I installed Windows Vista using Vitualbox by Oracle on my Macbook Pro 2012 today.  Here is a walkthrough and guide covering how I installed it.  I did this because Apple bootcamp does not support Windows Vista and I wanted to play Steam games.  I guess this will work on Mac as well as Macbook pro and Mac Mini.

You will need:

• Windows Vista CD.  I used the upgrade CD with my activation code. I am writing this guide on day 1 so I don’t know if the code has activated Vista fully yet!
• VirtualBox for mac – this is the virtualization software we will be using.

Installing Virtual Box on Mac or Macbook Pro

First, download and install the VirtualBox application for Mac form the Oracle website.

Now open the application and put the Windows Vista CD in the drive.  You may be able to use a USB stick, or external CD/DVD drive.  My Macbook has the drive, so I used that.

Next, you can use the instructions below or follow this guide to install Vista on the virtualbox.  Come back after following that to install guest additions and tweak your settings.  Guest additions contains the drivers for Macbook pro hardware to Vista.

Open virtualbox and click on NEW in the top left corner.  Work through the easy options:

• Name: Windows Vis.
• Type: Microsoft Windows.
• Version Windows Vista
• Memory Size – 4000 minimum.  Use rounded bytes, so 6GB is 6144 not 6000.
• Create a virtual hard drive now.  Click create.
• Use VDI, unless you know what you’re doing.  Continue.
• Dynamically allocated.  This is better.  You cannot change the Fixed size once it has been created, so don’t use that unless you need to for some reason.
• Choose an amount of hard drive space you want to allocate to the drive.
• Finish the virtualbox setup.

Vista takes about 12GB when you install it, so I recommend assigning a minimum of 20GB to the virtual machine if you use fixed hard drive space.

Installing Windows Vista on the VirtualBox drive

Once finished run the virtual machine you just made.  It will ask you to select a startup disk.  Insert your Windows Vista or Windows 7 or Windows 8 CD/DVD into the drive and press start.  This will start Vista and install Vista to the virtual machine.  Follow the instructions on screen to install Vista.  Once complete, you have Vista running on your Macbook.

Important VirtualBox settings to change

Shutdown the virtual box and then with it selected in the menu press settings in the virtualbox application.  We need to change some settings:

• System -> Motherboard – set the RAM to high using the slider.  I have 10GB RAM and I set Vista to use 6GB.  Vista needs a minimum to 4GB I think, but you can always change it later.
• System -> Motherboard – Deselect Floppy and CD/DVD-ROM from the boot order.
• Display -> Video Memory – Increase this all the way to the right.  256MB of memory for Vista is what I used.
• Enable 3D acceleration and Enable 2D acceleration to ticked.
• Network -> Adapter 1 – change attached to to Bridged adapter.  I did this because I was having problems with Windows update in Vista.  This did not fix the problem, but I left it like this.

What is VirtualBox Guest Additions?

Virtualbox guest additions is a set of drivers and tools to make Virtualbox more compatible with the operating system you install on the Virtualbox.

Setting up VirtualBox Guest Additions

You will notice the screen is not a very high resolution and using generic bad drivers.  To fix this we need to use something called “Guest Additions” from Oracle.  Don’t worry, this is easy too!  So with your virtual box open and activated (meaning you are running Vista in the box) and not in full screen press Devices in the top menu bar on your Mac.  You know how when you have a window open on the Mac there is the top menu?  The one with the Apple logo in the top left and the menu words near it?  Well, that is the menu I am talking about.  So make sure your virtual box is running and selected, then press Devices -> Install guest additions in the top menu.

This will make a popup appear INSIDE Vista to install drivers.  If the popup does not appear inside Windows then you can run it manually by going to COMPUTER -> and running from the CD drive that will have been mounted.

Say yes to everything and REMEMBER TO TICK THE BOX TO INSTALL DIRECT3D EXPERIMENTAL.  You will need the 3D support for graphics in steam.  Without it 3D games won’t run.  Read the alert that appears carefully, do not choose the old Direct3D, only the new one.  Once it is complete it will ask you to reboot Vista.  Say yes to the reboot and it will reboot the virtual box.  Once the virtual box restarts you will have more options to select for screen resolution AND if you use full screen (left command key + F) if will be full Macbook screen resolution: 1280 x 800.

Service Packs and Windows Update

Go to the Windows download site and download the updates and service packs you need.  For Windows Vista you will need Service pack 1 and service pack 2.  There is no Windows service pack 3 for Windows Vista.  Microsoft stopped releasing more after service pack 2 for Vista and moved to Windows 7.

Download and install the Windows service packs in order.  Install service pack 1 first.  This is important because the service packs build on each other.

VirtualBox shared folders

If you need shared folder do the following.  First, on Virtualbox click Devices -> shared folders.  Select the folder you want to share and the options you like.  Now go into Settings -> Network -> change attached to to NAT and tick the box for cable connected.

In Windows Vista you can now go to Start -> Network -> Network and Sharing Center.  It will show the VBOX connection.  Click the VBOX connection and you will see the folder you shared.

You can now install steam and play some games!