Oracle VirtualBox 7.2.22 Final

Oracle VirtualBox 7.2.22 is a free program that runs a second operating system, such as Linux or another copy of Windows, in a window on your PC.

Each of these virtual machines behaves like a separate computer, so what you do inside it stays away from your real Windows installation.

Version 7.2.22 came out on 20 October 2026 as a maintenance release with security fixes, so it is worth installing even though nothing looks different.

VirtualBox itself is open source under the GPL 3 licence and free for any use, including at work. The optional Extension Pack has a stricter licence, which is explained below.

What You Can Do With VirtualBox

• Try Linux safely - test a distribution from our best Linux distros for beginners guide before you change anything on your real PC.
• Keep old software alive - run an old program in a virtual Windows 7 machine, safely cut off from your files.
• Test before you commit - try a Windows update, a new setting or a suspicious download in a machine you can throw away.
• Learn and build - set up a small network of test machines for a course, a home lab or software testing.

Snapshots make this practical. Take one before you try something risky, and you can return the machine to that exact moment in a couple of clicks.

Which File to Download

On Windows, VirtualBox needs a 64-bit PC with hardware virtualization, called Intel VT-x or AMD-V, switched on in the firmware settings. Windows 11 on Arm PCs is supported only as an experimental feature.

Do You Need the Extension Pack?

Most home users do not. The free base package already handles USB devices, shared folders, the shared clipboard and networking.

The Extension Pack adds a handful of extras:

• A remote desktop (VRDP) server, to reach a virtual machine from another computer.
• Passing your webcam through to the virtual machine.
• Encryption of virtual disk images.
• Network booting (Intel PXE) and Oracle Cloud integration.

Its licence allows free use only for personal use on your own computer, or by teachers and students as part of their course. Using it at a company, school office or government body needs a paid Oracle licence.

Setting Up Your First Virtual Machine

1. Install VirtualBox. Your network drops for a few seconds while the installer adds its network drivers, which is normal.
2. Get an ISO file. This is the installation disc of the system you want to run, downloaded from its maker.
3. Click New. Name the machine, choose the ISO and pick the system type, and VirtualBox suggests sensible settings.
4. Give it enough memory. Windows 11 wants at least 4GB of RAM and two processor cores, and most Linux desktops are happy with the same.
5. Install the Guest Additions. Once the system is running, choose Devices, Insert Guest Additions CD image for smooth graphics, window resizing and a shared clipboard.

Want a lighter Windows 11 guest? Tiny11 Builder makes a slimmed-down ISO that installs faster and uses less disk space.

Running Windows 11 in VirtualBox

Windows 11 insists on TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, and VirtualBox 7 provides both as virtual hardware. Choose Windows 11 as the system type and VirtualBox switches them on for you.

Microsoft's ISO is free to download, and our news story on getting the Windows 11 26H2 ISO shows where. A virtual machine is also a safe place to see how your apps behave before you decide whether to upgrade an older PC to Windows 11.

VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Pro?

Both are free now, so the choice comes down to what you run and where.

If VMware sounds like the better fit, VMware Workstation Pro is on our site too. Our guide to installing Windows 11 in VMware Workstation walks through the TPM setup step by step.

On a Mac, VMware Fusion Pro is VMware's version for Intel and Apple silicon Macs.

When Something Goes Wrong

• The machine is very slow, with a green turtle icon in the status bar. Windows features such as Hyper-V, WSL 2 or Memory Integrity are on, so VirtualBox runs through Microsoft's hypervisor - switching them off restores full speed.
• VERR_SUP_VP_FOUND_EXEC_MEMORY on start. Oracle fixed this regression in 7.2.20, so 7.2.22 includes the fix, while the older 7.2.18 files do not.
• The Extension Pack will not install. Its version must match VirtualBox exactly, so use the 7.2.22 pack with VirtualBox 7.2.22.
• Other virtual machines crash too. Do not run VirtualBox machines at the same time as machines from another hypervisor, which Oracle warns can crash the whole PC.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

If you want Linux to use your PC's full speed, a virtual machine is the wrong tool. Follow our guide to dual booting Windows and Linux, or make a live USB stick with Rufus.

If you want to try several systems on real hardware, Ventoy boots any number of ISO files from one USB stick.

And if you want the privacy system Tails, skip VirtualBox: the Tails team says VirtualBox works badly with it. Run Tails OS from a USB stick instead.

Quick Questions

Download Oracle VirtualBox 7.2.22 and see how it runs your first virtual machine, or tell us how you got on if you have used it before.