PART 1 — Set BIOS / UEFI to Support VirtualBox
VirtualBox requires hardware virtualization:
• Intel → Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
• AMD → SVM Mode / AMD-V
⚠ VirtualBox will NOT run 64-bit VMs unless this is enabled.
Step A — Confirm if Virtualization Is Already Enabled
✔ Windows
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc
2. Open Performance tab
3. Click CPU
4. Look for Virtualization: Enabled / Disabled
✔ macOS (Intel)
Virtualization is always enabled.
(Apple Silicon ARM Macs are not supported by VirtualBox yet in standard releases.)
✔ Linux
Run:
lscpu | grep Virtualization
Look for VT-x or AMD-V.
Step B — Enter BIOS / UEFI Setup
Restart your computer and press the key below repeatedly during boot:
Manufacturer Key
Dell F2
HP Esc, then F10
Lenovo F1 or F2
ASUS Del or F2
Acer F2
MSI Del
Toshiba F2
Samsung F2
Phoenix BIOS F2 or F12
Tip: If you miss it, restart & try again.
If you see a graphical blue menu → UEFI
If text-only → Legacy BIOS
Step C — Find the Virtualization Setting
Look under one of these menus:
• Advanced
• CPU Configuration
• Northbridge / Chipset
• Security
• System Configuration
• Processor Settings
Intel systems — enable:
✔ Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
✔ VT-d (optional, helps passthrough)
AMD systems — enable:
✔ SVM Mode
✔ AMD-V
✔ IOMMU / AMD-Vi (optional)
Step D — Example Menu Paths (Most Common)
🔹 Dell (UEFI)
BIOS → Virtualization Support → Enable Virtualization
BIOS → Virtualization Support → VT-d (optional)
🔹 HP
Security → System Security → Virtualization Technology → Enable
🔹 Lenovo ThinkPad
Config → CPU → Intel Virtualization Technology → Enable
🔹 ASUS / MSI Motherboards
Advanced → CPU Configuration → Intel Virtualization Tech → Enabled
or
Advanced → CPU Configuration → SVM Mode → Enabled
Step E — Save & Reboot
Choose:
✔ Save & Exit
✔ Exit Saving Changes
✔ F10
Your PC restarts.
⚠ IMPORTANT NOTE FOR WINDOWS USERS
Disable Hyper-V (if using VirtualBox)
Hyper-V conflicts with VirtualBox performance.
Option 1 — Check first
Run in Command Prompt:
systeminfo
Look at:
A hypervisor has been detected
If yes → disable it:
Option 2 — Disable Hyper-V
In Admin Command Prompt:
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
Restart computer.
Or via Windows Features:
1. Open Control Panel → Programs → Turn Windows features on or off
2. Uncheck:
o Hyper-V
o Windows Hypervisor Platform
o Virtual Machine Platform
3. Restart
PART 2 — Install Oracle VM VirtualBox
✔ Windows Installation
Step 1 — Download
Go to Oracle VirtualBox official site
[Link]
Step 2 — Run Installer
Double-click:
[Link]
Step 3 — Click Through Installer
• Next
• Choose install location (default fine)
• Leave networking components enabled
• Approve driver installs if prompted
• Click Install
• Finish
✔ macOS (Intel Macs Only)
Step 1 — Download macOS Host version
From VirtualBox site [Link]
Step 2 — Open the .dmg
Run installer package
Step 3 — Grant Permissions (if blocked)
Go to:
System Settings → Security & Privacy
Click Allow Oracle
Restart if asked.
✔ Linux Installation (Common Distros)
Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install virtualbox
Optional kernel modules installed automatically.
Fedora
sudo dnf install VirtualBox
Arch
sudo pacman -S virtualbox
PART 3 — Install & Run Kali Linux in VirtualBox (Using Pre-Installed VM Image)
Step 1 — Download the Kali Linux VirtualBox Image
1. Go to: [Link]
2. Scroll to Virtual Machines
3. Select VirtualBox
4. Download the .7z (7-Zip archive) file
This image already includes Kali installed and configured.
Step 2 — Extract the Downloaded File
You’ll get files like:
[Link]
[Link]
Use 7-Zip / WinRAR / built-in extractor.
Step 3 — Import the VM Into VirtualBox
1. Open VirtualBox
2. Click Machine → Add…
3. Browse to the extracted folder
4. Select the .vbox file
5. Click Open
Kali is now added to your VM list.
Step 4 — Adjust VM Settings (Recommended)
Right-click the VM → Settings
System → Motherboard
• Base Memory:
o Minimum 2 GB
o Recommended 4–8 GB
System → Processor
• CPUs:
o Minimum 2 cores
o Recommended 4 cores (if available)
• Enable:
✔ PAE/NX
Display
• Video Memory → 128 MB
Step 5 — Start Kali Linux
Click Start
Default login (official defaults):
Username: kali
Password: kali
You can change the password later.
Step 6 - Enable Clipboard Sharing
Settings → General → Advanced
• Shared Clipboard: Bidirectional
• Drag’n’Drop: Bidirectional
Install Extension Pack for USB 3.0 support
⚠ Apple Silicon Macs
VirtualBox Kali VM images do not run on M-series ARM Macs.
Use UTM / Parallels instead.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Problem 1 — “VT-x/AMD-V not available”
✔ Enable in BIOS
✔ Disable Hyper-V
✔ Update CPU microcode
✔ Ensure your CPU supports virtualization
Older CPUs might not.
Problem 2 — Only 32-bit OS options show
Means virtualization not detected.
Fix by:
• Enable VT-x / SVM
• Disable Hyper-V
• Reboot fully (power off, wait 10 sec)
Problem 3 — VirtualBox crashes or freezes
Try:
• Update VirtualBox to latest
• Turn off nested paging
• Reduce RAM allocation
Problem 4 — USB Not Working
Install Extension Pack
Then:
Settings → USB → Enable USB 3.0
Problem 5 — Secure Boot on Linux
You may need to sign kernel modules.
Easiest option:
Disable Secure Boot temporarily.