OVA Files (VirtualBox)
File formats
Opening an OVA manual in VirtualBox
A handful of manufacturer systems ship as a complete virtual machine. An OVA is that machine in one file — you run it inside VirtualBox on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer.
Step by step
02
Import the appliance
Open VirtualBox and choose File > Import Appliance, then select the .ova file you downloaded.
03
Confirm the settings
Accept the defaults unless your PC is short on memory, then click Import and wait — large images take several minutes.
04
Start it
Select the imported machine and click Start. The manual software loads inside its own window.
Before you start
- Use a computer. Virtual machines do not run on phones or tablets.
- Check disk space. An OVA can expand to several times its download size.
- Enable virtualisation. If VirtualBox reports VT-x/AMD-V is disabled, turn virtualisation on in your PC's BIOS.
- Be patient on first boot. The virtual machine boots a whole operating system.
Still cannot open it?
Tell us your order number, your device and the exact error message. Nine times out of ten it is an interrupted download — the file is incomplete rather than broken.
