How to Install macOS Big Sur in VirtualBox on Windows 11/10?

Are you interested in running macOS Big Sur or Monterey from a Windows PC? If you don’t want to spend money on a Mac, you can use a virtual machine and still try out macOS, thanks to VirtualBox.

Before you start making assumptions, this isn’t a super-complicated Hackintosh setup. Instead, you’ll be running VirtualBox natively on your Windows computer and installing macOS as a guest operating system within VirtualBox. The Mac OS is not required to install with particular hardware like a Hackintosh.

It is possible to install multiple operating systems on a single computer with VirtualBox and switch seamlessly between them. A virtualized operating system runs within an application, which virtualizes the hardware so that it does not know the difference between the hardware and the operating system.

This risewindows article will show you how to install macOS Big Sur in VirtualBox on Windows 11/10.

What are the requirements to run macOS in VirtualBox?

Here, you’ll need to download the following files before you get started:-

• VirtualBox for Windows
• VirtualBox Extension Pack
• VmacOS Big Sur ISO

How do I install macOS Big Sur using VirtualBox on Windows 11/10?

After downloading the files as mentioned earlier on your Windows machine, perform the following steps:-

Step 1. First, install VirtualBox and its Extension Pack, which you have already downloaded.

Step 2. Now, open Oracle VM VirtualBox from its desktop shortcut by double-clicking it.

Step 3. Then, click New.

Step 4. After that, type macOS Big Sur for the virtual machine name and then click the Expert Mode button.

Step 5, Next, name the operating System macOS Big Sur. Use the slider to increase the memory size to 8 GB if your PC allows it. If not, then let at least 50% of physical RAM. Then make sure “Create a virtual hard disk now” is selected and click on the Create button.

Step 6. Again use the slider to set the virtual hard disk size according to your preference. Even though this depends on how much free storage space you have on your computer, we recommend allocating 60 GB for the virtual machine. Select VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk) for the hard disk file type and click the Create button.

Step 7. Then, click Settings.

Step 8. Select the System category and click the Processor from the top menu. So, again use the slider to adjust the Processor allocation. It’s recommended to allocate half of your Processor’s core count for the virtual machine.

Quick Note: If you have a 4-core/8-thread processor, it will appear in VirtualBox as 8 CPU cores. In that case, you can set 4-cores for processor allocation.

Step 9. After that, click the Display category from the left sidebar. On the right sidebar, move the slider under the “Screen” tab of “Video Memory.”

Step 10. Now, select the “Storage” category and click on Empty under Storage Devices section.

Step 11. So, click on the optical disk icon on the right sidebar and choose “Create a Virtual Optical Disk” from the dropdown menu.

Step 12. Next, click the Add button to browse the macOS Big Sur ISO from the File Explorer you already downloaded.

Step 13. Select the macOS Big Sur ISO file in the File Explorer and click the Open button.

Step 14. Then, click the Choose button.

Step 15. Lastly, click the OK button.

Step 16. Now, close the VirtualBox window.

Step 17. Then, open Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 18. After that, copy and paste the following lines into a notepad file:-

cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\"
VBoxManage.exe modifyvm "macOS Big Sur" --cpuidset 00000001 000106e5 00100800 0098e3fd bfebfbff
VBoxManage setextradata "macOS Big Sur" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemProduct" "iMac11,3"
VBoxManage setextradata "macOS Big Sur" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemVersion" "1.0"
VBoxManage setextradata "macOS Big Sur" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiBoardProduct" "Iloveapple"
VBoxManage setextradata "macOS Big Sur" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/DeviceKey" "ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc"
VBoxManage setextradata "macOS Big Sur" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/GetKeyFromRealSMC" 1
VBoxManage modifyvm "macOS Big Sur" --cpu-profile "Intel Xeon X5482 3.20GHz"

Step 19. Next, copy all the lines, paste them into the Command prompt, and then hit Enter from the keyboard to execute it. Alternatively, you can complete every line one by one.

Step 20. Again open VirtualBox and click on Start.

Step 21. Now, in the next screen, select Language.

Step 22. Then click the right arrow button at the bottom right corner.

Step 23. After that, select Disk Utility option.

Step 24. Next, select VBOX HARDDISK Media from the left sidebar and click the Erase option.

Step 25. Then, name the hard disk as macOS Big Sur and click the Erase button.

Step 26. So, click the Done button when the hard disk is erased.

Step 27. Now, select Disk Utility from the menu and click the Quit Disk Utility option.

Step 28. Then, select Install macOS Big Sur option.

Step 29. After that, click the Continue button.

Step 30. So, click the Continue button.

Step 31. Now, on the license agreement page, select the Agree button.

Step 32. Again, on the pop-up window, click Agree.

Step 33. Then, select the hard disk and then click the Continue button.

Step 34. Now macOS Big Sur will start installing on your Windows machine. It may take several minutes, depending upon the resources you have provided in the virtual box. Furthermore, note that your virtual machine may restart during the installation period several times.

When you see “Select Your Country or Region,” click the country name from the list and the Continue button.

Step 35. Next, click Continue.

Step 36. Then, click the Not Now button.

Step 37. After that, on the Data & Privacy window, click the Continue button.

Step 38. Now, click the link Not Now in the Migration Assistant window.

Step 39. Then, click the link Set Up Later.

Step 40. Here, select Skip.

Step 41. Then, on the Terms and Conditions window, click Agree.

Step 42. Now, click the Agree button on the open pop-up window.

Step 43. Then, fill in the full name, account name, and password and verify the password. When done, click the Continue button.

Step 44. After that, click the  Continue button in Express Set Up.

Step 45. Click Continue on Analytics.

Step 46. Click Continue on Screen Time window.

Step 47. Click Continue on Siri.

Step 48. Select the Not Now option.Click the Continue.

Step 49. After that, a special appearance from Light, Dark, and Auto options, and click Continue.

Step 50. Then, click Continue on Keyboard Setup Assistant window. Then follow the on-screen instruction to calibrate the keyboard.

Finally, you have successfully installed macOS Big Sur on your virtual machine.

However, the procedure mentioned above primarily focuses on macOS Big Sur, you can use the same method for other recent releases of macOS. You can update your macOS installed in your virtual machine to the latest software, just like you usually would on an actual Mac.

That’s it for the article.

You guys are amazing; keep reading, learning & growing.

Good luck.