Whatever your reason is, you can actually install and run OS X on any Intel-based Windows PC with a program called VirtualBox. Running OS X on your Windows desktop will take a bit of work, but it's pretty easy to do and the final product is quite outstanding. VirtualBox is capable of installing a macOS on your computer as an application. It works perfectly well with Sierra and in order to run macOS on windows, you need a computer with windows that has to be 64-bit, at least 4GB RAM and a dual-core processor.
Using VirtualBox for Mac to Run Windows Following are the general steps to get Windows running under a virtual environment:. Download and install the virtualization software. Configure a virtual environment and install Windows. Run Windows in the virtual environment.
Several virtualization applications are available, but one of the best is also free: VirtualBox. This open-source application has made great strides in performance and usability in recent years and now offers the same features as commercial virtualization solutions at a $0 price point. Although this chapter covers VirtualBox for virtualization, you might also be interested in Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion if you prefer a company-supported option. Double-click the VirtualBox.mpkg package to install.
Double-click the VirtualBox.mpkg package and follow the onscreen instructions to install VirtualBox. You should not need to change any of the default settings during the install. When the installation finishes, click Close to quit the installer. You’re now ready to launch VirtualBox and install Windows. Configuring a Virtual Machine and Installing Windows Each OS you run under VirtualBox has its own VM for which you can set various settings, such as the amount of disk space dedicated to that machine, where the machine is stored, and so on. Before you can install Windows, create and configure a VM for it. To set up a new Windows 7 VM, follow these simple steps:.
![Virtualbox mac os for windows Virtualbox mac os for windows](http://cdn.osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/windows-10-installing-on-mac.jpg)
Launch VirtualBox from your Applications folder or Launchpad if you haven’t done so already. In the Welcome to VirtualBox window, click New. The New Virtual Machine Wizard window appears. Click Continue to begin the setup process.
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Provide a name for the VM, choose the operating system type and version, as shown in, and click Continue. Choose to create a new boot disk for the VM. Pick the type of file that will be used for the virtual disk. VDI images are the default for VirtualBox and should be your typical selection. If you need to use the disk with VMWare, choose VMDK, or select VHD for compatibility with Microsoft’s VM architecture. Click Continue. Choose whether the storage for your virtual disk is dynamically allocated (space is used as needed) or whether the entire space for the drive is taken out of your available storage immediately.
Typically, you want dynamically allocated volumes. Click Continue when ready to proceed. Choose a name, save location, and maximum size for the virtual disk, as shown in.
Click Continue to move on. The First Run Wizard walks you through the installation of Windows. Insert your Windows CD/DVD installation media and wait until the disk mounts. Choose the location of your Windows media when prompted by the wizard, and then click Continue.
Click Start to boot your VM and install windows. Windows starts and stops a time or two, and you see a variety of messages from Windows itself and from VirtualBox. Read and respond to the messages as seems best; in most cases, you just click OK at various prompts. After the basic installation process and initial configuration are complete, you see Windows in the VirtualBox window, exactly as if you were sitting in front of a Windows machine. Log in to Windows and choose Install Guest Additions from the Devices menu, as shown in. This updates the Windows drivers to dramatically improve the speed of your VM.
NOTE One of the great things about VirtualBox is that the Windows environment gets its network settings from the Mac. So if your Mac is connected to a network and the Internet, the Windows environment is also connected without any additional configuration by you. Unlike Boot Camp, however, you can jump back to the Mac at any time by clicking outside of the VM. You can leave Windows running as long as you need to. If you won’t be using it for a while, it’s a good idea to shut it down to maximize the resources available to the Mac OS.
VirtualBox offers far more features than can be discussed here. Be sure to read through the accompanying documentation for tips and tricks to maximize your VM efficiency and speed.