How to Install VirtualBox Extension Pack [Windows 10 & Mac]

Want to install the Oracle VM Virtualbox extension pack?

If yes, then you are in the right place.

Virtualbox is an amazing software developed by Oracle company.

And the best part is that using this software I have almost tried & installed all the popular Operating systems on my pc.

In the previous post, I have also published how to install windows 10 on a Virtualbox virtual machine.

For more such posts related to Virtualbox, you can visit this link.

But why I have only used this virtualization software whereas in the market there is also a great software available like VMWare.

At this point, I am not saying that Virtualbox is better than VMware workstation.

But the only thing is that Virtualbox is much easy to use & has lots of advanced features like the Virtualbox Extension Pack.

Using this extension pack, it really powers up the Virtualbox & its functionalities.

So let’s see how to use & install it properly.

But before we begin, I have good news for you guys that our blog @buildsometech has been featured in the Top 25 Microsoft Windows Blogs to follow in 2022. So, don’t forget to like us on the Facebook page.

What is Oracle VM Virtualbox Extension Pack?

Oracle VM Virtualbox Extension pack is an application package available for different host OS like Windows, OS X, Linux & Solaris. Basically, by installing this extension pack you easily extend the functionalities & features of your Virtualbox machine.

Some features which I really like about this VM extension are:

  • USB 3.0/2.0 (EHCI,xHCI controller) support.
  • Full Disk Encryption for .VDI (Virtual disk image) files.
  • VRDP (Virtualbox Remote Desktop Protocol) support.
  • Host machine webcam support.
  • PXE Boot ROM for Intel.

Also Read: How to boot from USB in Virtualbox.

And among all these features, I really like the Disk image encryption as using this you can easily encrypt your Virtualbox disk image where the OS has been installed. And for running this OS you will need a password.

Now let’s move to the installation part.

How to install VirtualBox Extension Pack [Windows 10,7]

1. Download Virtualbox Extension Pack

The first step is to download the extension pack from the official website. Now once the download page is opened, scroll down & under the oracle VM VirtualBox extension pack section click on All supported platforms. And this extension package file works with all the OS whether its Windows 10, Ubuntu & MacOS.

Download Virtualbox Extension Pack

Once the file is downloaded, then move to the next step.

Note:- But before moving to the next step, please make sure that Virtualbox is properly installed on your PC.

2. Open Virtualbox & Go to Preferences

Now Open the Oracle VM Virtualbox Manager and then click on tools & then Go to Preferences. Or you can simply press the Ctrl + G button to Display Global Preferences.

Go to Preferences

3. Go to Extension Packages

Once you are in the Virtualbox – Preferences, then Go to Extensions & under Extension Packages, click on the Green Add button which adds a new package.

Extension Packages

Now browse to the download directory & then select the extension package file which you downloaded earlier. Once the file is selected click on Open.

Download Directory

4. Install Oracle VM Virtualbox Extension Pack

In the previous step after clicking on the Open button, a Virulbox – Question popup will open showing all the details about the extension pack. Like Name: Oracle VM Virtualbox extension pack, Version: 6.1 & Description: PXE ROM, NVMe. So finally click on the Install button.

Install Oracle VM Virtualbox Extension Pack

Scroll down & accept the Virtualbox license agreement by clicking on I Agree.

I Agree

And it’s done!

Installed Successfully

Also Read: How I installed macOS Mojave on Virtualbox.

Bonus Tip:-

You can also install the Virtualbox extension pack by simply running or double-clicking on the extension file which you have already downloaded. And then the Virtualbox-Question popup will open up and then Click on Install.

How to install the Oracle VM Virtualbox Extension Pack on Mac OS X

Basically, the process of installing Oracle VM Virtualbox Extension Pack on Mac OS X is much similar to Windows. This is because the Virtualbox has made the user interface similar for each & every operating system. But still, I will show you how exactly it works…

Let’s follow these steps:-

1. Open Launchpad by clicking on (Rocket icon) and then search for the Virtualbox application & run it properly.

MacOS Launchpad

2. After that Go to the Virtualbox Preferences.

Virtualbox Preferences

3. Now click on the Extensions icon and under the extension packages, click on the Green Add button icon to add a new package.

Extensions icon

And then after clicking on it, Go to the Downloads folder & navigate to the Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-6.x.x.vbox-extpack file & then Open it.

Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack

4. Once the file is loaded, you will see a popup message for the Virtualbox extension pack installation. So, Click on the Install button.

Virtualbox Extension Pack Installation

And then accept the Virtualbox agreement by clicking on I Agree and you will see your extension pack is successfully installed.

I Agree

And done! Now, let’s move to the Ubuntu part.

Also Read: How I installed Ubuntu on Virtualbox Virtual machine.

Installing Oracle VirtualBox Extension Pack on Ubuntu/Linux

Once again the process of installing the Virtualbox extension pack on Ubuntu/ Linux is almost similar to the Windows & macOS operating system. So I think we should not waste more time on it.

As the only thing you have to do is that, Open the Virtualbox > Go to Tools > Preferences> Extensions, then click on Add a new package and then navigate to the Oracle extension pack file & Click Install.

Installing Oracle VirtualBox Extension Pack on Ubuntu

And if you want to install on ubuntu using the command line then we will definitely share one post on it. So please comment down.

Now let’s move to the difficult part of this post (which I really don’t like)

Install Virtualbox Extension Pack using VBoxManage Console

Basically, I really don’t like using the Command-line interface (CLI) & that’s why I always try to cover all my posts in Graphical user interface GUI mode. But for some users who have failed to install the Virtualbox extension pack properly this method is for you. I know most users are facing errors like verr_symbol_not_found, verr_access_denied & many more.

But using this Command-line method you may not face these issues & can properly install the extension pack successfully.

So let’s move further.

Also Read: How I installed android OS on Virtualbox.

For Windows User

1. Open the Command prompt by typing “cmd” in the search bar & then right-click on it & Run as Administrator.

2. Once the cmd is opened, type this command “cd c:\program files\oracle\virtualbox” & press Enter.

Install Virtualbox Extension Pack using VBoxManage Console

3. After that type this command “vboxmanage extpack install c:\virtualbox\Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-6.1.14.vbox-extpack” & press Enter.

Note:- Please make sure that the location of the extension file is correctly mentioned which is used above in Step 3 “c:\virtualbox\Oracle_VM_—“.

4. After running the command shown in step 3, a popup will open up showing the Virtualbox extension pack install button. So click on that & it’s done.

For macOS User

1. Open the Terminal.

2. And then type this command “sudo vboxmanage extpack install ~/Downloads/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-6.1.14.vbox-extpack” & hit Enter.

3. After running this command, a popup will appear showing the install button. So, click on that & it’s done.

Some FAQs

How do I install VirtualBox extensions?

To install VirtualBox extensions, just go to Virtualbox > Preferences > Extension and then then click on Add New Package button.

How do I install Guest Additions in VirtualBox?

Installing Guest Additions in Virtualbox is pretty easy, just you have to follow these instructions.
1. Open Virtualbox VM Manager
2. Start the Virtual Machine
3. Go to the Devices tab and select the Install Guest Additions option.
4. Now run VBoxWindowsAdditions.exe to install it.

Is VirtualBox Extension Pack necessary?

Yes, the Virtualbox extension pack is necessary if you want to use all the features and host machine efficiently.

What is Extension Pack VirtualBox?

Extension Pack is basically a plugin that adds additional features to Virtualbox by installing the virtual drivers of USB and other devices.

That’s it for now…

Conclusion

So that’s how you can easily install the extension pack in Virtualbox on Windows 10/7, Mac OS X & Ubuntu/Linux. And if you liked this post & also the command line part then comment down below.

We will try to upload such posts using the command line process & you can also follow the same method to install extensions on VMware.

Also, check out our post on How to install windows 7 on Virtualbox.

Feel free to share your thoughts and also tell us if you know any better way to How to Install VirtualBox Extension Pack on Windows 10 & Mac OS X.

If you liked this post, Don’t forget to share this helpful post with your tech buddies.

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