A (VM) virtual machine is a digital version of a physical computer. Each virtual machine runs its own operating system and functions separately from the other VMs, even when they are all running on the same host. This means that, for example, a virtual MacOS virtual machine can run on a physical PC.
A virtual machine (VM) is a software program that allows you to run an operating system within another operating system. This is a useful tool for developers, testers, and IT professionals who need to test software on different operating systems. In this article, we will explain how to create a Windows 11 virtual machine using VMware Player and VirtualBox.
Method 1: Using VMware Player
VMware Player is a free virtualization tool that allows you to create and run virtual machines on your computer. Here's how you can create a Windows 11 virtual machine with VMware Player:
- Download and install VMware Player on your computer.
- Launch VMware Player and click on “Create a New Virtual Machine”.
- Select “Installer disc image file (ISO)” and click on “Browse” to locate the Windows 10 ISO file on your computer.
- Click “Next” and select “Windows” as the operating system and “Windows 10 x64” as the version.
- Name your virtual machine and select a location to save it.
- Set the disk capacity for your virtual machine and click on “Finish” to create the virtual machine.
- Once the virtual machine is created, click on “Play virtual machine” to start it.
- Follow the Windows 11 installation process to install the operating system on your virtual machine.
Method 2: Using VirtualBox
VirtualBox is another free virtualization tool that allows you to create and run virtual machines on your computer. Here's how you can create a Windows 10 virtual machine with VirtualBox:
- Download and install VirtualBox on your computer.
- Launch VirtualBox and click on “New” to create a new virtual machine.
- Name your virtual machine and select “Microsoft Windows” as the type and “Windows 10 (64-bit)” as the version.
- Set the amount of memory you want to allocate to your virtual machine and click on “Create”.
- Follow the steps in the VirtualBox wizard to create your virtual hard disk and configure your virtual machine.
- Once your virtual machine is created, click on “Start” to launch it.
- Follow the Windows 10 installation process to install the operating system on your virtual machine.
Virtual machines are a great way to run multiple operating systems on a single computer. They allow you to test software, run applications that are not compatible with your current operating system, and create a sandbox environment for testing and development purposes. In this article, we will show you how to create a Windows 10 virtual machine using VMware Player and VirtualBox, two of the most popular virtualization software.
Method 1: Creating a Windows 10 Virtual Machine with VMware Player
VMware Player is a free virtualization software that allows you to create and run virtual machines. To create a Windows 10 virtual machine with VMware Player, follow these steps:
Step 1: Download and Install VMware Player
Go to the official VMware website and download the latest version of VMware Player. Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.
Step 2: Create a New Virtual Machine
Launch VMware Player and click on the “Create a New Virtual Machine” option. Select “Typical” configuration and click “Next”.
Step 3: Install Windows 10
Select the ISO file of Windows 10 and click “Next”. Enter the Windows 10 product key and click “Next”. Give your virtual machine a name and choose a location to save it. Set the disk size and click “Next”. Finally, click on “Finish” to create your new virtual machine.
Step 4: Configure the Virtual Machine
After creating the virtual machine, you can customize its settings by clicking on “Edit Virtual Machine Settings”. You can adjust the hardware settings, such as memory, CPU, and graphics, as well as the network and storage settings.
Step 5: Start the Virtual Machine
To start the virtual machine, simply select it from the list of virtual machines in VMware Player and click “Play virtual machine”. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation of Windows 10 on your virtual machine.
Method 2: Creating a Windows 10 Virtual Machine with VirtualBox
VirtualBox is another popular virtualization software that allows you to create and run virtual machines. To create a Windows 10 virtual machine with VirtualBox, follow these steps:
Step 1: Download and Install VirtualBox
Go to the official VirtualBox website and download the latest version of VirtualBox. Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.
Step 2: Create a New Virtual Machine
Launch VirtualBox and click on the “New” button to create a new virtual machine. Enter a name for your virtual machine, choose “Microsoft Windows” as the operating system, and select “Windows 10” as the version. Click “Next” to proceed.
Step 3: Configure the Virtual Machine
Set the memory size and the virtual hard disk size. Choose “Create a virtual hard disk now” and click “Create”. Choose the hard disk file type and click “Next”. Choose “Dynamically allocated” for the storage on physical hard disk. Set the hard disk size and click “Create”.
Step 4: Install Windows 10
Select the virtual machine you just created and click on “Start”. Choose the ISO file of Windows 10 and click “Start”. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation of Windows 10 on your virtual machine.
Step 5: Configure the Virtual Machine
After installing Windows 10, you can customize the settings of your virtual machine by clicking on “Settings”. You can adjust the hardware settings, such as memory, CPU, and graphics, as well as the network and storage settings.
Step 6: Start the Virtual Machine
To start the virtual machine, simply select it from the list of virtual machines in VirtualBox and click “Start”. Follow the on-screen instructions to log in to Windows 10 on your virtual machine.
What Advantages and Disadvantages of virtual machines.?
Advantages of virtual machines:
Virtual machines are easy to manage and maintain, and they offer several advantages over physical machines.
Disadvantages of virtual machines:
While virtual machines have several advantages over physical machines, there are also some potential disadvantages:
VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. This makes it easy to control it from several interfaces at once: for example, you can start a virtual machine in a typical virtual machine GUI and then control that machine from the command line.