How to install Windows 11 on VirtualBox 7.0

Windows 11 is the most difficult operating system to install. In addition to high system requirements, this operating system requires a TPM 2.0 chip and Secure Boot for installation. If these conditions are not met, you cannot try Windows 11. Even if you have both of these components in your system, running the new Windows operating system as a virtual machine is not easy. easy.

But VirtualBox 7.0 supports TPM 2.0 chip emulation and Secure Boot. The article will explain in detail how to install Windows 11 directly on VirtualBox without any registry hacks.

How to install Windows 11 on VirtualBox 7.0

Oracle has improved VirtualBox's user interface with version 7.0. So the virtual machine creation process also includes some new options. You will need the latest version of the Windows 11 ISO image file and the VirtualBox 7.0 setup file.

So, before you continue, download both of these files. You can download Windows 11 from the Windows Software Download website and VirtualBox 7.0 from the VirtualBox website or the link below.

If you are trying VirtualBox for the first time, first enable the Virtualization feature using the system BIOS.

1. Create a Windows 11 virtual machine

To create Windows 11 in VirtualBox 7.0, follow these steps:

1. Launch the VirtualBox 7.0 application on your system. Click on the Machine option in the top menu and select the New option.

 2. Create a virtual machine window that will launch. Enter the name of the virtual machine you want to create. You can name it whatever you want, but it must be distinct. The article names it Win11VM.

3. Next, you need to choose the storage location where the virtual machine will be placed. By default, it selects drive C. But if you don't have enough space there or want to keep things separate, click the arrow icon and select the Other option.

4. Navigate to the drive folder or folder of your choice and create a new folder there. Click the new folder and then click the Select Folder button.

5. Then, move to the ISO Image option. Click the arrow icon and select the Other option from the drop-down menu. Navigate to the Download folder and select the Windows 11 ISO image file.

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6. Edition, Type and Version will automatically fill in. Then click the Skip unattended installation check box.

7. Click the arrow icon to expand the Hardware section. Adjust the Base Memory slider to 4GB or more (depending on the total RAM on your system).

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8. Next, adjust the Processor core slider and allocate at least 4 cores to the virtual machine. Increase it to 6 or 8 cores if you have spare processor cores.

9. Click the arrow icon to expand the Hard Disk section. Here, you need to create a virtual drive for the Windows 11 virtual machine.

10. VirtualBox will reserve 80GB of storage in the Create a virtual disk now option . Don't modify it. Leave Hard Disk File Size and Variant as VDI and do not select the Pre-allocate full-size option .

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11. Click the Finish button to create the Windows 11 virtual machine. The virtual machine will appear in the list on the left-hand side.

2. Install Windows 11 on a virtual machine

To install Windows 11 in VirtualBox 7.0, follow these steps:

1. Click on the newly created Windows 11 virtual machine. Navigate to the right-hand side and click the Settings button.

2. Select the System option in the Settings section. Find the TPM option and check if TPM version 2.0 is active.

3. Scroll down and check if the Secure Boot checkbox is active. If not, click the checkbox to enable Secure Boot.

4. Click OK to save changes and exit the Settings window. Go to the top area and click the Start icon to start the virtual machine.

5. The virtual machine will launch in a separate window. Press any key to boot into Windows 11 setup.

6. Check the Windows 11 language, region and keyboard layout and click the Next button. Then click the Install now button.

7. Microsoft will prompt you to activate Windows. Click the I don't have a product key option .

8. Select the operating system version (Home, Pro or Enterprise) and click the Next button.

9. Read and accept the EULA, then click the Next button.

10. Now, select the Custom install option and select Drive 0 as the installation drive.

The Windows 11 installation process will begin. It will take a while to copy files and prepare the system for the first boot. If you have an SSD in your system, the installation process will take less time.

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1. After the virtual machine restarts and completes device settings, Windows will ask you to select a region.

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2. Keep the default keyboard layout and then enter a name for the Windows 11 system.

3. Enter your Microsoft account details and sign in. Then, create a PIN and click the OK button to continue.

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4. Customize Privacy settings and click the Accept button. Skip all the remaining useless bloatware and wait until you boot to the desktop.

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Windows 11 now works as a virtual machine in VirtualBox 7.0. All its security features will work perfectly and you don't have to modify registry values ​​to install it. If you want to use this Windows 11 virtual machine on another system then see TipsMake's instructions on how to export VirtualBox VM Image to another computer.

Micah Soto

Update 04 December 2023