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HOW TO MAKE WINDOWS 11 FULL SCREEN IN VIRTUALBOX

Published: December 1, 2025 (Updated: Dec 1, 2025)

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Solved! How to Get Windows 11 Full Screen in VirtualBox (The Easy Way)

Hey guys, Darren here from Darren’s Tech Tutorials!

If you followed my last guide on installing Windows 11 in VirtualBox, you probably ran into the same frustrating issue I did: the display is stuck in a tiny window! You click the full-screen button, and… nothing happens. It completely ruins the immersion and makes working inside the virtual machine a pain.

But don’t worry, the fix is incredibly straightforward. The secret ingredient we need is the VirtualBox Guest Additions. These tools provide the necessary drivers for your Windows 11 VM to properly communicate with your host machine’s graphics hardware, enabling features like dynamic screen resizing, shared clipboard, and yes—true full-screen mode!

Let’s dive right in and get your Windows 11 experience looking sharp.

Understanding the Problem: Why Isn’t Full Screen Working?

When you install a guest OS (like Windows 11) inside VirtualBox, it initially uses generic display drivers. These drivers don’t understand how to stretch the display beyond a basic resolution.

The Guest Additions package acts as a specialized driver suite. Once installed, your Windows 11 VM will instantly gain the ability to scale correctly and use advanced display modes provided by your host computer, finally unlocking that gorgeous full-screen view.

Step-by-Step Guide: Installing VirtualBox Guest Additions

We are going to walk through the process of mounting the necessary virtual CD and running the installer inside your running Windows 11 VM.

Step 1: Insert the Guest Additions CD Image

While your Windows 11 Virtual Machine is running:

  1. Look at the menu bar at the top of your VirtualBox window.
  2. Click Devices.
  3. Scroll down and click Insert Guest Additions CD image…

This command virtually mounts an ISO file containing the installation program into your Windows 11 VM’s CD drive. You won’t see anything immediately happen on the screen, but the virtual disc is now ready for access.

Step 2: Locate and Run the Installer

Now we need to go into the Windows 11 VM and manually start the setup program.

  1. Open File Explorer (the yellow folder icon on the taskbar) inside your Windows 11 VM.
  2. Navigate to This PC.
  3. You should now see a new CD Drive labeled VirtualBox Guest Additions. Click on this drive.
  4. Look for the appropriate installer application. Since we are running a 64-bit version of Windows 11, double-click the file named VBoxWindowsAdditions-amd64.exe.
  5. A User Account Control (UAC) prompt may appear; click Yes to allow the application to make changes.
  6. The installer will open. Click Next through the installation wizard, accepting the default components.
  7. The installer may prompt you to install specific device software or drivers (like the display adapter driver). You must click Install or Continue Anyway for these prompts to ensure all drivers are loaded.

Step 3: Reboot the Virtual Machine

Once the installation is complete, the wizard will prompt you to reboot the system.

  1. Select the option to Reboot now.
  2. Click Finish.

The VM will restart. This quick reboot is essential as it loads the new, specialized display drivers into the Windows operating system. Give it a minute or two to fully boot back up and log in.

Step 4: Activate True Full Screen Mode

After the system reboots and you log back into Windows 11, the display should already look better—it might even have automatically resized to fill the window.

Now, let’s lock it into true full-screen mode:

  1. Go back to the main VirtualBox menu bar (at the very top of your host machine’s screen).
  2. Click View.
  3. Select Full-Screen Mode.
  4. A warning pop-up will appear about capturing the screen. Click Switch.

BAM! There you have it! Windows 11 should now completely fill your monitor, looking and feeling like a native installation.

Pro Tip: The Full-Screen Shortcut

To quickly toggle in and out of full-screen mode without using the menu, you can use the keyboard shortcut:

Host Key + F

Note: By default, the Host Key in VirtualBox is the Right Control (Ctrl) key.

Conclusion

That was fast, right? By installing the VirtualBox Guest Additions, you’ve unlocked the full potential of your Windows 11 VM. Not only do you get a beautiful, full-screen display, but your VM is also now running more efficiently!

I hope this tutorial helped you out! If it did, please make sure to smash that subscribe button—it really helps the channel grow and lets me keep bringing you these clear, actionable tech tutorials.

Got any issues or still seeing a small screen? Drop a comment below, and I’ll do my best to help you troubleshoot.

Thanks for watching, and I’ll catch you in the next video!