VirtualBox, a versatile and open-source full virtualizer, supports a wide range of uses, from servers to desktops and embedded systems. Its power and flexibility make it suitable for both enterprise and home environments.
VirtualBox enables users to run multiple operating systems simultaneously for various use cases. It allows you to operate more than one OS at a time.
This way, software written for one operating system can run on another, such as Windows software on Linux or macOS, without needing to reboot.
Overcome hardware limitations by configuring virtual hardware for your guest operating systems. This means you can easily run older systems such as DOS or OS/2, even if your current computer’s hardware is not natively supported.
Software vendors can use virtual machines to ship entire software configurations. For example, setting up a full mail server solution on a physical machine can be time-consuming.
Package intricate software setups into VirtualBox virtual machine appliances. Then, deploy complex services, such as a mail server, with the simplicity of an import.
To run VirtualBox on your machine, you need:
- Reasonably powerful x86 hardware. Any recent Intel or AMD processor should do.
- Memory. To ensure smooth virtualization, allocate sufficient RAM based on your guest operating system. You’ll need enough memory for both your host OS to run comfortably and for each guest OS’s minimum requirements. For example, running Windows 8.1 on a Windows 7 machine typically demands at least 2 GB of RAM for a positive experience. Be aware that guest operating systems may refuse to install or malfunction if they don’t receive their required memory. Always factor in memory for both the guest and your host system.
- Hard disk space. While VirtualBox itself is very lean (a typical installation will only need about 30 MB of hard disk space), the virtual machines will require fairly huge files on disk to represent their hard disk storage. Windows 8 installation needs a file that may expand to more than 10 GB.
- Ensure compatibility by running VirtualBox on a supported host operating system. We currently support Windows, various Linux distributions, macOS X, Solaris, and OpenSolaris. Always consult the user manual for your VirtualBox version to confirm the exact supported versions.
- A supported guest operating system. In addition to the user manual (see below), up-to-date information is available at “Status: Guest OSes”.
What’s New in VirtualBox version 7.2.6 (2026-01-28)
- VMM: Fixed issue when the VM process was crashing during RHEL5 guest boot
- VMM: Fixed issue when VMX nested-guest VM-entry was checking the wrong VM-execution control bit in the virtual VMCS
- VMM: Fixed issue when VM was crashing on start after recent Windows update (KB5066793)
- VMM: Fixed the issue when the guest process was crashing inside the Windows guest on an AMD system
- VMM: Fixed the issue when the VM process was crashing on the Windows host
- VMM: Fixed Guru Meditation issue on VM start on Windows host
- VMM: Fixed issue when VM was failing to shut down on Windows 11 ARM host
- VMM: Fixed issue when booting Red Hat 6.1 i386 was failing on AMD Zen4 Windows 11 Pro host
- GUI: Added fixes for full-screen support in multi-monitor cases
- GUI: Fixed the issue when downloading update files was failing
- GUI: Fixed issue when the list of VMs was not properly displayed in the Resource Manager tab
- GUI: Fixed an issue when switching between light/dark modes on macOS host
- GUI: Fixed issue when the storage controller type list was displayed incorrectly
- DevACPI: Fixed issue with file path key names for Dsdt/Ssdt
- DevACPI: Added a change to make OemTabId configurable using the AcpiOemTabId option
- NAT: Fixed the issue with high CPU usage when the VM was using NAT
- RDP: The VRDP server was moved to the open source base package
- SmartCard: The USB smartcard emulation was moved to the open-source base package
- VM encryption: The disk and VM encryption feature was moved to the open source base package
- VBoxManage: Fixed issue when VBoxManage was not displaying the interface name for FreeBSD guests
- VBoxManage: Fixed issue when VM could not be started from the command line in some circumstances
- Main: Improved filename check for drag-and-drop operations
- Linux Host: Fixed issue when vboxautostart-service did not start corresponding VMs on system boot
- Linux Host: Fixed the issue when the VM was not able to start if the host was running a real-time kernel configuration
- Guest Additions: Fixed installation on Windows XP 64-bit guests
- Guest Additions: Fixed issue when the guest process was crashing due to low memory in the system
- Linux Guest Additions: Fixed build issue for kernels 2.5.52 and older
- Linux Guest Additions: Fixed issue when VBoxService was not started due to an abandoned pid file
- Linux Guest Additions: Fixed an issue when user session services were not started on old Linux distributions
- Linux Guest Additions: Fixed check if kernel modules were loaded for old Linux distributions
- Linux Guest Additions: Fixed issue when Guest Additions processes were left running on system reboot or shutdown
- Linux Guest Additions: Added additional fixes for RHEL 9.8, 10.1, and 10.2 kernels
- Linux Guest Additions: Added initial support for kernel 6.19
- Windows Guest Additions: Fixed installation on WinXP 64-bit
- BIOS: Fixed issue with booting VM using IPXE
Official Homepage – https://www.virtualbox.org
Currently, Oracle VM VirtualBox runs on the following host operating systems:
- Windows hosts (64-bit):
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 10
- Windows 11 21H2
- Windows Server 2012
- Windows Server 2012 R2
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2022
- Mac OS X hosts (64-bit):
- 10.15 (Catalina)
- 11 (Big Sur)
- 12 (Monterey)
Intel hardware is required.
