Install Kali Linux 2020.4 on Windows — Complete Beginner Guide
It is tradition on this blog to have an updated guide on how to Install Kali Linux in the easiest possible way and we haven’t had an updated guide for 2020.4 yet. In this guide I show you how to Install Kali Linux 2020.4 on VirtualBox in a complete, beginner friendly guide. We won’t skip any steps and I make sure to take you through step of the way.
Let’s get right started.
Installing VirtualBox
VirtualBox is a free to use tool to create virtual machines. It is also the top choice when it comes to installing Kali Linux. I personally use VirtualBox for the past several years.
Head to the VirtualBox website and download the latest version of VirtualBox and the also the VirtualBox Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack.
Once you are done with that, install VirtualBox leaving everything as default. After that, install the VirtualBox Extension Pack. Now we are ready to Install Kali Linux 2020.4 on VirtualBox.
Install Kali Linux 2020.4
Before we can install Kali Linux, we have to download it.
Downloading Kali Linux 2020.4
Head over to the Kali Linux website and download the Kali Linux 64-bit VirtualBox Image. The advantage of this pre-configured image is that we don’t have to run through the initial installation process of Kali Linux. It also comes pre-loaded with all the necessary drivers we need to run Kali Linux on VirtualBox.
It makes the whole installation process way easier!
Importing Kali Linux 2020.4 to VirtualBox
Now we have everything that we need to install Kali Linux.
Open VirtualBox and click File → Import Appliance…
From here, choose the downloaded Kali-Linux-2020.4-vbox-amd64.ova file from your Downloads folder and click on Next.
Adjust the location where you want to store your Virtual Machine File if you don’t want to use the default location and click on Import. We are going to change things like CPU, RAM, etc later on.
Agree to the license agreement and wait for the import to finish.
Fine Tuning Kali Linux 2020.4
After the import is done, right-click your imported VM and select settings. Confirm any upcoming prompts from VirtualBox with yes, it might has to install some network drivers.
Changing the VM Name
In the General tab you can change the name to something less generic.
Adjusting Memory
Next click on the System tab and adjust the Base Memory. As long as you stay within the green area of the adjustment bar, you are fine. As a general rule of thumb, try not not use more than half of your host computer’s memory. So if you have 8GB RAM in your computer, assign 4GB to Kali Linux.
Adjusting Processors
Click on the Processor tab next. The same rule of thumb as with memory applies. Stay within the green area of the adjustment bar.
Everything else can stay as it is right now. Exit the Settings by pressing OK.
Starting Kali Linux 2020.4
Time to start our freshly imported Kali Linux 2020.4! Right-click the Kali VM and click on Start → Normal Start.
When you start Kali Linux for the first time, it might take a while for the initial boot up.
!In case Kali Linux is stuck in boot at the Kali Logo!
While writing this tutorial, I have encountered this problem myself. If Kali Linux 2020.4 is stuck at the Kali logo while booting, follow the steps below. This has to do with Windows Hyper-V feature.
This has worked for me:
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype offRestart your computer afterwards. Then Kali should boot.
Some users have reported they also needed to run this command to make it work:
DISM /Online /Disable-Feature:Microsoft-Hyper-VI suggest you try it with running the first one and reboot. If that doesn’t work, try the second one and reboot again.
Initial Login to Kali Linux
Now you are ready to login! The default login credentials are:
Username: kali
Password: kali
If you did everything right, you should be able to login and also be able to maximize your screen, as Guest Additions are already installed in this pre-configured image.
Next Steps
I won’t go over the next steps in this article as I have a complete dedicated article for that: The Top Things to do after Installing Kali Linux in 2021.
I highly suggest you follow at least the initial steps in this article, as I cover things like changing the default password and user and also show you my favorite Kali Linux tweaks.
Conclusion
I hope I could show you how to Install Kali Linux 2020.4 in an easy to follow way. Please check out the links below if you would like to stay up to date with my content!
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Originally published at https://www.ceos3c.com on January 28, 2021.
