VirtualBox 7.0.0 Final is now available
Oracle published the final version of its virtualization software VirtualBox 7.0.0 today. The new version is a major milestone for the cross-platform application, as it improves support for Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system among other new features.
VirtualBox 7.0.0 is available for all supported operating systems. Interested users may head over to the official download site to download the platform package for their platform. Binaries for Windows, macOS, Linux and Solaris are provided on the website.
Existing installations can be upgraded by installing the new version over the old one. All virtual machines that existed in the previous version will migrate to the new version.
VirtualBox 7.0.0 Final
The official changelog lists major features only that were added or improved in the new release of the virtualization software. You may check out my review of the first beta release, which focuses on the Windows 11 support improvements of the release.
Basically, it is now possible to install Windows 11 in virtual machines without running into any hardware compatibility issues. Microsoft changed the hardware requirements of Windows 11, including those for the processor, TPM and RAM, and VirtualBox failed to provide those via its virtualization software, even if the host system met all system requirements.
Another new feature of VirtualBox 7.0.0 is the ability to encrypt virtual machines fully; this includes the VM config logs and saved states. The feature is available from the command line interface only for now. Still, it adds a level of protection to virtual machines, when used.
Cloud virtual machines may now be added to the Virtual Machine Manager and configured via the Network Manager Tool. This allows administrators to manage and control them just like local virtual machines in the new release.
The graphical user interface has changed in several key areas. There is a new tool that displays performance statistics when selected. These highlight the CPU and RAM usage, disk input output rates and more information of running guest systems
Speaking of GUI, the VM wizard has been reworked in the release "to integrate the unattended guest OS installation" and to streamline the workflow. There is also a new notification center that unifies notifications for running processes (most of them) and error reporting.
The codec that VirtualBox uses for audio recordings is now Vorbis instead of Opus.
Several operating system specific features are now available. On Windows, it is now possible to run autostarted virtual machines when no user is logged in. The feature needs to be enabled first before it becomes available.
On Linux, automatic updating support for Guest Additions for Linux guests has been added. Additionally, the capability of waiting for and/or rebooting guests when updating Guest Additions was added.
On macOS, finally, support for all kernel extensions was dropped. VirtualBox relies solely on hypervisor and vmnet frameworks provided by Apple. The implementation lacks "Internet Networking" in the release, but Oracle promises that it will be delivered in a future update.
There is also a developer preview package for Apple Silicon CPUs available. It is not supported at this stage, though.
VirtualBox 7.0.0 supports IOMMU, TPM 1.2 and 2.0, and EHCI and XHCI USB devices in the new release. The new version of the virtualization software supports EFI now as well.
Closing Words
VirtualBox 7.0.0 is a major new release of the virtualization software, especially in environments that use Windows 11 virtual machines, but also for other purposes.
Now You: do you use virtualization software?
One thing I hate about VirtualBox is when looking for basic and fundamental information like what are the host system requirements in order to install this version 7?
I came here after a Google search (even if I already know Ghacks) and I found this nice looking and brief presentation BUT again there are no system requirements.
This reminds me of when I tried many times to look for information For Linux OSs, basic idiot information is always hard to find!
Version 6.1.32 is the last one that can start all my VMs without problems.
After more testing, version 6.1.34 (windows download link is broken at the moment) also works ok.
So, the problems start with version 6.1.36 and identical errors occur in all subsequent versions including the latest 7.0.0:
VirtualBoxVM.exe – Application Error The instruction at 0x00007FFE8730A7A4 referenced memory at 0x0000000000000000. The memory could not be read.
Boot loops, random hangs, sudden crashes with no errors in the logs and incredibly bad stuttering in guest systems make this one of the most spectacularly bad versions yet.
Installing guest additions takes a very long time but uninstalling them is a dark art.
On the whole, this has to be a prank, surely?
I use VirtualBox 6.1.38, the latest from Ubuntu’s universe, and I have Windows 11 in it. I don’t remember if I had to do some hack install it, but seems to work properly. The host machine doesn’t fulfill the requirements either.
Virtualbox 6.1.40 is still better. By the way they shoul include the extension pack as a whole. Thanks for the article! :]
Yikes. Yea I think I’ll be waiting a while to try this out.
I just realized Oracle have somehow been signing their windows installers with expired certificates, as well as counter-signing them with their own makeshift one. Yeah, not suspicious at all. :-P
Yes, it is available via the homepage, but when I clicked on File and “Check for updates,” the program says I am up-to-date with version 6.1.
Sounds like a MS update; let enough users try out the “beta” version that is marketed as a fully developed update and see what happens.
Comments here tell me, “Don’t go there.”
Can’t boot Win 8.1 guest. Some error while booting Win 10 guest.
Going back to VBox 6.1.
I had the same problem, the solution was to install the latest VC++ 2015-2022 package from MS (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170), as apparently the VC++ 2015-2019 package I had installed didn’t include some required DLL and it was showing these errors the VboxHardening log.
supR3HardenedWinVerifyCacheProcessImportTodos: Processing ‘vcruntime140.dll’…
supR3HardenedWinVerifyCacheProcessImportTodos: Failed to locate ‘vcruntime140.dll’
supR3HardenedWinVerifyCacheProcessImportTodos: Processing ‘vcruntime140.dll’…
supR3HardenedWinVerifyCacheProcessImportTodos: Failed to locate ‘vcruntime140.dll’
…
Error -610 in supR3HardenedMainInitRuntime! (enmWhat=4)
Hope that helps.
Thank you, your solution helps me a lot.
The last five years have seen a decline in software development. Why did they declare this the final? Its closer to alpha.