How to run Android 4.2 on Windows using VirtualBox (Guide)

If you want to test and run Android 4.2 on Windows then their is a simple enough was to do that through VirtualBox. Using VirtualBox you can run full version of Android software on your computer and have fun with it by installing apps and doing all sorts of stuff you can do on an Android smartphone or tablet. In this post we will show you how you can run Android in VirtualBox on your computer in a step by step guide. You will need to download some files first that are listed below.

1 ) Before you begin download and install VirtualBox from here.

2 ) After you have installed VirtualBox on your computer you have to download Android-x86 ISO for the latest version of Android i.e Android 4.2 Jelly bean. This file is required to run Android 4.2 on Windows.

3 ) After installation run VirtualBox software. You will have to create a virtual machine, which can be created by clicking on the ‘New’ button. You will be asked about configuration of your virtual machine. Enter the details as following

• Operating System: Linux – Linux 2.6
• Memory Size: 512 MB
• Hard Drive Size: 3 GB or More

4 ) After creating your own virtual machine using the VirtualBox software you have to power it  on. Afterwards point VirtualBox towards the Android-86 ISO file you downloaded from the web using the link above.

5 ) Now from the menu select ‘Installation’ option and hit enter key.

6 ) Now create a partition for Android. Click on the ‘Create/Modify partitions’ option and hit enter key. Then selection the ‘New’ option using the arrow keys from your keyboard and again hit enter. This will create a new partition in your virtual machine for Android.

7 ) Select the ‘Primary’ option and enter twice to let the virtual disk take up all the space in your virtual machine for Android.

8 ) From the next screen highlight the ‘Bootable’ option using the pointer and hit enter. Now select the ‘Write’ option and again hit enter. This will write the changes to the virtual disk. Type ‘yes’ on your screen and hit enter key to confirm the changes.

9 ) Now take the pointer to the ‘Quit’ option after which you will be taken to the Choose partition screen. From there you have to select the virtual drive you created in order to install Android on it. During the installation select ext3 file system and select the ‘Yes’ option to format the device.

10 ) Again choose Yes option to install GRUB bootloader and then again select Yes option to install the /system directory as read-write.

11 ) After this process is complete you can now reboot your virtual machine after removing the ISO file. Now your Android will boot up just like it does on any other device. You will be asked to configure the setup process. On the WiFi screen select the skip option, doing this will make the Android system use the standard internet connection you are using on your Windows machine.

Many users report that their cursor does not work in the virtual machine. If you face this problem then you can use the ‘Disable Mouse Integration’ option from the menu bar. You can use the right ctrl key to release the mouse cursor from virtual machine to do so.

That’s all! You now have a fully functional Android OS running inside a virtual machine on your Windows PC. You can use all the apps and do whatever you want on Android. Of course the touch input won’t be available to you so your actions might be limited on Android but still its a great way to get a taste of the OS if you haven’t used it before.