Virtualbox installed perfectly. The problem I am having is no matter what other OS I attempt to install (Win10, Linux Mint, earlier versions of Windows all the way back to Win7) stop the install process with an error message similar to: "cannot proceed your kernel is looking for a different version (type of hardware processor) the recommended solution is to find another compatible kernel. I'm a Nuclear Physicist, not a programmer so this is not helpful. Anyone else run into this problem?

Otherwise the Zorin 15 ultimate is handling everything I've thrown at it without problems. And it is FAST on my Lenovo laptop with 8mb ram and a 2.7Gb Intel processor.
Any clues as to how I should tackle my problem with VirtualBox?

Hi,

please post the exact error message, and also tell us exactly how you installed virtualbox.

Evo2.

I guess
Zorin is 32bit
and the VMs are 64bit
but like I said, that is a guess

what hardware is Zorin running on ?

might not be an x86
Edit: not sure how I missed "Lenovo laptop"

Thanks for those who have responded to my thread. I will attempt to post an accurate but broad response as I understand, but in no particular order:

o My laptop is a Lenovo G580 with an Intel Pentium B960 64bit dual-core processor rated as 2.7ghz variable speed.

o My Zorin 15 os ultimate is 64bit

o The Virtualbox was installed using the guided install option using the recommended options. I noticed ALL recommend candidates (which there are many) stated they were 32bit and NO option to select 64bit so I choose Adobe figuring they would be most complete and knowledgeable of the group.

In the attempt to install the Zorin 64bit OS into the Virtualbox was chosen since it obviously runs fine on this laptop and yields the consistent error message regardless of the OS option of other selections tried such as Linux, Windows, Apple, and several others. The VM starts uploading the OS (in this case for this response was Zorin 15 ultimate) and gives the impression all is a go for a few seconds and then an error message pops up freezing the machine. The exact message which I carefully wrote down was "This kernel requires an X86-64 CPU. But only detected an i686 CPU unable to boot _ please use a kernel appropriate for your cpu". The laptop requires a forced shutdown and a fresh reboot to come back online. These attempts to run Virtualbox are 100% repeatable.

Sorry for the verbose response but one should never ask a Physicist a technical question and expect a short answer - they are incongruous!

This problem is not a showstopper for the near-term but I will require a VM later on in the project, so any guidance is appreciated to point me in the correct direction.

All errors in this correspondence are mine.

it does seem to be a 32bit / 64bit issue.

But the way I was expecting it "flipped".

I'm assuming the error was given by the guest "the OS on the VM"
and not the host "the one running VirtualBox"

ok on the command line ( of the host )
I wish it was a more exciting command
that should give you "x86_64" which confirms you have a 64bit OS

What strikes me as is odd is VitrualBox only offering 32bit
I suspect you may have a 32bit Zorin and not 64bit
in which case you *must* use a 32bit OS in VirtualBox