How to Install MacOS on a Virtual Machine Using VirtualBox

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Learn how to create a macOS virtual machine using Virtual Box
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Are you in the market for a new computer and want to try macOS to see if you like it? Or you may want to use Mac-specific apps but only have a Windows PC. Installing macOS on a virtual machine on a PC is a great way to play with macOS without buying a new expensive computer. This wikiHow guide will teach you how to install macOS on a virtual machine using VirtualBox .

Installing macOS in VirtualBox

  • You must create an ISO image of the Sonoma installer on a Mac. Downloading an ISO will not work.
  • Once you create the installer, copy it to your PC, and install VirtualBox and its extensions.
  • Create a new virtual machine in VirtualBox, patch it with our instructions, and get macOS running in no time.
Part 1
Part 1 of 7:

Creating a macOS Installer

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  1. You'll need the installer to install the latest version of macOS on a virtual machine. Unlike previous macOS versions, Sonoma (and all of its predecessors beginning with Big Sur, including Ventura) is only downloadable from the Mac App Store. If you're using a Mac, this is easy. On Windows and Linux, you'll need to find someone with a Mac to create the file for you.
    • On a Mac, launch the App Store, search for macos sonoma , (or Ventura), click Get , and then click Download . [1]
    • The remaining steps in this part of the process will walk you through creating the macOS Sonoma or Ventura installer on a Mac to use for your VM.
  2. Open a Terminal. Open the Launchpad, type terminal , and select Terminal.
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  3. To do this, type the following command and press Return:
    • hdiutil create -o /tmp/Sonoma -size 16384m -volname Sonoma -layout SPUD -fs HFS+J
    • If you're using Ventura, you can replace Sonoma with Ventura in all of these steps.
  4. To do this, you'll need to run another command:
    • hdiutil attach /tmp/Sonoma.dmg -noverify -mountpoint /Volumes/Sonoma
  5. Run this command to do so:
    • sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sonoma.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Sonoma --nointeraction
    • Because you used the sudo command, you'll be prompted to type your Mac user password. Type your password (you won't see any characters while doing so) and press Return to start the process.
  6. To do this, run this command:
    • hdiutil eject -force /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sonoma .
  7. The following command turns your Sonoma image into a CDR file, which is easy to convert to the type of file you'll need to install macOS in your virtual machine:
    • hdiutil convert /tmp/Sonoma.dmg -format UDTO -o ~/Desktop/Sonoma
  8. All you'll need to do is change the file's extension, which you can do by running this command:
    • mv -v ~/Desktop/Sonoma.cdr ~/Desktop/Sonoma.iso
    • You now have a file called Sonoma.iso on your desktop. You will use this file to install macOS on your virtual machine. If you want to install it on Windows, copy it to a flash drive or upload it to a cloud storage service like iCloud or Google Drive.
    • To delete the file you originally downloaded, which is no longer needed, run this command: rm -fv /tmp/Sonoma.dmg
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Part 2
Part 2 of 7:

Installing VirtualBox

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  1. VirtualBox is a virtual machine created by Oracle. You can use VirtualBox on Windows, Intel-based Macs, and Linux. [2]
    • Go to https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads in a web browser like Google Chrome .
    • To install on Windows, click the Windows hosts link. On a Mac, click macOS/Intel hosts . On Linux, click Linux Distributions , then download the installation file for your version of Linux.
    • Once downloaded, double-click the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install.
  2. This expansion pack enables USB 3.0 for keyboard and mouse support.
    • Go to https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads .
    • Scroll down and click All supported platforms below "VirtualBox 7.0.14 Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack."
    • Double-click the expansion pack file in your web browser or Downloads folder, click Install , and follow the on-screen instructions.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 7:

Creating a Virtual Machine

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  1. Open VirtualBox after installing, then use these steps to create a new virtual machine for your Mac installation:
    • Click New below the blue icon that resembles a circle with jagged edges.
    • Type a name for the new computer next to "Name" (e.g. macOS Sonoma ).
    • Select a location on your computer to install the virtual machine. Be sure to choose a drive with plenty of space.
    • Select the ISO file from the "ISO Image" menu.
    • Select Mac OS X as the "Type."
    • Select Mac OS X (64-bit) as the version.
    • Click Next .
  2. Click and drag the slider bar to allocate memory to the virtual machine. You can also type the amount of memory in megabytes (MB) in the box to the right of the slider bar. macOS needs at least 4 GB (8 GB recommended) to run.
    • Also, allocate at least 2 CPU cores to macOS using the second slider.
    • The more memory you allocate, the better it will run. You cannot allocate more memory than your computer has. [3]
    • Don't allocate more than 40% of your RAM to your virtual machine; otherwise, it will slow down your operating system.
    • The red line above the slider bar indicates how many CPU cores your operating system needs to run. Do not drag the slider bar past the green line to avoid performance issues.
  3. Now, you'll need to allocate some hard drive space to your macOS installation. Ensure the radio option next to "Create a virtual hard disk now" is checked, and use the slider to dedicate at least 35 GB of hard drive space to your virtual Mac. If you have space to spare and plan to install software on your virtual Mac, allocate at least 128GB. [4]
  4. This creates a new virtual machine.
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Part 4
Part 4 of 7:

Virtual Machine Settings

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  1. It's the yellow gear icon at the top of VirtualBox. This allows you to tweak the virtual machine settings.
  2. "System" is in the menu panel to the left. Click this option and then click the checkbox next to "Floppy" in the "Boot order" box. This ensures the virtual machine will not try to boot from a floppy disk.
  3. This drop-down menu is below the "Boot order" box. If it does not read "ICH9" by default, click the drop-down menu and select "ICH9" as the chipset.
  4. This opens the Display menu for the virtual machine.
  5. The "Video Memory" slider bar is at the top of the menu. Click and drag the slider to allocate video memory. You can also type the amount of video memory you want to allocate in the box to the right. Make sure you are allocating at least 128 MB of video memory.
    • Additionally, check the box next to "Enable 3D Acceleration" if available.
    • You can leave the default selected on the Adapter 1 tab.
    • Click the Adapter2 tab. On this tab, you'll select a backup adapter in case the first isn't available. Select Bridged , and then choose your Wi-Fi card.
  7. The USB menu option is in the menu panel to the left. Click it and then click the radio option next to "USB 3.0 (xHCI) Controller."
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Part 5
Part 5 of 7:

Patching the Virtual Machine

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  1. It's important that you quit VirtualBox before executing the following code. If you do not, it might not install properly.
  2. Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator. Before running the virtual machine, you must manually patch it using the Command Prompt. Use the following steps to open the Command Prompt as an administrator: [5]
    • Click the Windows Start menu.
    • Type "CMD".
    • Right-click the Command Prompt .
    • Click Run as Administrator .
    • Click Yes .
  3. The VirtualBox installation is in the "Oracle" folder in "Program Files" by default. To change to the location of the VirtualBox installation in the command prompt, type cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\" or cd "%programfiles%\Oracle\VirtualBox\" and press Enter .
    • If you installed VirtualBox in a different directory, type "cd" followed by the exact location of the VirtualBox install location in quotation marks.
  4. You'll need to enter the following commands in the Command Prompt individually. Copy and paste each of these long commands into the window and press Enter after each line. Replace "VM Name" with the actual name you gave your virtual machine (e.g., macOS Sonoma, MyMac, etc.). You'll use different commands for different processor types: [6]
    • If you have an Intel processor:
      • cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\" (If you installed VirtualBox in another directory, replace the path here)
      • VBoxManage.exe modifyvm "VM Name" –-cpuidset 00000001 000106e5 00100800 0098e3fd bfebfbff
      • VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemProduct “MacBookPro15,1”
      • VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiBoardProduct" "Mac-551B86E5744E2388"
      • VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/DeviceKey" "ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc"
      • VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/GetKeyFromRealSMC" 1
    • If you have an AMD processor:
      • cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\" (If you installed VirtualBox in another directory, replace the path here)
      • VBoxManage.exe modifyvm "VM Name" --cpuidset 00000001 000106e5 00100800 0098e3fd bfebfbff
      • VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemProduct" "iMac11,3"
      • VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemVersion" "1.0"
      • VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiBoardProduct" "Iloveapple"
      • VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/DeviceKey" "ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc"
      • VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/GetKeyFromRealSMC" 1
      • VBoxManage modifyvm "VM Name" --cpu-profile "Intel Core i7-6700K"
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Part 6
Part 6 of 7:

Installing macOS

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  1. This starts your new virtual machine. It may take several minutes for macOS to finish initializing. Especially the first time you launch macOS.
  3. You will need to format the virtual drive to install macOS Sonoma or Ventura. You can do that in Disk Utility.
  4. Click "VBOX HARDDISK Media" on the panel to the left and then click Erase at the top. It has an icon that resembles a hard drive with an "x" in front of it.
  5. Use the bar at the top of the pop-up to type a name for the hard drive (e.g., "macOS HD") and click Erase to format the drive.
  6. When you're finished, click Done , then click the red circle at the top of the window to close Disk Utility.
  7. It's the second option in the menu.
  8. To agree to the Terms and Conditions, click Agree , and then Agree again.
  9. The hard drive you just formatted should be listed at the bottom of the screen. Click this hard drive and click Continue to begin installing macOS.
  10. Now that you've installed macOS, follow the on-screen instructions to set up the operating system like you'd set up a new Mac.
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Part 7
Part 7 of 7:

Troubleshooting

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  1. If you have an Intel processor and get stuck in a boot loop after a kernel panic during installation, it should fix itself after about 6 or 7 reboots. [7] If it doesn't, some people have had luck running this command in Command Prompt:
    • VBoxManage setextradata “VM_NAME” “VBoxInternal/TM/TSCMode” “RealTSCOffset”
      • Replace VM_NAME with the name of your VM.
  2. If you get this error, try running this command at the command prompt:
    • VBoxManage.exe setextradata “VM_NAME” “VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/GetKeyFromRealSMC” 0
      • Replace VM_NAME with the name of your VM.
    • If you get a different error after that, try VBoxManage modifyvm "macOS Sonoma" --cpu-profile "Intel Xeon X5482 3.20GHz"
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      Warnings

      • Apple does not support installing macOS on non-Apple computers. You will not be able to get customer support for any Apple products installed on a non-Apple computer.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uun55VXu72M&t=0s
      2. ↑ https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
      3. ↑ https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch01.html
      4. ↑ https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/dont-update-big-sur-128gb-mac-3798034/
      5. ↑ https://grok.lsu.edu/article.aspx?articleid=18026&printable=y
      6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6la6a2LSf0
      7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6la6a2LSf0

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