Virtualbox Software For Mac



In order to Create Bootable USB for Mac on Windows 10 with DiskMaker X 6, first, you have to install macOS High Sierra or lower version of mac on VirtualBox or VMware on Windows 10. Once you installed macOS 10.13 High Sierra follows the below steps and create a Bootable USB for mac on Windows 10. VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. Oracle VM VirtualBox’s most important advantage is that it can be used to run software belonging other operating systems on Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, and Solaris hosts. Support for a diverse range of OSs and a large variety of virtualization uses.

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.

Virtualbox Software For Mac

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.

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.

Virtualbox Software For Mac Versions

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:

Virtualbox For Mac Download

  • Floppy
  • Network

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

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.

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.

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

Software

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.

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.”

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. Mail archive outlook for mac.

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.

Apple has a large following, and many people who have upgraded to a Mac think that they have it all. That is until they realize that some of their favorite apps can only be run in Windows. If you’ve recently found yourself in this situation, don’t panic, there’s software available that will allow you to run Windows on a Mac.

Parallels and Virtualbox are two examples of similar software that will allow you to continue using your favorite apps on your Mac. There’s no reason that you can’t experience the best of both Mac and Windows on the same computer.

As you'll get to know from this Parallels vs Virtualbox 2020 review, both these software work in similar ways; however, they are also unique and have slightly different features that you’ll need to consider before making your choice.

This article will review Virtualbox vs Parallels in terms of performance, speed, and other aspects to help you find out which software will meet your needs. We’ll also compare the two and tell you what to consider before making your choice.

Parallels Review

Parallels, also known as Parallels Desktop for Mac, is a software that was developed by Parallels Inc. This software uses hypervisor technology, which allows the creation of a virtual machine (VM). The VM will then be able to act in precisely the same way as a stand-alone device does. This software provides the user with high portability; you’ll be able to start and stop running the VM quickly. You can also restart the system or copy it to a different location.

Parallels works on a Mac OS X 10.4 or a later model and can run on Intel-powered Mac computers as a host operating system. It can use either Windows or Linux as the guest operating system.

Parallels offers Mac users the fastest and easiest way to run Windows apps. They have a very user-friendly desktop, which allows you to use Windows apps and load the Windows desktop on your laptop or computer. There’s also the option of using the multiple view mode, which will allow you to have full control over the integration between Mac and Windows.

This Shows Kayla Running Windows 7 & 10 in Mac with Parallels

Parallels has been designed specifically for busy professionals who want to have the benefit of both Mac and Windows. The software is particularly useful for programmers, graphic and web designers, and architects, as well as other professionals who use specialized programs. The Parallels Desktop will give you higher processing power and up to 128 GB RAM. You’ll also get 32 vCPUs per virtual machine.

The Benefits of Parallels

  • Easy to use, very user friendly
  • Attractive user interface
  • Lightning fast
  • Easy to set up
  • Suitable for gaming and graphics
  • Excellent for professionals
  • No configuration needed
  • Retina support
  • Free trial version available
Virtualbox

The Disadvantages of Parallels

  • Could improve the error messages
  • Needs better handling of USB and network loss
  • You’ll have to pay a license fee

Virtualbox Review

Like Parallel, Virtualbox is another software that creates a virtual machine (VM), which allows the user to run a different operating system (OS). This means that you’ll be able to run Windows on your Mac computer or laptop. If you’re looking for free, basic software that allows you to do this, Virtualbox may be right for you. It does have limited features when being compared to Parallels.

Virtualbox is a software that was developed by Oracle Corporation, although its original creator was Innotek GmbH. The software was later bought by Sun Microsystems, who currently own and distribute the software.

VirtualBox also has many customization options but doesn’t include anything fancy. It does solve the purpose if you’re looking for simple software. VirtualBox is great for simple home use or if you need to use your Mac for business occasionally.

If you’re just looking for a simple software to run one old Windows app on your mac, VirtualBox will work fine, as long as the app doesn’t need lots of 3D rendering or complicated processing.

The Benefits of VirtualBox

  • Free
  • Easy to set up
  • Simple yet comprehensive
  • Runs in the background
  • Effectively performs the task of running Windows

The Disadvantages of VirtualBox

  • Less efficient than other similar software or than using the real machine
  • Dependent on the host machine
  • Can be affected by the host machine weaknesses

Parallels vs Virtualbox

Many people will automatically choose Virtualbox as it’s free software, whereas Parallel requires a payment to be made. However, it is worth looking into the features of this software before you decide whether it's worth spending money on Parallels or not. You may also like to try out a free trial version of Parallels to see if it will better suit your needs.

Virtualbox is very basic, and Parallels is a much better software that will allow you to transfer files easily. You’ll also be able to boot your system faster and save your battery life.

Both Parallels and Virtualbox will allow you to run multiple operating systems and test software in an isolated environment. They will also allow you to set up, configure, and save a VM. However, that’s where the similarities end as Parallels has many more features.

With Parallels, you’ll also be able to automatically install a guest OS driver and share profiles and applications. You’ll also be able to install a helpful assistant, and technical support is available whenever you need it.

Parallels allows you to download and install Windows onto your Mac with just one click. It also includes out-of-the-box support for Retina displays.

The Installation Process

Software companies know that the more manageable the installation process is, the more likely people are to buy and use their software. That’s why both Parallels and VirtualBox have made it simple to set up their desktops.

Parallels has a more straightforward-to-use setup system out of the two software. The company has provided users with a step by step installation, which is very simple and easy to follow. For each step, you can either choose or can skip to the next step. This helps to make the whole installation process very easy.

During the setup process, you’ll be given various options that you’ll be able to customize. You’ll be able to make Parallels well optimized for gaming or for productivity easily and automatically.

VirtualBox is also simple to install and set up. You’ll be able to create a virtual machine and can also choose the operating system, whether that’s Windows or Linux.

VirtualBox will give you options to change the system settings during set up, as well as the memory and video memory. Once you’ve chosen the options you would like, you can carry out the installation of the operating system either through ISO file, USB, or installation disc.

Both these systems are easy to install, but Parallels is slightly more user friendly as it has a comprehensive guide and uses a step by step process that will guide you through the installation.

Parallels vs Virtualbox on Mac

Both Parallels and VirtualBox have very similar basic functionality. However, each of these software also has its unique features that make them stand out.

Both desktops come with a Windows Mode, which allows it to run Windows apps on your Mac. Thus, it will have the semblance of Mac’s native app. The Windows mode has different names on each of these software. Parallels calls this feature ‘Coherence', while with VirtualBox, it’s ‘Seamless Mode'.

Parallels' ‘Coherence Mode'

VirtualBox's ‘Seamless Mode'

These modes allow users access to essential edit functions. With Parallels and VirtualBox, you’ll be able to copy and paste between Mac and Windows. You’ll also be able to change the size and move your apps around.

Parallels has the bonus of allowing you to access Cortana, which will enable you to operate your laptop with voice commands. You can do this even if you haven’t got Windows in focus.

Parallels also support DirectX 11, which is great if you’re into gaming as it will allow you to run most games and has outstanding performance. Parallels also includes a Quick Look feature in Windows. These are all fantastic features that VirtualBox lacks.

Virtualbox Software For Mac

Parallels vs Virtualbox Performance

Virtual machines are used to share apps and resources with the host operating system. It’s, therefore, crucial to choose software that has adequate performance to meet your needs. VirtualBox's performance falls far behind that of parallels for many reasons. Parallels outperforms VirtualBox in many areas, including setup and methodology, as well as better quality graphics.

Parallels is also the best compared to VirtualBox when transferring files. It also allows your computer to boot faster while, at the same time, saving battery life. It’s an excellent software to use for gaming or working with 3D graphics as the quality is fantastic. Parallels also works better than VirtualBox when carrying out CPU related tasks.

Parallels vs Virtualbox (Linux)

Both Parallels and Virtualbox can be used to run Linux rather than Windows on your Mac. Hey mac what are you in for. Linux is a very versatile operating system, and some people prefer using it than using Windows. Linux can be run on a selection of different devices, from laptops to smartphones or desktop computers.

Users can run Linux on their Mac laptop or computer without having to reboot it first. Parallels will allow you to seamlessly transfer from a Mac desktop to a Linux without any interruptions.

Virtualbox is similar to Parallels as it allows you to virtualize on the Linux platform. It’s straightforward to use with Linux and has many user-friendly features. Virtualbox is one of the most widely used VM software on Linux; this is because many Linux operating systems distribute Virtualbox software for free.

Parallels vs Virtualbox (Speed)

Using a VM is slower and less efficient than using the real machine. This is because as VirtualBox or Parallels run on the host machine, the host processor will need to approve some requests, which slows down its usability. VM’s also use more RAM, so it may slightly slow your system now. Often the speed doesn’t seem noticeably slower, and you’ll be able to run Windows on your Mac without any problems.

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Parallels has been described as lightning fast; it boots faster than VirtualBox and can also transfer files more quickly. It doesn’t use any extra battery life when in use, which is something that Virtualbox does. Parallels is also quicker to use as it enables you to have access to all your Windows programs straight from the Dock, this makes everything a lot easier to use. With VirtualBox, you won’t be able to do this; instead, you’ll have to open up the virtual machine, which will enable you to access your apps in VirtualBox.

If you’ve noticed that Windows has started running slowly when using either Parallels or Virtualbox, this could be due to several factors. The best thing to do would be to upgrade to the newest version of the software. As VirtualBox is free, you can easily download updates or new versions of the software, which may improve its performance. With Parallels, annual updates with extra features are available, these provide add ons.

Conclusion

Parallels is a very professional software that’s well designed and simple to use. Parallels has a user-friendly interface that guides you throughout, and if you ever get stuck, customer support is available. It’s the best solution for home users as it has better features than VirtualBox. Both of these software are an excellent solution for anyone who doesn’t want to have a separate machine to run different operating systems.

Whether you choose to download Parallels or VirtualBox comes down to personal preferences and what you plan to use the software for. If you’re simply looking for basic software that allows you to run your favorite Windows apps on your Mac, VirtualBox may be all you need. However, if you need functions related to the CPU or are using gaming apps or other graphic software, then Parallels is the best option.

The benefit of using VirtualBox is that it’s free, which makes it a very attractive option for many people. Parallels is a paid software, but it is easier to use as it’s very user friendly and has better features and performance.

Parallels also uses less battery life, and it’s software has more regular updates than VirtualBox does. You’ll need to continue to pay the annual license fee to benefit from the new features and add-ons. This can be expensive for some people, but for others, it’s worth it for the additional features and benefits that Parallels provides over VirtualBox.