Emulating macOS on Windows: Complete Guide to VirtualBox

Would you like to try the Apple operating environment without having to buy a new computer? In this detailed guide I will explain how to emulate macOS on Windows using VirtualBox, one of the most reliable software for creating and managing virtual machines.

Download required: Tools and Files #

Before entering the configuration, it is essential to download and install the essential tools. This tutorial will show you step by step how to configure a macOS virtual machine by relying on Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager.

You will also need a disk image of the operating system. In this guide we will focus on macOS Catalina. You can find the files you need for emulation in the next section, but we always invite you to consult the hardware specifications on the official website Apple.

This procedure has been tested specifically for installing macOS in a virtualized environment running on Intel hardware architecture.

Virtual Machine Preparation and Creation #

Start downloading the latest version of VirtualBox from Oracle official website. For this tutorial we used version 6.1.4, but steps remain valid for the latest configurations.

Download the Virtual Image of macOS #

Use the link provided below to download the disk image of macOS Catalina, already prepared to be correctly recognized by virtualization software.

Note: If the Google Drive server should report reaching the download limit, right-click the file and select “Copy” to transfer it to your personal drive. From there, you can proceed with the download without restrictions.

Download macOS Catalina Virtual Machine Images (Password for archive: Geekrar.com).

After downloading the archive, right-click and extract the file using a reliable decompression software. For example, you can use 7-Zip: right-click the file, select 7-Zip > Extract in “macOS Catalina”.

Installation of the VirtualBox Extension Pack #

To ensure the proper functioning of essential peripherals, it is mandatory to install the official extension package. This add-on integrates support for USB 3.0 ports, mouse and keyboard optimization and other key system patches.

Download the component from here: VirtualBox Extension Pack for Windows.

Scroll down the web page, select “All supported platforms” to download it, then double-click the file to start the automatic installation within the program.

Virtual Machine Initial Configuration #

Launch VirtualBox, click on the New button and type “macOS” in the name field.

The software will automatically detect the operating system based on the inserted text, setting the default version on “Mac OS X”. Leave the suggested parameters as they are.

Choose a simple and easy to remember name for your virtual machine (for example macoscat). Next, you will need to type this name within some command strings: avoiding complex spaces or names will greatly facilitate the procedure.

At this point, define the amount of RAM memory to allocate to the virtual machine. I suggest you assign a minimum of 4 GB (4096 MB) to ensure stability, but if your host computer has a lot of memory available, increase this value will dramatically improve system fluidity.

Caution: Never assign more than half of the total RAM available on your host PC, as Windows needs sufficient memory to continue working in the background without abnormal arrests.

Now is the time to connect the hard drive. Select the Use an existing virtual hard disk file option, click the folder icon and search for the file in VMDK format extracted previously. Finally, press on Crea.

Edit Advanced Settings #

Stop: do not start the virtual machine yet! To avoid kernel panic errors, it is imperative to optimize some advanced settings. Right-click the macOS virtual machine and select Settings.

Move to the System section, remove the check from “Floppy” in the boot order to disable it and make sure that the chipset drop-down menu is strictly set to ICH9.

Always on the System screen, select the Processor tab. Assign at least two logical cores to the virtual machine. If you have a high-end CPU (such as a Intel Core i7 or i9 processor), you can consider assigning four or more to maximize overall performance.

Before switching to another menu, make sure the Abilita PAE/NX option is checked.

Switch to the Screen (or Display) section and set the Video Memory slider to the maximum allowed, i.e. 128 MB.

Register now in the Archive section and select the box next to Use I/O host cache associated with the data controller.

As the ultimate essential step, access the USB card, select the USB 3.0 (xHCI) controller option to ensure fast data transfer with external peripherals, and then click OK to save.

VirtualBox Patch through Command Prompt #

Although the virtual environment has been configured, VirtualBox is not structured to process a Apple installation file natively. You need to apply a patch to allow the software to work properly with the VMDK file.

To do this, you need to inject some directives using the host operating system command line. Pay close attention to the following details.

Start closing VirtualBox completely. The commands will not be executed and will return a process error if the program or one of its associated services are still running in the background.

Press the Windows + X key combination on the keyboard, then select Command Prompt (Administrator) from the context menu.

If your menu shows only the PowerShell or Terminal option, open the Start menu, type “cmd” in the search bar. Then right-click the Command Prompt icon and choose Run as administrator.

The underlying patching procedure is compatible with both the VirtualBox 5.x and the latest 6.x series.

Use the following command to place you within Oracle VirtualBox installation directory:

cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\"

Now, copy and paste the following command lines, once at a time, pressing Enter at the end of each. Be sure to replace the “macoscat” word with the exact name you assigned to your virtual machine. Here are the necessary scripts:

VBoxManage.exe modifyvm "macoscat" --cpuidset 00000001 000106e5 00100800 0098e3fd bfebfbffVBoxManage setextradata "macoscat" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemProduct" "iMac11,3"VBoxManage setextradata "macoscat" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemVersion" "1.0"VBoxManage setextradata "macoscat" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiBoardProduct" "Iloveapple"VBoxManage setextradata "macoscat" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/DeviceKey" "ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc"VBoxManage setextradata "macoscat" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/GetKeyFromRealSMC" 1

After completing the insertion of all code lines (and assuming that the terminal has not returned error messages), you can safely close the Command Prompt window.

First Start and Installation of macOS #

Open VirtualBox. Double-click the macOS virtual machine (or select it and press “Start”) to turn it on. Initially you will see a dense series of diagnostic information texts, followed shortly by a gray screen.

The gray loading screen may take a few minutes to be overcome: do not alarm yourself, it is a completely physiological behavior. Once the processing is completed, the interface will load and present the welcome and configuration screen of macOS Catalina.

From this point on, the user interface will guide you in the configuration of the time zone, keyboard layout and personal account, similar to the first ignition of a real Apple computer.

Pro Tip: As soon as you pass the gray screen, I highly recommend taking a snapshot (snapshot) of your virtual machine. This way, if something goes wrong during the installation, you can restore the rescue and restart the process without having to run all the command lines again.

Once you have arrived on the main desktop, do a rescue again to preserve a clean installation of the operating system. To do so, go to the top menu of VirtualBox and select Machine > Instant Bet, assign a clear name to your backup and wait for it to be processed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About macOS Emulation #

Is it legal to emulate macOS on a Windows PC? #

The EULA (End User License Agreement) by Apple strictly specifies that the macOS operating system is licensed to be installed and used exclusively on Apple branded machinery. macOS emulation on non-Apple hardware (such as the common Windows PCs) is a violation of the conditions of use and is generally only tolerated in laboratory areas for private computer and educational testing purposes.

What are the minimum system requirements to smoothly spin virtualized macOS? #

To avoid slowdowns and a compromised user experience, it is recommended to have a computer equipped with Intel processor or modern multi-core AMD, a minimum of 8 GB of total RAM memory (in order to be able to allocate at least 4 GB to the virtual machine without blocking Windows) and installation on a fast SSD drive with at least 50 GB of allocable free space.

Why is the graphical interface of the virtual machine slow or snap? #

The main limit of emulation via VirtualBox is the absence of native support for hardware acceleration of the video card. macOS relies heavily on the “Metal” graphic engine, which cannot be fully replicated in virtualized environments. Make sure you have assigned the 128 MB maximum video memory and an adequate number of processor cores is the best practice to mitigate visual delay.