DTT

HOW TO MAKE WINDOWS 11 FULL SCREEN IN VIRTUALBOX

Published: April 22, 2024 (Updated: Apr 22, 2024)
#VirtualBox #Windows 11 #Virtualization

Enjoying this content? Subscribe to the Channel!

Unlock True Immersion: How to Make Windows 11 Full Screen in VirtualBox (The Easy Way!)

Welcome back to Darren’s Tech Tutorials!

If you’ve successfully set up a Windows 11 virtual machine (VM) in VirtualBox, you’ve probably noticed one major frustration: the display is small, boxed in, and resizing the window doesn’t change the operating system resolution. It definitely doesn’t feel like a modern computing experience!

Fortunately, getting your Windows 11 VM to go truly full screen—adjusting dynamically to your monitor’s resolution—is a straightforward fix. The secret lies in installing a vital package called the VirtualBox Guest Additions.

Let’s dive into this quick tutorial and get your Windows 11 VM looking perfect!

The Key Ingredient: What are VirtualBox Guest Additions?

Before we jump into the steps, it’s helpful to understand what we’re installing.

VirtualBox Guest Additions are a collection of device drivers and system applications that Oracle provides specifically for operating systems running inside a VM. They significantly improve performance and usability, enabling features like:

  1. Dynamic Resolution: Automatically matching the VM’s resolution to the host window size.
  2. Seamless Mouse Integration: No need to constantly press the Host Key (usually Right Ctrl) to switch between the host and guest systems.
  3. Shared Folders and Clipboard: Allowing easy data transfer between your primary machine and the VM.

Once these are installed in your Windows 11 VM, full-screen capability is instantly unlocked!

Step-by-Step Guide: Enabling Full Screen Mode

This process assumes you have your Windows 11 virtual machine currently running and logged in.

Step 1: Start the Virtual Machine

If your Windows 11 VM isn’t running yet, boot it up and log in so you have access to the desktop environment.

Step 2: Mount the Guest Additions Image

The VirtualBox application includes the necessary files for the Guest Additions, but we need to tell the VM to “mount” them as if they were a physical CD or DVD.

  1. Look at the menu bar at the top of your VirtualBox window (the Host machine interface, not inside Windows 11).
  2. Click on Devices.
  3. Select Insert Guest Additions CD Image…

What this does: VirtualBox temporarily attaches a virtual ISO file containing the installer to your Windows 11 VM, usually appearing as the D: or E: drive inside the VM’s File Explorer.

Step 3: Run the Installer within Windows 11

Now we need to navigate the Windows 11 environment to execute the installer program.

  1. Open File Explorer inside your Windows 11 VM.
  2. Navigate to This PC.
  3. You will see a new drive labeled something like “VirtualBox Guest Additions” (or similar name). Double-click this drive.
  4. Inside the folder, locate the installer executable. For Windows systems, this is usually called VBoxWindowsAdditions.exe. Double-click this file to launch the setup wizard.
  5. If a User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears, click Yes to allow the program to make changes.
  6. Follow the prompts in the setup wizard (usually clicking Next and Install). During the installation, you may be prompted about installing device software or drivers from Oracle. Always select Install or Trust.

Step 4: Reboot Your Virtual Machine

The Guest Additions software requires a system restart to fully integrate the new display drivers.

  1. Once the installation is complete, the wizard will prompt you to Reboot now. Select this option and click Finish.
  2. Wait for your Windows 11 VM to shut down and boot back up.

Step 5: Activate Full Screen!

As soon as Windows 11 loads back up, you should instantly notice that the screen resolution has adjusted to fill the current VirtualBox window size.

To get the true, immersive full-screen experience:

  1. Go to the main VirtualBox menu bar (on your host machine).
  2. Click View.
  3. Select Full-Screen Mode (or use the Host Key + F shortcut, usually Right Ctrl + F).

Your Windows 11 virtual environment will now take over your entire monitor, looking exactly like a native installation! If you adjust the size of the VirtualBox window in windowed mode, the resolution will now scale dynamically. Success!

Conclusion

That’s all there is to it! By taking a few moments to install the essential VirtualBox Guest Additions, you’ve transformed your small, boxed-in Windows 11 VM into a smooth, full-screen powerhouse. This makes testing, development, and general usage so much more pleasant and efficient.

If this guide helped you unlock your perfect setup, please give the video a Like and make sure you’re Subscribed to Darren’s Tech Tutorials for more clear, step-by-step technical guides!

Got a question about other VirtualBox features? Drop a comment below—I read them all!

Happy virtual computing!