virtualbox.org

I'm using version 5.2.26. The issue happens even in a fresh virtual machine. Installed fine on non VM copy of Windows. Tried all the common recommended fixes for this issue with no luck. I was able to get Avira installed though which makes this even more confusing. Im content to use Windows Defender or install a different software for the moment but it would be nice to figure this out.

Most probably Avast is looking for VT-x (hardware virtualization), something that's not available on non-AMD CPUs that are running VirtualBox > 6.0.0.

BrainMcrentals wrote:Im content to use Windows Defender

Good. Do that! It's a perfectly working antivirus that doesn't end up being a pest/leech...

Thanks for the reply. I'm using version 5.2.26 , what do you mean VT-x wouldn't be available?

The host has VT-x available. This is *not* passed as a feature to the guest, therefore the guest has no VT-x.

Only in 6.0.0 and later is this possible, and only if you have an AMD CPU.

Why would avast or any other anti-virus need vt-x to install or run? I can't find any info linking AV's and vt-x. I assume they use it for sandboxing but that's as much as i can figure out. I have avast installed on a laptop that doesn't even have hardware virtualization enabled.

Why don't you ask Avast what's preventing them from running inside a VM? All I did was a guesstimate, not an educated answer; I couldn't have. I haven't even touched Avast (not even as a test), in all my years of computing. The last non-native antivirus that I had installed was exactly 20 years ago...

As for why it uses VT-x, we fall again into the category of "you need to ask them". All I know is that we've seen the major antivirus vendors activate and utilize Hyper-V on physical computers, thus robbing VirtualBox from anything VT-x related.

Ok, thanks for the replies.