Windows 7 still supported ???

[u/Bewildered-Bob]

I'm still running old reliable Win 7 on my desktop and looking to dual-boot a Linux distro. But unable to download & install Virtual Box 7.2.14. An obscure msg says that "Bad Gateway 502". If this can be believed do I have any options - (1) older freebie version that supports Win 7 or (2) VMware as an alternative if it runs under Win 7 (3) first install Python Core pkg and Win32 api bindings (whatever that means) as instructed prior to running install.exe. Thanx.

Bewildered Bob

[u/Stray_Neutrino]

"An obscure msg says that apparently payment is required." - payment for what?

Supported and Working Versions for Windows 7

• VirtualBox 6.0 and earlier: Officially supports Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) as a host operating system.
• VirtualBox 6.1: Officially dropped Windows 7 host support, but many minor builds and updates still install and run on Windows 7.
• VirtualBox 7.0: Unofficially runs on Windows 7 if your system has the latest Windows 7 hotfixes/updates applied to resolve code-signing and signature requirements.
• VirtualBox 7.1 and newer: Completely drops compatibility and fails to run on Windows 7 hosts.

VMware Workstation versions up to 15.5.x run natively as a host operating system on Windows 7.

Host OS Support Summary

• Supported Host Versions: VMware Workstation versions 7.0 through 15.5.x officially support Windows 7 as a host system.
• Dropped Support: Starting with VMware Workstation version 16, the minimum required Windows host version is Windows 8 (64-bit), meaning Windows 7 is no longer supported as a host OS.

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[u/AutoModerator]

This is just a friendly reminder in case you missed it. Your post must include: * The version of VirtualBox you are using * The host and guest OSes * Whether you have enabled VT-x/AMD-V (applicable to all hosts running 6.1 and above) and disabled HyperV (applicable to Windows 10 Hosts) * Whether you have installed Guest Additions and/or Host Extensions (this solves 90% of the problems we see)

PLUS a detailed description of the problem, what research you have done, and the steps you have taken to fix it. Please check Google and the VirtualBox Manual before asking simple questions. Please also check our FAQ and if you find your question is answered there, PLEASE remove your post or at least change the flair to Solved.
If this is your first time creating a virtual machine, we have a guide on our wiki that covers the important steps. Please read it here. If you have met these requirements, you can ignore this comment. Your post has not been deleted -- do not re-submit it. Thanks for taking the time to help us help you! Also, PLEASE remember to change the flair of your post to Solved after you have been helped!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/lunapt420]

Still supported as a guest? Yes As a host? No

[u/Bewildered-Bob → u/lunapt420]

Thanx for the quick reply. Apparently if Win 7 is the intended HOST, VirtualBox cannot be installed. Will Win 7 HOST support VMware as the GUEST ? If so, which version(s) ?

[u/lunapt420 → u/Bewildered-Bob]

If your computer is capable of running virtual machines it means that it's not that weak. Why don't you install Linux? Running and old version of VirtualBox means that you can't run more recent OS's as a guest.