Installing Oracle VirtualBox on Windows 7

Update from April 2014: This post has been superseded by this post: Oracle Database 12c on Oracle Linux 6

This is Step 1 in my 13 step process for creating an Oracle Education classroom environment using VirtualBox.

I used Oracle VirtualBox to create my classroom environment for a few reasons:

• VirtualBox is simple to install.
• VirtualBox allowed me to create an environment that closely matched the Oracle Education training material. I could basically ignore the physical machines that I was using.
• Snapshots created before each lesson would allow the students to quickly move backwards or forwards should they miss a lab or make a mistake with their environment.
• It was really easy to copy the created virtual machine to my student’s machines.

This post is mostly here for a completeness standpoint as installing VirtualBox is really straight forward. Also note that while the version below is 4.1.16 at the time this was written, you should grab whatever the current version is from the site when you complete this step.

1. Open VirtualBox.org in a browser and click on the Downloads link in the left menu.
   

   VirtualBox.org Home Page

2. Click the x86/amd64link next to the VirtualBox for Windows hosts bullet.
   

   Windows Download

3. Click Save File.
   

   Save File

4. Double click the fileyou just downloaded. I used Firefox to download the file, so I can just double click the file from the Downloads window.
   

   Double click file in downloads window

5. Depending on your security settings, Windows may ask you what you want to do with the file. Click Run.
   

   Run the file

6. Click Next.
   

   Welcome Screen, click Next

7. Click Next.
   

   Custom Setup, click Next

8. Click Next.
   

   Create Shortcuts, click Next

9. Click Yes.
   

   Network Interfaces, click Yes

10. Click Install. Depending on your security settings, Windows User Account Control may ask if you want to allow the program to make changes to your computer, click Yes if it does.
    

    Click Install

11. Uncheck the Start Oracle VM VirtualBox after installation checkbox and click Finish.
    

    Click Finish

12. If the Program Compatibility Assistant pops up, click This program works correctly.
    

    Program Compatibility Assistant, click This program works correctly

13. Back in the browser, click on the All platforms link next to the VirtualBox Extension Pack bullet.
    

    Extension Pack link

14. Click OKto open the extension pack with VirtualBox.
    

    Open Extension Pack, click OK

15. Click Install. (Note the image below has Upgrade instead of Install because of a previous installation).
    

    VBox Question, click Install

16. Scroll down to the bottom of the license agreement and click I Agree. If Windows User Account Control asks you if you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer, click Yes.
    

    License Agreement, click I Agree

17. Click OK.
    

    Click OK

As I mentioned at the beginning, installing Oracle VirtualBox is pretty straight forward. You can leave VirtualBox open for now as we’ll soon be using it create our virtual machine.

But first we have to download an Oracle Linux ISO to use as our boot media. To learn how to do that, go to Step 2 of my 13 step process for creating an Oracle Education classroom environment using VirtualBox.

You can now proceed to the next step in the process, How to get the Oracle Linux ISO from Oracle’s Software Delivery Cloud.