Installing macOS on VirtualBox for Windows Users: A Step-by-Step Guide

As a Windows user, you may be curious about installing macOS on your computer using VirtualBox. While it's not an official way of running macOS, Microsoft provides a unique opportunity to obtain a valid license key for enterprise clients. In this article, we'll walk you through the process of acquiring a Windows 10 Pro key and installing macOS on VirtualBox.

Acquiring a Windows License

To start, you'll need to acquire a Windows 10 Pro key from Microsoft. As an educational institution, Middlebury College provides its students with access to a network that grants Windows licenses. To obtain your free license, follow these steps:

1. Go to the official Microsoft website and navigate to the 'Semi-Annual Channel versions' section.

2. Copy the Windows 10 Pro key provided on this page.

Once you have your license key, you can proceed with installing Windows 10 on VirtualBox.

Preparing Your Mac

Before installing Windows 10, make sure your Mac is up-to-date and meets the minimum system requirements:

1. Update your Mac to the latest version of macOS.

2. Ensure it has at least 8GB of RAM.

Downloading the Installation Disk

To download an ISO file of the installation disk, follow these steps:

1. Go to Microsoft's official website and sign in with your school account (if required).

2. Download the ARM Preview version of Windows 10 for Intel chips using VirtualBox. Note that if you have an M1 Mac, you'll need a special version of Windows that runs on ARM processors.

Installing macOS on VirtualBox

Now that you've acquired a Windows license and prepared your Mac, it's time to install Windows 10 on VirtualBox:

1. Launch VirtualBox and create a new virtual machine.

2. Select 'Windows 10' as the operating system and choose the 64-bit version.

3. Allocate at least 4GB of RAM and a suitable hard disk size (at least 20GB).

4. Click 'Create' to create the virtual machine.

After creating the virtual machine, you can proceed with installing Windows 10:

1. Mount the ISO file you downloaded earlier and start the installation process.

2. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Activating Your License

Once the installation is complete, you'll need to activate your Windows license:

1. Go to Settings > Activation and enter your license key.

2. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the activation process.

That's it! You should now have a functional virtual machine running Windows 10 with macOS installed using VirtualBox. Keep in mind that this is not an official way of running macOS, but Microsoft provides this opportunity for enterprise clients. If you're a Mac user, there are other alternatives such as Parallels or VMWare that allow you to run multiple operating systems on your computer without the need to sell your Mac.

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