How to Install Windows Vista in VirtualBox 7.0 on Windows 11 & 10

Do you want to experience and discover an old system like Windows Vista x64 Ultimate again? Don’t worry; even if your new PC doesn’t support this Vista, there is always a way. Here is a great free software that allows us to do this: Oracle VM VirtualBox!

Of course, even though the Microsoft Vista era is over, I believe that we need to know the evolution of Microsoft. In this article, I will tell you how to install Windows Vista x64 Ultimate with Oracle VM VirtualBox on Windows 11 & 10. Plus, I will go into all the necessary details and cover how to create a proper virtual machine.

How to Set Up Windows Vista x64 Ultimate on Windows 11 / 10 using Oracle VM VirtualBox 7

In November 2006, Microsoft introduced the Windows Vista operating system, comprehended by its codename Longhorn, to cater to its user base.

The main features of this system include the Windows Aero theme, a new graphical interface, and SuperFetch, which offers faster application launch than older systems. Offering a better visual interface with the Aero theme, this operating system has many improvements that allow users to manage their computers more easily.

Furthermore, Windows Vista encompasses Media Player 11, enabling users to enhance their media experience, along with Internet Explorer 7, which provides enhanced security measures for a more efficient and secure Internet browsing experience.

Since its release in 2006, it has obtained Service Pack 1 (SP1) in 2008 to enhance system security and reliability. Later, it released Service Pack 2 (SP2) on May 26, 2009, which supports Bluray and Bluetooth new technologies. After all these improvements, Microsoft completely ended support for the Vista distribution on April 11, 2017.

When Microsoft’s Vista system is compared to other systems, significant changes have been made thanks to the visual user interface or the Sidebar tool that allows adding essential tools.

There are still users who use the Vista system today. Still, many of them no longer use Vista due to the increasing system vulnerabilities and security concerns caused by the developing technology.

Installing a Windows Vista system on a physical computer can be dangerous in terms of data security in today’s technological age. Therefore, you can install and experience this system on virtual machines using software from developers who offer Oracle VM VirtualBox or other virtualization solutions.

How to Create a New VM (Virtual Machine) for Windows Vista OS

Irrespective of the platform or operating system version employed on your host computer, installing older and newer Windows, Linux, and macOS systems is feasible through virtual machines.

After downloading and installing VirtualBox, a free software developed by Oracle company, on your host system, you must create a virtual computer for the Vista system.

Step 1

After running your VirtualBox program, click Machine / New from the tool menu or click New with the big icon on the right to open the virtual PC preparation wizard.

Step 2

The initial step involves selecting the desired platform and system version for installation to commence the preparation of the Virtual PC. Upon entering the name of the operating system you wish to install in the designated Name field, the program will promptly ascertain the system type through automated means.

If the system’s architecture cannot be selected automatically after typing WindowsVista in the Name field, manually choose 64-Bit from the Version field. Then, click Other from the drop-down menu from ISO Image to add an ISO file.

Step 3

Please choose the Windows Vista ISO file you downloaded to your computer from the list below the article and then add it.

Step 4

Since the VirtualBox 7.x version has a new user interface, you can preconfigure some system settings. However, if you prefer to install the system manually, select Skip Unattended Installation.

Step 5

Depending on the hardware features of your host computer, specify a suitable RAM size and the number of virtual processor cores for the virtual machine.

Step 6

Since you will install Windows Vista from scratch, you must create a new virtual hard disk. If you have the disk of a VM you have installed before, you can add it with the Add an existing virtual disk file option. Configure the virtual disk size as a minimum of 30 GB and continue.

If you are using one of the 6.x versions of VirtualBox, since the interface is different, select the VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image) virtual disk type recommended by Oracle at this stage, which is selected by default, and hit Next.

To back up the virtual hard disk on your host computer, choose the Dynamically Allocated or Fixed Size. If you want the disk size assigned to the virtual disk to be separated from your host disk, you can select the Fixed Size. This option will slightly increase the performance of the virtual computer. Still, it will unnecessarily fill the capacity of your host disk.

Select the Dynamically Allocated option, which allows the disk space allocation from the host disk if the VM needs it, and press Next.

Step 7

After creating your virtual machine, check the settings of the Vista guest machine and close the VM wizard.

Step 8

To configure the settings of the Windows Vista virtual system more professionally, open Settings.

Step 9

Configure the Shared Clipboard and Drag and Drop options as Bidirectional for file and text copying between the host and your virtual PC.

Step 10

Disable the Floppy device from the Boot Order section of the Motherboard hardware and download it to the bottom row. Since you will be adding the ISO image file of the system on Optical, set it to the first place.

Step 11

If you will use a virtualization program on the guest machine, enable the Nested VT-x/AMD-V feature.

Step 12

Enable Nested Paging for better memory management between the host and VM.

Step 13

After enabling the 3D Acceleration feature in the Display / Screen tab, configure the graphics memory of the virtual GPU device to 256 MB.

Step 14

To improve the disk performance of the virtual machine, enable the Host I/O Cache on the SATA controller of the Storage device.

Step 15

Also, configure the WindowsVista.vdi virtual disk file as a Solid-State Drive (SSD).

Step 16

To activate the USB 3.0 functionality in Vista, navigate to the USB device settings, select the appropriate 3.0 type (xHCI), and turn off the corresponding settings.

Step 17

Start your guest machine by clicking the Start button to begin installing Windows Vista with VirtualBox. When the Startup Disk window opens, choose the Vista image file and click Start again.

How to Install Windows Vista in VirtualBox

After configuring the virtual machine appropriately, you can install the system, mimicking the process as if you were installing it on a physical computer starting from this point.

Step 1

The Windows Boot Manager screen will open after starting your virtual computer and selecting your startup disk. Press Enter on the Windows Vista x64 Setup [EMS Enabled] option on this screen and start the installation.

Step 2

In the Install Windows window, select the display language you want to use for your system, your current date format, and your keyboard layout.

Step 3

Click the Install Now button to run Vista on your guest machine and continue.

Step 4

In this window, you must select the Windows Vista architecture you want to install. And then, select the Ultimate x64 architecture.

Step 5

Accept the license agreement for Microsoft Vista software and continue.

Step 6

The Upgrade option is disabled because you will run a clean Vista OS. Click Custom (Advanced) to proceed to configure settings such as disk configuration and continue.

Step 7

Click Drive Options in the disk setup window. To use the unallocated disk space, click New and then click Apply to let the system set the disk space automatically.

Step 8

After creating a new disk space on the virtual HDD, select Disk 0 Partition 1.

Step 9

Wait while the setup wizard expands the Windows system files.

Step 10

Your guest machine will restart automatically when the specified timer expires. Click the Restart Now button to renew your virtual system immediately.

Step 11

Type a new username for your Vista system, select a profile picture, and hit Next.

Step 12

In the same way, type your computer name, select your background wallpaper, and press Next again.

Step 13

Specify in this window how you want to select the Windows Update settings for your system. Even though the extended support of Vista has ended, choose Use Recommended Settings at this stage.

Step 14

Configure your Windows virtual machine’s date and time settings according to your country.

Step 15

Specify the current location of your virtual computer as Home, Work, or Public, and continue.

Step 16

Click the Start button to determine the performance of your Windows Vista virtual system and prepare the desktop.

Step 17

Wait while the Windows wizard checks the guest machine’s performance.

Step 18

Wait while the desktop of your Vista system is being prepared.

Step 19

After the installation steps, the first boot view of the Windows Vista operating system will be as follows.

How to Install Guest Additions on Windows Vista VM

Upon successfully installing a Windows or Linux operating system using VirtualBox, it is essential to establish the Guest Additions software to enable the utilization of the host hardware within the virtual machine.

Step 1

After installing Windows Vista, when you open Device Manager and view the drivers, you can see that the Base System Device device is not installed and the virtual graphics adapter software under Display Adapter is not installed correctly.

Step 2

Click Devices / Insert Guest Additions CD Image from VirtualBox’s tool menu.

While installing Vista in 6.x versions, you will get an Installation Aborted error at this stage. This error is because the latest versions of the Oracle program no longer fully support the Vista system. To fix this problem, you need to download and install the old version guest additions image file.

To download an older version of the Guest Additions software, visit this address and select version 6.1.0_RC1 or one of the other versions. Download the VBoxGuestAdditions_6.1.0_RC1.iso file to your host system.

To proceed, kindly right-click the CD/DVD icon at the bottom right of your guest machine and then select the “Choose a disk file” option. Select and open the old version of the guest addition image file that you downloaded to your host computer.

Step 3

If the installation wizard does not form automatically, open My Computer and run the VBoxWindowsAdditions_amd64 file as administrator after viewing the contents of VirtualBox Guest Additions.

Step 4

After running the setup file, when the guest add-ons setup wizard opens, click Next to continue the installation.

Step 5

Do not change the installation location of the guest software; click Next.

Step 6

Check Direct3D support in the Choose Components window and click the Install button.

Step 7

Check the Always Trust Oracle software option when installing the virtual machine drivers and click the Install button.

If Windows Security warns against installing unsigned drivers, click Install this driver software.

Step 8

After installing guest additions on your virtual PC, restart your VM for the modifications to take effect.

Step 9

Upon examining the Device Manager following the boot-up of your virtual system, you will observe that all the drivers have been installed successfully.

Step 10

To adapt your Windows Vista virtual computer to your host’s screen, click View / Full-Screen Mode from the tool menu and check the screen resolution.

Step 11

After installing the necessary software for your virtual machine, try to copy a text document from your host PC by dragging and dropping it into your guest machine. The file transfer works if you see +Copy next to the file, as in the image below.

How to Test Internet Connection in Vista VM

A network connection may not be established when the VirtualBox program services installed on your host system do not work correctly. For this reason, checking your Internet connection after each new guest machine installation is helpful.

Step 1

After typing cmd in the search box in the start menu on your Windows Vista system, run the tool and test your Internet connection by pinging Google servers using the ping 8.8.8.8 command.

Step 2

When the ping test is successful, open the Internet Explorer browser installed by default on your system and verify your connection by visiting the Google search engine.

How to Configure Shared Folder

After setting up a virtual PC with VirtualBox, we recommend using the Shared Folder feature for more efficient and error-free file copying between the host and the VM. With the assistance of the Shared Folder characteristic, you can access a folder on your host PC directly from your virtual computer.

Step 1

While your guest machine is running, click Devices / Shared Folders / Shared Folders Settings.

Step 2

When the Shared Folder window opens, click the green + button to open the Add Share window. In the Folder Path section, add the location of the folder you created on your host and enable Auto-Mount and Make Permanent options to use the public folder as a network drive.

Step 3

When you view the shared folder on My Computer in the virtual machine, you can see that it is added as a network drive in the Network Location section. Likewise, you can see that the public folder is active in VBOXSVR over the Network.

Step 4

Now, create and configure a new folder in the Shared Folder. And then, check the folder in the Host and VM.

How to Install USB 3.0 Driver in the Vista Virtual Machine

You must change the default controller before using USB 3.0/3.1 storage or other Vista guest machine devices. Officially, Vista does not have USB 3.0 driver support. Still, you can enable support by changing the controller type in Oracle software.

Suppose you attempt to connect a USB 3.0/3.1 supported flash stick to your virtual machine without enabling 3.0 support. In that case, you will encounter an error pointing out that your storage device cannot be added.

Step 1

Upon inspecting the Device Manager, it will become evident that the driver cannot be installed, even if USB 3.0 is enabled.

Step 2

To fix the USB problem, shut down your Vista system entirely and then the Oracle software. Then, open PowerShell in the location where the virtualization program is installed and change the USB chip type by executing the command below.

./VBoxManage setextradata 'Windows Vista' VBoxInternal/Devices/usb-xhci/0/Config/ChipType uPD720201Copy

Step 3

Obtain the USB 3.0 Driver designed explicitly for Vista x64 by downloading it from the table at the bottom of the article. After extracting the archived file to the folder, run the RENESAS-USB3-Host-Driver-30230-setup file as administrator.

Step 4

Click Next when the Renesas USB Driver wizard opens.

Step 5

Accept the license agreement of Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 software.

Step 6

Click the Install button to build the driver for the USB hardware.

Step 7

After completing the Renesas Driver installation, click Finish.

Step 8

Plug a USB 3.x supported flash memory into your host computer and create a folder named Backup.

Step 9

Click Devices / USB / Kingston DataTraveler 3.0 (Name of Your USB Device) to connect the USB memory you have inserted in your host to the virtual computer.

Step 10

Upon inserting the flash memory device into your virtual system, the device will be recognized and ready for use once the USB Mass Storage Device driver is established. When you view My Computer on the guest machine, you can see that the system uses the KINGSTON branded USB memory.

How to Change Intel Audio Controller to Realtek ICH AC97 to Fix Sound Problem in VirtualBox 6.x Versions

The default Intel Audio controller defined in the Vista virtual machine causes system sounds to malfunction and echo.

1. After turning off your virtual PC, open its settings and click on the Audio device, then change the Audio Controller setting to ICH AC97 and close the window.
2. After running your virtual PC, you will see that the Multimedia Audio Controller device driver is not installed under Other Devices on Device Manager. To fix this problem, install the ICH AC97 audio controller driver for Vista x64.
3. Download the Realtek AC97 Audio Driver from the table at the bottom of the article and copy it to your VM. Then, after extracting the archived file to the folder, run the Setup file in the 6305_Vista_PG537 folder as an administrator.
4. When the Realtek AC’97 Audio 6.0.1.6305 x64 Edition setup wizard opens, click Next to continue.
5. Click Install this driver software anyway when you receive an unsigned driver warning during the audio driver installation.
6. After installing the sound driver for Vista, restart your virtual system.
7. When you recheck Device Manager on your guest machine, you can see that the Realtek AC’97 Audio device works under Sound, Video, and Game Controller.

Video

Installing Old Versions

Download Windows Vista ISO, USB, and Audio Driver

Conclusion

In conclusion, you can install all versions of Windows Vista x64 on a virtual machine with Oracle VM VirtualBox. This method is the safest way on your current PC. So you can experience this old operating system without compromising security.

In addition, you can create a new virtual machine correctly and appropriately through the steps I provided in the article. With this process, you can use VirtualBox for testing and development as well as exploring old systems.