Modern virtual machines emulate the UEFI firmware used on current physical computers, and part of that is a feature known as . This security standard prevents unauthorized software from running during the boot process, and it can occasionally block the initial, unattended boot needed for the installation to proceed. The error message "The Secure Boot feature prevents the operating system from starting" is a clear indicator of this problem.

In VirtualBox settings, try disabling EFI under the "Motherboard" tab.

The VM configuration file ( .vmx ) is corrupted or restrictive.

This error typically occurs during a Windows 11 installation on a virtual machine (like VMware or Parallels) when the virtualization software attempts to automatically mount an "unattended" configuration file as a secondary floppy or CD/DVD drive.

Complete the remaining wizard configurations (e.g., choosing memory, disk size, and CPU).

This is the most common fix. If your CD/DVD drive is using an IDE controller, Windows 11 (which prefers modern hardware) may struggle to map it during the early stages of boot. Shut down your Windows 11 VM. Open the VM Settings. Select the or CD/DVD (IDE) drive.

If you are using a physical CD/DVD drive with your virtual machine, it might be disabled or have driver issues. Check the "CD/DVD" settings in your VM's configuration to ensure the physical drive is connected. You can also use the Windows Device Manager on the host machine to see if the drive is detected and has the latest drivers installed.