virtualbox.org

I spent most of two days trying to install VirtualBox on my Windows Host. It was an agonizing experience but I have successfully completed the installation. I thought it important to list the steps I took to reach the endpoint. Here goes.

I am operating Windows 10 Pro on an ASUS Prime Z370-P with 16GB 2400Mhz memory and an Intel i7-8700K CPU. The CoffeLake processor has 6 cores/12 logical. It is water-cooled but not overclocked. The operating system is loaded on a Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2, 1 TB SSD. HyperV is enabled in the BIOS.

1) Download VirtualBox 6.1.18 and the VirtualBox Extension Pack.
2) Install VirtualBox. I installed via "Run as administrator."
3) Double-click the Extension Pack to install it into the VirtualBox.
4) Find an iso of Windows. Find a product key. (I can usually find one inexpensively online.)
5) Create a new virtual machine.
6) Install Windows.
7) Make sure the new VM is started.
8 ) Go to the Devices tab in the VM. Select Insert Guest Editions CD image...
9) Shut down the VM.
10) Click the Settings for the VM in VirtualBox Manager.
11) Mine look like these pictures.

(The forum rules will not let me post the screenshot links I have saved on my own webserver, sorry.)
(Here are the links to the images.)
rocketranch dot com/images/1-Motherboard.PNG
rocketranch dot com/images/1-Processor.PNG
rocketranch dot com/images/1-Accel.PNG
rocketranch dot com/images/1-Screen.PNG

12) The real bugger was the Hyper-V apparently running in Windows. I found this wonderful tidbit that turned the turtle into a ghost:
a) Run Powershell as an admin.
b) Enter this command: bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
c) (WARNING: This will reboot your host computer so make sure everything is closed before you do it.)
Enter this command: shutdown -s -t 2
13) When the host has restarted, open the VirtualBox.
14) Start the VM.
15) I restricted updates in the VM so I could pick when to do them, but you must update the original disc to current Windows. Here's how:
a) Run this command: gpedit.msc
b) Go to: Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Updates
c) I disabled Configure Automatic Updates, Automatic Updates detection frequency, and Allow Automatic Updates immediate installation. Maybe only the first one needs to be done, but I did all three.
16) Now do your updates, but manually. I usually reboot the VM occasionally during installations.
17) I finished up by running sfc /scannow from admin Powershell.

It's working great! Thanks to all of you who support this effort!

By the way, I now know how convoluted running Microsoft Hyper-V and VirtualBox is.

From the post "VirtualBox 6.0 and Hyper-V"

multiOS wrote:Peter,

I think you are possibly misreading that first post. There is no requirement and never has there been a requirement to have Hyper-V active in order to run VirtualBox. In fact, it was and is still the case that, for most people, it's best to not have Hyper-V installed or activated when they want to see VirtualBox VM's performing effectively.

The original post was about the VirtualBox developers' early attempts to try to get VirtualBox working on a Windows PC that did have Hyper-V activated. At that time no-one was reporting any success with such an arrangement, hence the oft-repeated (and still current) forum advice to deactivate Hyper-V; and more recently Windows features that now make use of the inbuilt Windows Hyper-V architecture such as WSL2 when problems are experienced.

As you will see from more recent comments there have been some improvements, but these, from reports received, are only apparent when running 32-bit VMs and there are fewer and fewer of those available. To my knowledge; and from my own attempts, running 64-bit VirtualBox VMs alongside Hyper-V is still a 'no-go' area. Most people think (and report) their VM's have 'crashed'/locked up when attempting this, whereas, in reality, they are usually experiencing an 'extreme' slowdown within the VM.

Thanks, FlaJunkie, for relating your experience. Virtualbox is very useful once one gets past the nuances of the host PC's OS. Windows' Hyper-V is a constant thorn in the side, and Linux requires kernel headers to be installed first before installing Virtualbox or the Guest Additions, which bites a lot of folks on the Linux Hosts subforum.

One thing to note:

FlaJunkie wrote:8 ) Go to the Devices tab in the VM. Select Insert Guest Editions CD image...

This only sticks the Guest Additions "CD" into the VM's CD drive. It is up to the OS to autorun the installer, and most modern OS's don't autorun CDs anymore, so the user has to run the installer manually. It is good to remember to take the 'CD' out again after the install.

FlaJunkie wrote:8 ) Go to the Devices tab in the VM. Select Insert Guest Editions CD image...

scottgus1 wrote:This only sticks the Guest Additions "CD" into the VM's CD drive. It is up to the OS to autorun the installer, and most modern OS's don't autorun CDs anymore, so the user has to run the installer manually. It is good to remember to take the 'CD' out again after the install.

Of course. I forgot to mention you had to run it from the VM. Thanks for adding that.

I'd like to add that it's been fun doing everything to Windows 10 in the VM.

By that, I mean updating the OS.
Adding XAMPP.
Adding PSPad.
Adding NetBeans.
Removing Skype and the annoying startups.

And I love the fact you can "pull" the network connector out to physically disconnect from the Internet.