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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.
You have a Mac Computer but you need to use some applications that are Windows-specific. You could buy a Windows PC but that is the expensive option. Why not use Virtualization instead. With a good virtual machine software, you can create a virtual environment on your Mac that allows you to run the Windows OS and all the associated programs. 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. The Brisbane mum and her three kids were murdered by the children's father in a crime that horrified the country. Her grieving parents want to make sure it never happens again.
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.
- Open up your Mac
- Go to the App Store
- 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:
Mr. Mac's Virtual Existence03.blogcomputers 10001
- 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.
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.
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
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:
- cd “macOS Install Data”
- cd “Locked Files”
- 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.
Last updated on September 3rd, 2019 at 10:57 am
Here is the list of best Virtual Machine VM software for Mac. There is so many software available for every task but in the same way, it becomes hard to pick out one. Well, no worries we are here to provide you with the best and in-depth guide which we have listed after hours of research.
All the VM software which we have mentioned below are used by our team and on the basis of experience and combining with the other user’s reviews for software, we are arranging them from higher priority to lower.
Open a Mac app from an unidentified developer. If you try to open an app that isn’t registered with Apple by an identified developer, you get a warning dialogue. This doesn’t necessarily mean that something’s wrong with the app. For example, some apps were written before developer ID registration began. Is your Mac stopping you from opening an app from an unidentified developer? If an app you want to open is being blocked here's how to override macOS's security measures so you can open all apps. Open a Mac app from an unidentified developer. If you try to open an app that isn’t registered with Apple by an identified developer, you get a warning dialog. This doesn’t necessarily mean that something’s wrong with the app. For example, some apps were written before developer ID registration began. How to open apps from unidentified developers on macsunnew. Now, apps started through Terminal are also checked. These files get the same malware scan, signature check, and local security policy check. The difference: even on the first run, you only need to explicitly approve software launched in bundles, like a standard Mac app bundle, not for standalone executables or libraries. Once this is done, you’ll be able to open most of the apps that aren’t on the App Store. However, you still won’t be able to open apps that aren’t recognized by macOS. Setting your Mac to open apps from unidentified developers. If you want your Mac to allow apps from unidentified developers, you’ll have to follow a few additional steps.
Before going for the Virtual Machine software, let us try to make some definitions clear. If you are already known with them, you are welcome to skip and directly read our top VM software.
What is a Virtual Machine?
Every computer is specified for one Operating System but Virtual Machine (VM) is an application that enables you to run multiple OS on the same device. Suppose you are having Mac and by default it has macOS, but if you have to add Windows OS on your Mac then you need a Virtual Machine software.
The reason why users switching to Virtual Machine software is its ease of working and smooth operations. If choosing the
Are there free options for Virtual Machine?
Nothing great comes for free! Similar is the case for Virtual Machine too. Although there are many VM software which offers you a completely free license even for enterprise usage but going for paid is a
But
Alternatives to Virtual Machine
As you already know what exactly the Virtual Machine is. Basically you can add one more Operating System to existing one. The best alternative to VM software is using the other way without complete setup of OS. Suppose if you need to use only productivity apps, games that run on Windows then you can use the integrated software without going for the VM software. We have listed this on 5th place and if you are interested you can try if.
CrossOver from CodeWeavers gives you to access the Windows application on your Mac.
5 Best Virtual Machine Software for Mac
1. Parallels Desktop
If you are looking for the best solution then go for Parallels Desktop without any second thought. Definitely, a thumbs up to its great features and ease of usage. Good User Experience, super fast speed, quick in file transferring, and lot more it offers.
Parallels Desktop Overview
- Seamless: Without switching to the other or previous OS, you can directly operate the different OS on a single screen. In this way, you can easily transfer files with drag and drop option.
- Easy Setup: The best thing is Parallels Desktop automatically detects what you require. If you are going to download Windows then it automatically pop-up the Windows download option and save your time.
- Lightning-fast: Most of the VMs are heavy and slow down the Mac speed but Parallels Desktop is lightning-fast and runs everything without slowing down your Mac speed.
- Choose your view: Use Coherence Mode for working Windows applications without actually opening Windows OS or set the complete screen of your Mac to the Windows screen. Choose whatever suits you.
Parallels Desktop Discount Offers
(Coupon Code automatically update the price at checkout page)
Plans from Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop is available in the different licenses. You can use Parallels Desktop for Mac, Pro, or Business License with different supported languages. Our reader gets a special discount on the
2. VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion is another top choice when we look for the best VM software for Mac. You can easily run Windows on your Mac and other hundreds of OS with more productivity, better security, and Agile. VMware Fusion allows users to run multiple apps across the OS without shutting any individual OS.
For Business users, VMware provides a powerful and secure desktop with better access to the
VMware Fusion Overview
- Powerful graphics: Normally 2D graphics are well shown on all VM but when we see for 3D graphics, many VM software can not be up to the expectations. VMware has powerful graphics for 3D so that you can easily work on designing platforms such as AutoCAD, Solid Works.
- Unity View Mode: With this mode, you can easily run any Windows apps directly from the Dock even if you have minimized the Windows OS.
- Third-party software integration: VMware provides you with an API with which you can integrate with other apps on the same platform.
- Secure VM encryption: VMware provides you with secure VM encryption. This is best in class security for all the data, apps you are working with.
VMware Fusion Discount Offers
(Coupon Code automatically update the price at checkout page)
Plans from VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion and VMware Fusion Pro are the two plans that come under the
Don’t miss the special offer that VMware offers to our readers. You can get the best price for VMware Fusion.
3. VirtualBox
VirtualBox from Oracle is another powerful tool in Virtual Machine category. It is well defined for home as well as enterprise-level users. It is free software which is compatible with your Mac.
We found VirtualBox little outdated but if you are looking for a freeware then definitely you must try this. Let us have a quick check on the features it offers.
Oracle VM VirtualBox Overview
- iSCSI support: With this, you can directly connect with iSCSI storage server without going through the host system.
- Multiprocessing hardware support: Oracle VM VirtualBox can present up to 32 virtual CPUs to each virtual machine.
- Remote machine display: With an extension, you can have access to any running Virtual Machine.
Oracle VMware
Plans from Oracle VM VirtualBox
Oracle VM VirtualBox provides you with a completely free version for both home and enterprise usage.
4. QEMU
QEMU is another free Virtual Machine software that runs on macOS to provide you Windows Operating System. At a first look, QEMU is looking like an advanced, lightweight, easy setup option. It has decent emulation speed as it uses dynamic translation.
QEMU Overview
- Full system emulation: This gives you full access to run Windows and its associated applications on your Mac.
- User mode emulation: Choose the mode what looks good for you.
- Virtualization: Run KVM and Xen virtual machines with near
– native performance
QEMU
Plans from QEMU
QEMU is a free VM software so you can use it on your Mac for completely free. Just hit the Download option and follow instructions to install it on your Mac.
5. CrossOver
CrossOver is an application you can use it on your Mac to run every application you run with Windows OS. It exactly not a Virtual Machine but a convenient way to run applications on Mac. You can easily integrate the Windows applications with macOS in order to use apps right from the dock. CrossOver lets you run all productive software, utility programs, and games all in one application on your Mac.
If your only purpose is to use Windows applications on Mac then this is the best recommendation.
CrossOver Overview
- Run Windows software without rebooting: You do not require any rebooting, just install CrossOver and directly start using Windows applications on Mac. Now there is no issue of transferring files from one platform to another
- One-click installation: This is easy to install and instantly you can CrossOver. Once you have clicked the INSTALL button, rest everything can be taken care by CrossOver itself.
- Superfast speed: Run every application as its native speed. You won’t loose and speed of the applications you are using on Mac and this helps in providing the best gaming experience.
- Seamless integration: While using CrossOver you do not require to transfer files from one file storage to others so everything is available in one place and you have seamless integration with other applications.
CrossOver Discount Offers
(Coupon Code automatically update the price at checkout page)
Plans from CrossOver
The
These are the top 5 Best Virtual Machine Software for Mac. You can choose according to your requirement. Many of the above offer you a free trial version so you can try them for free before buying.
Conclusion
I hope you find the best one for you out of the above listed Best VM Software for Mac. As per our experience of usage, we definitely recommend you to go for either Parallels Desktop or VMware. On our result, we found both of them are amazing software to work with and nothing goes wrong while using them.
And here is the quick deal for our readers only, you can save up to 20% on both Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion on this promotional season.
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