Complete Guide to Fix VirtualBox Errors for macOS Installation: 13 FIXES

Installing macOS on VirtualBox can feel like navigating a maze of cryptic errors—kernel panics, endless boot loops, or the dreaded “Failed to open a session for the virtual machine” message. Whether you’re setting up macOS High Sierra, Mojave, or an older OS X version, VirtualBox errors while installing Mac OS X are a common roadblock for developers, hobbyists, and curious users alike. These issues often stem from misconfigurations, incompatible hardware, or overlooked settings, leaving even tech-savvy users scratching their heads.

But don’t let frustration derail your goals! This complete guide is your troubleshooting toolkit, designed to tackle the most stubborn VirtualBox errors while installing Mac OS X. We’ll walk through fixes for problems like “Stuck on Apple Logo,” “Invalid Checksum,” or “This Version of Mac OS X Is Not Supported,” and provide step-by-step solutions to ensure your virtual machine runs smoothly. From adjusting CPU settings and updating VirtualBox extensions to patching macOS installers and configuring EFI parameters, we’ve got you covered.

Before diving in, a quick note: Installing macOS on non-Apple hardware via VirtualBox violates Apple’s EULA, so proceed only if you own a valid macOS license and use this guide for educational or testing purposes.

By the end of this post, you’ll not only resolve those pesky VirtualBox errors while installing Mac OS X but also gain the confidence to troubleshoot future hiccups. Let’s turn those error messages into a fully functional macOS virtual machine! 🛠️💻

Minimum System Requirements to install macOS on VirtualBox:

Minimum system requirements to install macOS X on Virtualbox are: (It will help run macOS High Sierra or later versions without any problem.)

• Minimum 2 GB memory (Recommended 8GB or higher)
• Minimum 2 cores of processors (Recommended 4 cores or higher)
• Hard disk free space 40 GB (Recommended 100GB or higher)
• Your system should support Intel or AMD VT (Virtualization Technology)
• Intel/AMD VT (Virtualization Technology) should be enabled from the BIOS setup. Use this guide: How to Enable Virtualization in Windows 11? Easy Guide

For fast performance, try installing macOS X on an SSD rather than an HDD.

Required: Enable Virtualization Technology (aka Intel VT or AMD-V). See the video below.

Some key points to remember before installing Mac OS X:

1. Intel CPU works better than AMD

2. Turn OFF Antivirus programs (Windows Defender) and Windows Firewall before starting the install

3. Set Video RAM to between 64-128MB

4. Use no spaces in VM name (ex, “MACOSX” not “MAC OSX”). Also, no punctuation. Also, re-verify:

 VM Type: Mac OS X and Version: Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan (64-bit)

 (These are in Virtualbox Settings->General)

5. Use wired Internet, not WiFi, for initial downloads/updates.

6. Run the CMD window as Administrator when entering command-line commands. Use this guide: How to “Run as Administrator” an application on Windows: 3 Easy Methods

7. You may need to start VirtualBox as an Administrator. Use this guide: How to “Run as Administrator” an application on Windows: 3 Easy Methods

8. Be patient during the initial boot-up. It runs disk checks and other repairs… and can reboot several times.

9. Be sure your HD or SSD has >80GB of free space. All the updates after the initial installation gobble space.

10. Black Screen? Try video RAM > 64MB and Chipset = PIIX3

11. Do not install VirtualBox Extensions “CD”

12. Before adding commands to CMD, make sure you have quit your VirtualBox.

Fix VirtualBox Errors for macOS Virtual Machines

1. Unkown option –cpuidset

If you get this error, “VBoxManage.exe: error: Unknown option. –cpuidset. The VM hangs on boot” while adding the first code in the Command Prompt. It’s because of the double hyphen. Use a Double hyphen “- – “before cpuidset.

2. VBoxManage error: Could not find a registered machine named Your VM Name

If you get this error “VBoxManage error: Could not find a registered machine named Your VM Name“, it is because you haven’t used the correct name of your virtual machine when adding the codes on CMD.

You need to use the same VM Name you used when creating the virtual disk.

3. Missing Bluetooth Controller

If you get this error, close the virtual machine before adding the CMD codes.

4. Guru Meditation error or Black Screen

This error is mainly seen because of two issues-

The critical error happens due to the guest operating system. It is trying to switch to the PAE mode, which is currently disabled by default in VirtualBox. PAE support can be enabled using the VM settings (System/Processor)”.

1. Open VM VirtualBox
2. File -> Settings -> System -> Processor
3. Check Extended Features: Enable PAE/NX

OR,

For people with the black screen problem or Guro Meditation error, change the operating system version from macOS 10.13 High Sierra (64-bit) or macOS 10.12 Sierra (64-bit) to just Mac OS X (64-bit). If the error persists, switch the Video Memory Size to 128 MB from the Virtual Machine settings. This is a significant issue for most users.

5. This version of Mac OS X is not supported on this platform. Reason: Iloveapple

Make sure Virtualization Technology (VT) is enabled in the BIOS.

error: VBoxManage setextradata “OSX” “VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/DeviceKey” “ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc” and you are stuck at appleKeyStore: operation failed (pid:30 sel:7 ret:e00002c2 ‘-536870206’)

Exit VirtualBox before adding code to the CMD.

6. Yhal Htet Aung

Try to change the inverted commons throughout the virtual codes. Since you are copying the codes, you might be using the wrong inverted commas.

So, copy the codes in your notepad file, replace all the inverted commas with your keyboard, and try again.

7. Invalid Virtualbox Version

Make sure you add the right virtual codes and are using the latest version of VirtualBox. You can download the correct version codes here-

Download the latest version of VirtualBox

8. Stuck in an infinite loop on the Black Screen

If you are stuck on a bootloop, try reducing the number of processors to 1.

Also, try using this command as the last command on CMD- (FOR AMD PROCESSORS)

VBoxManage modifyvm “VM_name” –cpu-profile “Intel Core i7-6700K”

Or,

Try Motherboard Chipset – both PIIX3 and ICH9 one by one

9. install.nsh is not recognized as an Internal Command

1st method:
If you get ‘install.nsh’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program, or script file. You have not attached the VirtualBox Boot Image.

See, https://www.geekrar.com/fix-macos-catalina-install-nsh-isnt-recognized-as-an-internal-error/

2nd method:
If you then get messages along the lines of ‘\macOS Install Data\Locked Files\Boot Files\boot.efi’ missing or not recognized:

run setup.nsh

now run, fs0:\System\Library\CoreServices\boot.efi

And all should now spring into life.

3rd method:

1. At UEFI prompt: Type exit
2. You’ll be brought into an EFI text-mode GUI.
3. Select Boot Maintenance Manager and click.
4. Select Boot From File and click

You should see two entries in a list (they are cryptic-looking PCI bus paths).

The first PCI path in the list is probably the boot partition that doesn’t contain bootable firmware. The second PCI path is probably to the recovery partition, the one you need to boot from. If the 2nd partition isn’t the recovery partition, look under the paths in the list to see if one of them is it. If the recovery partition isn’t present and valid, these instructions won’t work.

Click the 2nd entry, you should see (and then click):

macOS Install Data

Then click:

Locked Files

Then (if present), click

Boot Files

And finally click:

boot.efi

The installation will continue, or you will boot into the OS or get the Recovery utility menu (where macOS can be reinstalled from or Disk Utilities run). The ambiguity of that last statement is that I did that a while before writing this comment, and I don’t recall what I booted into first, only that it worked and was not hard to figure out what to do at that point. If you have a recovery partition, to boot directly into the Recovery Mode, turn on the Mac and immediately press and hold (⌘-) R

10. Change Screen Resolution on VirtualBox for macOS

If you want to fix your macOS High Sierra screen resolution in VirtualBox in the first place. You should also execute the following code. Use the command line below and paste it into your Command Prompt.

cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox"
VBoxManage setextradata "VM Name" VBoxInternal2/EfiGraphicsResolution HxV

You must change “VM Name” with your virtual machine name and HxV with a screen resolution such as “1920×1080“. 

If you are still facing some issues, try using VMware to install macOS on your Windows. When your current PC does not support VirtualBox and its configurations, try switching to VMware. The process for it is relatively painless.

11. Share files and folders between Windows and MAC on Virtual Machines

You can go through this complete guide- How to share folders on VirtualBox & VMware? (Windows-MAC)

I tried installing macOS Catalina on a Virtual machine on Windows 10 on a low configuration system. You can watch the video tutorial here-

12. This copy of the Install macOS application is damaged and can’t be used to install macOS

1. On the macOS Utilities screen, open Terminal from the tool menu.

2. Execute the date command in Terminal and check the current date. To solve this error, you need to set the date back 3 or 5 years.

3. Disconnect the VM from the Internet

4. Execute the command “date 102523382016” in the terminal. After applying this command, click Install macOS again and start the installation.

NOTE: The ISO file is definitely not faulty or corrupt!

5. Now close your Terminal.

6. From macOS Utilities, select Install macOS and click on Continue.

13. Stuck at random seed (If you are using an AMD Processor)

Change the last line of the Virtualbox code to:

VBoxManage modifyvm “VM Title” --cpu-profile “Intel Core i7-6700K”

Replace “VM Title” with your Virtual Machine name, “High Sierra“.

Conclusion

Tackling VirtualBox errors while installing Mac OS X can be a daunting task, but with the right approach, even the most stubborn issues—from kernel panics to boot loops—are solvable. By following this guide, you’ve not only resolved frustrating roadblocks but also gained a deeper understanding of VirtualBox configurations, macOS compatibility tweaks, and troubleshooting strategies. Whether you fixed “Stuck on Apple Logo” errors, adjusted CPU settings, or patched installer files, you’ve transformed a seemingly impossible task into a functional macOS virtual machine.

Remember, while VirtualBox offers flexibility for running macOS on non-Apple hardware, always adhere to Apple’s licensing terms. Use your newly configured setup responsibly, ideally with a legitimate macOS license, and prioritize testing, development, or educational goals.

Now that you’ve conquered those VirtualBox errors while installing Mac OS X, it’s time to put your virtual machine to work—test apps, explore macOS features, or dive into cross-platform development. And if you hit a new snag down the line, revisit this guide or share your experience in the comments. Every error resolved is a step closer to mastering virtualization!

Happy tinkering, and enjoy your seamless macOS-on-Windows journey! 🖥️✨