different operating systems on your computer. So, let’s jump right in.
First things first, you need to head over to the Oracle VirtualBox website. You can just go to your favorite browser and search for it, but I recommend typing in the URL directly if you know it. Once you’re on the site, look for the Downloads section. There’s usually a big button that says something like “Download” or “Get VirtualBox.” It’s pretty hard to miss.
When you click that button, you’ll see a list of available versions for various operating systems. You’ll notice options for Windows, macOS, and Linux — make sure to select the version that matches your host operating system. If you’re on Windows, just click on that link, and the installer will start downloading. It might take a few moments depending on your internet speed, but it’s usually pretty quick.
After the download finishes, locate the installer file in your downloads folder. By default, it should have a name like “VirtualBox-x.x.x-Win.exe” or something similar, where x.x.x is the version number. Go ahead and double-click that file to start the installation process. Windows may prompt you with a security warning, asking if you really want to run it. Of course, you do! Just click “Yes,” and this will open up the installation wizard.
Now you’re in the setup wizard. You'll be greeted with a welcome screen that gives you basic info about VirtualBox and perhaps a bit of marketing fluff that you can just skim past. Once you hit “Next,” it’ll take you to the screen where you can choose the components you want to install. Unless you have specific needs, just go with the default options. I usually stick to the full installation, which includes all the essential components. It won’t take up too much space, and you won’t have to worry about missing any features later on.
After that, you get to choose the installation location. The default is usually fine, but if you have a particular folder where you keep all your programs, feel free to change it. Just click “Next” again when you’re ready.
At some point, the installer will prompt you to install some network features. This is pretty important if you plan on connecting to the internet using your virtual machines later on. Generally, you should check those boxes. Just keep clicking “Next” until you reach the final step, where it gives you a summary of what you’re about to install. If everything looks good, hit “Install.”
Now, you might get another security prompt. This one’s asking if it’s okay to install device software. Just click “Install” on that too. The installation should take just a few moments, and before you know it, you’ll be on the final screen, where it tells you that VirtualBox has been successfully installed. There’s usually a checkbox that lets you launch it right away after finishing up, so if you want to get started immediately, check that box before you click “Finish.”
VirtualBox is now installed, but there’s a bit more you need to do before you start creating machines. When you open VirtualBox for the first time, it might look a bit overwhelming with all these options and buttons, but don’t worry; it’ll start to make sense once you get into it.
To start creating your first machine, you’ll want to click the “New” button. This is where you get to set up a virtual machine — this is basically a computer inside your computer. You’ll need to give it a name; I usually just name it what the operating system is going to be. You can also choose the type of operating system and version from the dropdown menus. If you’re not sure, just go with what you’re planning to install.
Next, you’ll need to assign memory. A good rule of thumb is to give it at least 1GB if you’re installing something lightweight like Linux and maybe more if you’re going for Windows or something that’s resource-heavy. Just keep an eye on your total available memory since you don’t want to allocate too much and slow down your host machine.
After that, you’ll get to create a virtual hard disk. I recommend choosing “Create a virtual hard disk now.” The next few prompts will give you options for the type of hard disk file. For most use cases, the default option is fine. Then, you get to choose whether to use a dynamically allocated disk or a fixed-size disk. I personally prefer dynamic allocation; it only uses space as needed, which is handy.
Once you’ve set that up, you’ll need to decide how large you want the virtual hard disk to be. Consider what you plan to install, because those operating systems can take up a fair bit of space. Set a size that you think will be sufficient, and click “Create.”
Now, before you start your virtual machine, you need to install the operating system. You’ll need an ISO image of the OS you want. If you’re going with a Linux distribution, you can download that from its official website. If you have a Windows installation disk, you can create an ISO from that, too.
After you have the ISO, go back to VirtualBox and select your new virtual machine. Click on “Settings” and go to the “Storage” tab. There you’ll see an empty disk under the “Controller: IDE.” Click on that, and then you will see an option for “Choose a disk file.” Click on that and locate your downloaded ISO file.
After applying all those settings, you’re finally ready to start your virtual machine. Hit the “Start” button, and it will boot up just like a normal computer. Follow the installation steps for the operating system as you typically would. Depending on what you’re installing, this might involve entering some details or choosing installation options.
One thing to remember: after the installation is complete, you might want to install VirtualBox Guest Additions. This is a package that allows better integration between your host machine and your virtual machine, providing features like shared folders, clipboard sharing, and better video support. You can find the option for installing Guest Additions in the “Devices” menu of your running virtual machine. It will mount a virtual CD that you can run, and it’ll guide you through the installation on the guest OS.
Once you’ve got everything set up and your virtual machines are up and running, you might want to explore their settings a bit more. You can adjust resource allocation, create snapshots, and even set up shared folders, which is super handy for ease of use.
So that’s pretty much it! It might feel like a lot, but I promise that once you’ve gone through it a couple of times, it becomes second nature. VirtualBox is such a powerful tool, and once you get it all set up, you can test software, experiment with new configurations, or just mess around in a safe environment.
![[Image: backupchain-backup-software-technical-support.jpg]](https://backup.education/images/backupchain-backup-software-technical-support.jpg)
First things first, you need to head over to the Oracle VirtualBox website. You can just go to your favorite browser and search for it, but I recommend typing in the URL directly if you know it. Once you’re on the site, look for the Downloads section. There’s usually a big button that says something like “Download” or “Get VirtualBox.” It’s pretty hard to miss.
When you click that button, you’ll see a list of available versions for various operating systems. You’ll notice options for Windows, macOS, and Linux — make sure to select the version that matches your host operating system. If you’re on Windows, just click on that link, and the installer will start downloading. It might take a few moments depending on your internet speed, but it’s usually pretty quick.
After the download finishes, locate the installer file in your downloads folder. By default, it should have a name like “VirtualBox-x.x.x-Win.exe” or something similar, where x.x.x is the version number. Go ahead and double-click that file to start the installation process. Windows may prompt you with a security warning, asking if you really want to run it. Of course, you do! Just click “Yes,” and this will open up the installation wizard.
Now you’re in the setup wizard. You'll be greeted with a welcome screen that gives you basic info about VirtualBox and perhaps a bit of marketing fluff that you can just skim past. Once you hit “Next,” it’ll take you to the screen where you can choose the components you want to install. Unless you have specific needs, just go with the default options. I usually stick to the full installation, which includes all the essential components. It won’t take up too much space, and you won’t have to worry about missing any features later on.
After that, you get to choose the installation location. The default is usually fine, but if you have a particular folder where you keep all your programs, feel free to change it. Just click “Next” again when you’re ready.
At some point, the installer will prompt you to install some network features. This is pretty important if you plan on connecting to the internet using your virtual machines later on. Generally, you should check those boxes. Just keep clicking “Next” until you reach the final step, where it gives you a summary of what you’re about to install. If everything looks good, hit “Install.”
Now, you might get another security prompt. This one’s asking if it’s okay to install device software. Just click “Install” on that too. The installation should take just a few moments, and before you know it, you’ll be on the final screen, where it tells you that VirtualBox has been successfully installed. There’s usually a checkbox that lets you launch it right away after finishing up, so if you want to get started immediately, check that box before you click “Finish.”
VirtualBox is now installed, but there’s a bit more you need to do before you start creating machines. When you open VirtualBox for the first time, it might look a bit overwhelming with all these options and buttons, but don’t worry; it’ll start to make sense once you get into it.
To start creating your first machine, you’ll want to click the “New” button. This is where you get to set up a virtual machine — this is basically a computer inside your computer. You’ll need to give it a name; I usually just name it what the operating system is going to be. You can also choose the type of operating system and version from the dropdown menus. If you’re not sure, just go with what you’re planning to install.
Next, you’ll need to assign memory. A good rule of thumb is to give it at least 1GB if you’re installing something lightweight like Linux and maybe more if you’re going for Windows or something that’s resource-heavy. Just keep an eye on your total available memory since you don’t want to allocate too much and slow down your host machine.
After that, you’ll get to create a virtual hard disk. I recommend choosing “Create a virtual hard disk now.” The next few prompts will give you options for the type of hard disk file. For most use cases, the default option is fine. Then, you get to choose whether to use a dynamically allocated disk or a fixed-size disk. I personally prefer dynamic allocation; it only uses space as needed, which is handy.
Once you’ve set that up, you’ll need to decide how large you want the virtual hard disk to be. Consider what you plan to install, because those operating systems can take up a fair bit of space. Set a size that you think will be sufficient, and click “Create.”
Now, before you start your virtual machine, you need to install the operating system. You’ll need an ISO image of the OS you want. If you’re going with a Linux distribution, you can download that from its official website. If you have a Windows installation disk, you can create an ISO from that, too.
After you have the ISO, go back to VirtualBox and select your new virtual machine. Click on “Settings” and go to the “Storage” tab. There you’ll see an empty disk under the “Controller: IDE.” Click on that, and then you will see an option for “Choose a disk file.” Click on that and locate your downloaded ISO file.
After applying all those settings, you’re finally ready to start your virtual machine. Hit the “Start” button, and it will boot up just like a normal computer. Follow the installation steps for the operating system as you typically would. Depending on what you’re installing, this might involve entering some details or choosing installation options.
One thing to remember: after the installation is complete, you might want to install VirtualBox Guest Additions. This is a package that allows better integration between your host machine and your virtual machine, providing features like shared folders, clipboard sharing, and better video support. You can find the option for installing Guest Additions in the “Devices” menu of your running virtual machine. It will mount a virtual CD that you can run, and it’ll guide you through the installation on the guest OS.
Once you’ve got everything set up and your virtual machines are up and running, you might want to explore their settings a bit more. You can adjust resource allocation, create snapshots, and even set up shared folders, which is super handy for ease of use.
So that’s pretty much it! It might feel like a lot, but I promise that once you’ve gone through it a couple of times, it becomes second nature. VirtualBox is such a powerful tool, and once you get it all set up, you can test software, experiment with new configurations, or just mess around in a safe environment.
