Grant Permissions

Allow Identified Apps to Access the System and GRANT Permissions for VirtualBox

MacOS Catalina and newer puts more restrictions on what apps can run on the system. We have to make sure that software by Oracle America, Inc, the current developers of VirtualBox, are permitted to run their software on your system.

1. Completely quit out of VirtualBox

2. Follow the steps from Accessing your Permissions Settings above to get into the General Tab of the Security & Privacy settings window. You should see a window that looks like the image below.

3. Unlock the General Tab to permit changes by clicking on the lock icon. You may need to enter your password

4. In the Allow apps downloaded from: section indicated by the GREEN box in the image above, make sure App Store and identified developers is selected. NOTE: If it is NOT selected, then you must select it, leave the Security & Privacy settings, and run VirtualBox again to see if it works. If it does not work, close VirtualBox and come back into these settings and continue with the next step.

5. If this problem applies to you, then you will see the warning System software from developer “Oracle America, Inc.” was blocked from loading. with an Allow button beside it, highlighted by the RED box in the image above. Click Allow so that VirtualBox will be able to run properly

6. Again, leave the Security & Privacy settings and attempt to run VirtualBox and the Virtual Machine again to see if this fixes the error.

7. Completely quit out of VirtualBox

8. Follow the steps from Accessing your Permissions Settings above to get into the Privacy Tab of the Security & Privacy settings window. You should see a window that looks like the image below, and notice the RED box indicating the Privacy Tab being selected.

9. Unlock the Privacy Tab to permit changes by clicking on the lock icon (see the YELLOW box in the image). You may need to enter your password

10. Go through the four (4) permissions indicated in the GREEN box and make sure that in each case, VirtualBox appears in the Allow the apps below to control your computer list (in the BLUE box) and that the checkbox is checked NOTE: In some cases the VirtualBox app may not be modifiable (greyed out). It SHOULD still have a checkmark. If not, you may need perform the Clean Re-install of VirtualBox as indicated above

11. If VirtualBox is missing from any of the four permissions, you can add it manually:

    • Press the + (found in the PURPLE box in the image above)

    • Navigate to Applications > VirtualBox and click Open – This should add it to the list. Make sure you check the checkbox