How to install Windows 10 upgrade on VirtualBox when Graphics Adapter does not support it?

7

1

I'm running Mac OSX Yosemite v10.10.5 and Oracle Virtual Box v4.3.30 (reported as being the latest version by Check for Updates... in the application) and have a Windows 7 Ultimate running virtually on this machine. I would like to upgrade to Windows 10, however, the upgrade check complains:

This PC can't run Windows 10
It doesn't meet the system requirements.

Here's why Windows 10 can't be installed on this PC.

VirtualBox Graphics Adapter
The display manufacturer hasn't made your display compatible with Windows 10.
Check with the manufacturer for support.

Do I just need an updated version of GuestBox (also v4.3.30) additions? Do I need to wait for Oracle to fix their graphics driver, or is there a workaround to run Windows 10 upgrade today?


Update: I upgraded to VirtualBox v5.0.4 and installed the corresponding Guest Additions on the Windows machine, as well as the extensions suggested by Ramhound, although I'm not certain that was needed, are those for a Mac VM or for the host? After reboot, of the VM, I get the same error that Windows 10 cannot be installed due to the graphics driver being unsupported. Do I need to force the Windows machine to recheck the drivers somehow?


Update: Using the the Windows Media Creation Tool gave the error:

You can't install Windows 10 because your processor doesn't support NX.

I also had to increase the partition size to allow the install to attempt by first renaming it to drop the character from the vid filename to avoid errors resizing and then resized using the command:

VBoxManage modifyhd "/Users/xxx/VBox VMs/Windows/Windows 7.vdi" --resize 32000

WilliamKF

Posted 2015-09-19T01:08:23.870

Reputation: 6 916

1

The version of Vbox you are running does not support Windows 10, so upgrade it, to a version that does support it. Here and your extensions are also out of date.

– Ramhound – 2015-09-19T02:00:27.903

1@Ramhound Strange that v4.3.30 on check for updates says "You are already running the latest version of VirtualBox". Thanks for the tip! – WilliamKF – 2015-09-19T15:35:33.870

1

You have the latest update for VirtualBox 4.3.x. Since VirtualBox is the kind of software that would break and explode for some when a major version upgrade happens, the “Check for Updates…” only checks for patches for that version number and not anything else. Checking the official VirtualBox downloads page shows that VirtualBox 5.0.4 is available.

– JakeGould – 2015-09-19T15:41:19.670

Answers

8

Don't be fooled by VirtualBox telling you that you have the latest version when using the Check for Updates... menu item, as that only reports minor updates. As Ramhound commented, there is a v5 line out that fixes the issue of installing Windows 10. You can see the latest major version as explained by JakeGould here.

Download the latest VirtualBox and GuestBox Additions here.

Then updated the settings for VirtualBox to Windows 10 (32-bit) version and updated the system processor by checking Extended Features: Enable PAE/NX.

Finally proceed as explained in this answer and download the Windows Media Creation Tool to force the update.

WilliamKF

Posted 2015-09-19T01:08:23.870

Reputation: 6 916