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Are you passionate about cybersecurity or ethical hacking? If so, Kali Linux is a name you’re already familiar with. It’s a powerful Debian-based distribution tailored for penetration testing and digital forensics. But running it as your primary OS may not always be practical. That’s where virtualization comes in handy.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through installing Kali Linux 2025.1A on VirtualBox on a Windows PC. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, this tutorial covers everything from enabling virtualization in Windows to installing Kali Linux 2025 in a VirtualBox virtual machine.
🛠️ Prerequisites
Before we dive in, here’s a quick checklist of what you’ll need:
- A Windows PC with virtualization enabled
- Kali Linux 2025.1A ISO file
- Oracle VirtualBox and Extension Pack
- Python and Visual C++ installed (for dependencies)
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Enable Virtualization in Windows
- Click on the Start Menu and open Settings.
- Navigate to System > Windows Update and ensure your Windows is up to date.
- Search for Control Panel, go to Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.
- Scroll down and disable “Hyper-V”.
- Scroll further and enable “Virtual Machine Platform”.
- Click OK and restart your PC.
To enable Virtualization from BIOS, you can use this guide: How to Enable Virtualization in Windows 11?.
⚠️ These settings are crucial for running VirtualBox correctly on Windows.
Step 2: Download Required Files
1. Download VirtualBox
- Open your browser and search for “VirtualBox”.
- Click the first official link from virtualbox.org.
- Click on “Windows hosts” to download the setup file.
2. Download VirtualBox Extension Pack
- On the same VirtualBox downloads page, scroll down to Virtualbox Extension Pack.
- Click “Accept and download”, download the
.vbox-extpackfile.
3. Download Kali Linux 2025.1A
- Search for “Kali Linux 2025 download” and go to the official https://www.kali.org/get-kali/ page.
- Click Installer Images and select “Installer” under the Windows version.
- Download the ISO file (~4.1 GB).
4. Install Python and Visual C++
- Search for Python, download, and install the latest version from python.org. You can also go to the Microsoft Store and your Python to the latest version.
- Then search for Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, and install it from the official Microsoft site.
Step 3: Install VirtualBox and Extension Pack
- Double-click the downloaded VirtualBox setup file and follow the on-screen installation instructions.
- Once installed, restart your PC.
- After rebooting, double-click the VirtualBox Extension Pack file. It will automatically open VirtualBox and prompt you to install the extension.
- Click on the Install button.
- Once complete, close your Virtualbox application and restart it.
If you are stuck, you can use this guide: How to Install Virtualbox on Windows: 3 Easy Steps.
Step 4: Create a Kali Linux 2025 Virtual Machine
- Open VirtualBox and click on “New”.
- Name your VM (e.g., Kali Linux).
- Under ISO image, click the arrow → Other → select your Kali Linux ISO file.
- Leave the rest of the settings as default and click Next or Hardware.
Configure Hardware
- Base Memory (RAM): Allocate memory under the green line (Recommended: 4 GB or more).
- Processors: Allocate 2 to 4 CPU cores, depending on your system.
- Click Finish.
Step 5: Install Kali Linux 2025.1A on Virtualbox
- Click Start to boot your VM.
- Choose Graphical install. If the mouse doesn’t work, use your keyboard arrows and Enter key.
Follow Installation Steps:
- Hostname: Type in a name (e.g., kali) → Continue
- Domain Name: Leave blank → Continue
- Full Name: Enter your name (e.g., Techrechard)
- Username: Choose a username and password → Continue
- Partitioning:
- Select Guided – use entire disk
- Choose your virtual hard drive → Continue
- Select All files in one partition → Continue
- Click Finish partitioning and write changes to disk
- Confirm with Yes
đź•’ Installation may take around 10-15 minutes.
Step 6: Install GRUB Boot Loader
- When prompted, choose Yes to install GRUB.
- Use the Tab key to move to Continue → Press Enter.
- Select your hard disk using arrow keys → Use Tab to move to Continue → Enter.
- Wait for GRUB to install, then select Continue to reboot.
Step 7: First Boot & Login
- Once rebooted, press Enter to boot into Kali Linux.
- Enter your username and password.
- Click Login.
You are now running Kali Linux 2025.1A inside VirtualBox!
Step 8: Enable Fullscreen Mode
- In VirtualBox, go to View > Fullscreen Mode.
- Use the right Ctrl + F to toggle in and out of fullscreen.
Step 9: Enable Clipboard and File Sharing
By default, drag and drop and shared clipboard are disabled.
To enable them:
- Shut down your Kali Linux VM.
- Select your Kali VM > Click Settings > Go to General > Advanced.
- Set Shared Clipboard and Drag n Drop to Bidirectional.
- Click OK and restart your VM.
🔄 With VirtualBox Guest Additions now pre-installed in latest versions, file sharing and clipboard will work out of the box.
You’re All Set!
Congratulations! 🎉
You’ve successfully installed Kali Linux 2025.1A on VirtualBox using a Windows PC.
You can now begin exploring Kali’s vast toolkit for penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and network analysis—all within a safe virtualized environment.
Complete Video Tutorial:
Kali Linux 2025: Troubleshooting & Final Thoughts
- During installation of Kali Linux 2025, if your mouse or keyboard isn’t responsive, use keyboard navigation (Tab, Enter).
- For drag-and-drop issues, make sure VirtualBox Guest Additions are properly installed. Download the latest version of Virtualbox, as it supports Guest Additions by default.
- Need help? Drop a comment below.
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