OS X Lion (10.7) allows you to install the operating system multiple times on a virtual machine, as long as it is on the same hardware. ..
If you have a MacBook Pro with OS X El Capitan installed, you can install as many copies of El Capitan into virtual machines on that same machine. In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps to get OS X installed using VMware Fusion. There is a free program called VirtualBox, but it has some drawbacks.
VMware Fusion is not free, but it has more features and is generally more powerful and easier to use than VirtualBox. It also works properly for the latest version of OS X.
To install OS X on VMware fusion, you can either download the OS X installer from the App Store or use a recovery partition to reinstall OS X. I’ll explain both methods in this post. The first method is to download the OS X installer from the App Store and use that for installing or to use the recovery partition to reinstall OS X. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open up your VMware Fusion account and click on the “Accounts” tab.
- Click on the “Downloads” tab and select the OS X installer that you downloaded from the App Store.
- Click on “Install” and wait for it to finish downloading.
- Once it’s finished, open up VMware Fusion and click on “Settings” in the top left corner of the screen.
- Scroll down until you find “Storage” and click on it.
- In the storage section, select “Recovery Partition.”
- Click on “Create” and wait for it to finish creating a recovery partition.
- Once it’s finished, open up VMware Fusion and click on “Settings” in the top left corner of the screen.
- Scroll down until you find “Storage” again and click on it again.
- In this section, select “OS X Recovery Partition.”
Download OS X
You can install OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, or El Capitan on a virtual machine on your Mac computer. Before you get started with the download method, you need to grab a copy of the OS X installer from the App Store. ..
To install OS X El Capitan, open the App Store and click on the link for El Capitan.
If you have an Apple device, you can download the installer app from the App Store. The installer app will take a while to download, but it will eventually install the app.
Install OS X in VMware Fusion
If you are using VMware Fusion 8, you can install El Capitan by following these steps:
- Open the VMware Fusion Control Panel.
- Scroll down to the bottom and select “Install VMware Fusion.”
- Follow the prompts to install VMware Fusion and El Capitan.
In VMware Fusion, click on File and New to start creating a new virtual machine.
You can either install Windows from a disc or image, or you can choose from a couple of other options.
If you downloaded OS X from the App Store: To install OS X from the App Store, you’ll need to either choose Install from disc or image. If you want to use the recovery partition on your Mac, you’ll choose Install OS X from the recovery partition. ..
Install from Disc or Image
You can continue the install by choosing another disc or image.
The Open dialog box should now show up in the list. You can now select it and click Continue to start the installation.
The last screen of the wizard will give you a summary of all the settings.
If everything looks good, you can click Finish to start the virtual machine. You’ll be asked to save the virtual machine so give it a name and pick a location. Click Save and the virtual machine should start up after a few minutes.
When this finishes, you’ll get the screen where you choose your language. Click the arrow and you’ll see the OS X Utilities screen. ..
Now you’ll get the installation screen for your version of OS X. Click Continue to start the installation. If you’re installing OS X Yosemite or later, click the Install button and follow the on-screen instructions. If you’re installing a previous version of OS X, click the Upgrade button and follow the on-screen instructions. ..
Agree to the license agreement and then choose the hard drive you want to install OS X on. It should say Macintosh HD and be the size you setup for the virtual machine.
OS X has been installed and you can now log into the desktop. The installation process was a bit long, but it was straightforward overall.
Install from Recovery Partition
If you choose the Install from a USB drive option, the procedure is pretty much the same. First, it will load a screen where it will look for the USB drive and if it finds it, it will bring up a dialog to save your virtual machine. Give the virtual machine a name and location and click Save.
Next, you’ll get a similar Finish configuration screen like shown above where you can see the virtual machine settings. Click Finish and the virtual machine window will load up.
The next step is to choose your language. The OS X Utilities screen will appear with the same options as before. The only difference is that you choose Reinstall OS X this time. After you make your choice, the installation process will start. You’ll see the progress bar and then the OS X Utilities screen again. This time, you’ll see a message that says “OS X is being reinstalled on this computer. Do not turn off your computer or disconnect any cables during this process.” Once the installation is complete, you’ll be asked to restart your computer. Do not turn off your computer or disconnect any cables during this process. ..
You will now be asked to verify your eligibility to install OS X. Click Continue.
To install OS X onto your hard drive, accept the license agreement and then choose the hard drive you want to install OS X onto. Click install and then you’ll get a screen where you have to sign into the Apple store. ..
OS X is now being downloaded and it could take a while depending on your Internet connection.
After the installation is complete, OS X will start up and you will be able to login. It can take a while to set up OS X in a virtual machine, but it is worth it. ..
After you are done and your virtual machine is loaded, you need to click on Virtual Machine and then Install VMware Tools. This will install the OS X virtual machine tools, which allows you to increase the resolution to HD and allows the virtual machine to run more smoothly. ..
This article will help you get OS X running properly in a virtual machine on your Mac. It is possible to install OS X on a PC, but it is not legal and it is much more difficult, especially with the latest versions of OS X. If you have any questions, feel free to comment. Enjoy!