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In this article you will learn how to create virtual computer. That is, your computer will have another computer with virtual hardware, and you can install Windows or another operating system on it.

We will solve this problem using the Oracle VM VirtualBox program. It is free and in Russian, in addition, it is intuitive and simple interface.

How to create a virtual computer

To create a virtual computer, download Oracle program VM VirtualBox from the link below, and then install it on your computer.

Oracle VM VirtualBox is a program that allows you to create a virtual computer, that is, a computer inside your computer. And it will be completely complete. The program creates virtual devices based on available physical resources. A virtual machine is created from these devices.

During installation of the program, drivers for virtual hardware will be installed. You may be asked for permission to install unsigned drivers. You definitely have to agree. Otherwise the installation is normal. You can leave everything as default.

So let's create one virtual computer. Once Oracle VM VirtualBox is installed, run the program. You will see an interface like this. To get started, click this nice “Create” button.


A window will open in which you need to fill in the “Name” field. This is the computer name. I'll write my name there. In the “Type” list, you need to select the type of operating system. Windows, Linux, Mac and others are supported. In the "Version" list, select the OS version.

After these preliminary settings, click the “Next” button.


In the next window, select the volume random access memory for a virtual computer. It will draw RAM from the existing one physical memory. Therefore, you cannot take more than what you have.

Once selected, click "Next".


The next step is to select a virtual hard disk. This device will be created based on your existing hard drive. There are three options: do not connect the hard drive, then it can be identified later; create new disk; and use existing disk, if he is. For a new virtual computer, you need the second option.

Click the "Create" button.



Now you need to choose whether the virtual hard disk will be dynamic or fixed. A dynamic disk will not immediately take up all the space allocated for it, but will grow as it fills. But if space becomes free on it, it will no longer decrease. Fixed disk will immediately take up all the space. However, according to the developers' promises, it will work faster. I recommend choosing dynamic.

Click the "Next" button.



The virtual hard disk is created in the user's folder on the computer in the VirtualBox VMs directory. You can move it to another location after creating it (then you will need to reconfigure the computer), or immediately select where you want to save it.

All. We managed to create a virtual computer. Here he is on the list.


If you click on the “Customize” button, you can see what options are available. Those who are inquisitive will find it very interesting.


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How to install an operating system on a virtual computer

You decided to create a virtual computer not to look at it blank screen, but to install the operating system on it and use it.

So, to put it on virtual Windows machine or another OS, you need to turn it on first. To do this, click the “Run” button.


Here we are asked to select the media on which there is a distribution kit of the operating system to be installed. If you have one, you can choose and install the OS now. And I don't have a physical DVD drive, so I click Cancel.

Today there is a small circle of users computer systems who in their work prefer to use not two operating systems installed in parallel on one computer, but so-called virtual machines. Today we will find out what it is, and at the same time we will give readers recommendations on how to set up a Windows XP virtual machine. Let us immediately note that no difficulties should arise here, so you should not be afraid.

What is a Windows XP virtual machine and why is it needed?

Let's start, perhaps, with the most pressing question about what this concept, which seems to many to be a tricky one, actually is.

If we do not consider the technical side of the functioning of such a system, the most simple explanation will be the fact that, in fact, such a program in operation is a complete analogue of a real computer, but only in a virtual version. In the operating system, which is provided as a guest, you can work in exactly the same way as in a regular “OS” installed on the user terminal.

It goes without saying that in such a system programs can easily be installed, settings changed, etc. In other words, in virtual Windows you can see how this or that program will work, even if infected with a virus, without affecting the main OS.

And Windows XP was not chosen as a guest system by chance. The point is that, starting from Vista versions, some applications designed exclusively for “expansion” simply stop working, and you have to run them in Well, you’re not going to install two “OSes”, and even so that they don’t conflict with each other? Firstly, this is a rather labor-intensive process, and secondly, if we proceed from the integrity of the law-abiding user, then additional costs for purchasing a license are also inevitable.

In this sense creation of Windows XP has quite a lot of advantages. In addition, the process itself does not take that much time. The only thing you have to pay attention to is some nuances when choosing parameters. But first things first.

Boot disk

Now let's consider initial conditions and determine what we need to create a Windows XP virtual machine on Windows 8, for example, although for any other “operating system”, starting from “seven” and higher, the process will be the same.

Naturally, you cannot do without a boot disk or image created from the original installation Windows disk XP, preferably with the full third service pack (SP3).

To do this, you can use your own tools from the system already on your computer, but it is better to give preference to programs like UltraISO, DAEMON Tools and the like. The process is quite simple, so it makes no sense to dwell on it in detail.

Creating a virtual machine: choosing a program and basic requirements

Next, for example, when a Windows XP virtual machine is created on Windows 8.1, you need to decide on the software. It goes without saying that when choosing a program, you should pay attention to the criterion of its compatibility with the installed operating system.

As for the programs themselves, today you can find quite a lot of them. The most common and most popular are VirtualBox. VMware Workstation, Microsoft Virtual PC, QEMU and many others. However, due to, so to speak, practicality and ease of operation in in this example We will use VirtualBox, a program often called a “sandbox”.

Installing Oracle VirtualBox

So, a Windows XP virtual machine on Windows 10, for example, can be created only after installing the main software product in the existing environment (“OS”).

As expected, the main one starts first installation file programs. Let’s immediately make a reservation that the launch should be done on behalf of the Administrator, otherwise errors may occur. Further, as in all standard procedures, select the place where it will be installed software, check the boxes next to the lines for creating an icon on the desktop (if necessary), in general, follow the instructions of the “Installation Wizard”.

During the installation process, warning windows may appear indicating that the program has not been tested for compatibility. There's no need to panic. Just press the continue buttons. Yes, by the way, if suddenly during the installation process the Internet connection is lost, there is nothing wrong with that either - this is how it should be. We are waiting for the process to finish.

So, the installation is complete. After pressing the confirmation button (by the way, this is what is good about this program), the application will start automatically, and with an interface in the language that is installed in the existing “OS” by default.

Additional requirements

During the installation process, you should pay attention to the fact that the program may request the installation of all drivers. If such a situation arises, in all dialog boxes we simply agree with the proposals.

And further. If, after installation is complete, you need to run the program in compatibility mode, you need to click on the “executable” right click and in the context menu select launch in the appropriate mode with Administrator rights. But, as practice shows, this is not required in most cases.

Windows XP virtual machine on Windows 7 and higher: first steps to create

After the first start of the program, you need to create a new virtual machine. To do this, use the corresponding button on the panel at the top or the command to add a machine to the menu. Let’s make a reservation right away: depending on the version of the application itself, the names of the buttons, menu lines or appearance may vary. But, as is already clear, the essence does not change.

At the first stage, the Windows XP virtual machine requires you to enter its name, after which a category of operating system is selected, which, presumably, will be installed later (in our case it is “expert”).

Criteria for choosing the amount of RAM

At the next stage, you will need to indicate the amount of RAM required for operation. You need to be careful here. For example, if you need to test one or two not too resource-intensive programs, you can set the minimum to 192 MB.

If the user wants to avoid slowdown, it is better to use either 512 MB or 1024 MB. True, you should take into account the capabilities of your system, so it is not recommended to set the bar too high, otherwise, when the virtual machine is turned on, the main system will start to slow down.

The nuances of creating a virtual hard disk

Next, you should select a location on the hard drive where the image of the Windows XP virtual machine with the system installed in the future will be stored. IN in this case The “Virtual Creation Wizard” starts hard drive».

The user will be asked to choose between creating a dynamic or static partition. See for yourself. A dynamic section can automatically increase in size as it fills, while a static section has fixed volumes. Regardless of which type is selected, it is advisable to specify at least 10 GB (more is possible, but here, again, it all depends on the physical capacity of the existing hard drive, including all its logical partitions).

At the same time, the location for storing information is also selected. Please note that manually creating new section no need. In the program, you can select the desired location in the form of a folder (by default it is Win_XP_SP3 in the specified location). Please note: it is advisable to place it in a logical partition, and not in the one where the main system is installed. For example, if Windows 7 is located on the C drive, for Windows XP it is better to select the D partition.

When you continue with the settings, all parameters will be displayed on the screen the machine being created. If everything is correct, click on the finish button. The first part of the journey has been completed.

Installing Windows XP

Now let's move on to the guest system installation process. To do this, we use either the created installation disk, or image.

But first, in the virtual machine, you need to go to the properties menu, where you will need to configure some parameters, for example, enable 3D acceleration in the “Display” section. The most important thing is that in the motherboard settings menu you need to set the boot order so that the CD-ROM is in the first place for installing the “expansion” (you can simply drag it to the first position with the mouse).

For Windows installations XP uses the "Start" button. The installation itself is absolutely no different from how it would be if this “OS” was installed on the hard drive in normal mode.

Shared Folders and Add-ons

But that's not all. The Windows XP virtual machine must somehow interact with the existing system. To do this, it is advisable to create at least one shared folder, although you can use removable media in the form of regular flash drives.

In addition, the user should be able to switch between the host and guest OS, for example, using a standard mouse. To do this, you should launch the guest operating system, and then in the “Devices” item, select the command to install additions to it. That's it now. We have a ready-made Windows XP virtual machine, fully functional and ready to use.

In the “expansion” itself, you can perform all the standard actions, say, adding new devices, working with programs and documents, etc. In general, such a Windows XP virtual machine looks absolutely identical to a real computer. In addition, if the machine is in startup mode, when the main system starts, you can choose which OS to start. Although in fairness it is worth noting that this is never particularly required.

Instead of a conclusion

So, here is a brief look at the main issues related to creating and configuring a Windows XP virtual machine. Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the option was considered exclusively for systems Windows level higher than "expiska". However, the creation of such a machine can be done in almost the same way in other operating systems, for example, in Linux Ubuntu or any other, while the process of its creation and operation is absolutely no different from everything that was described above. By the way, for all those who work with systems other than Windows, this is quite a serious plus, but for the most part those who develop software will be happy.

Learning to use VirtualBox is beneficial for everyone. Thanks to this service, you get virtual computers that you can run on your devices without having to buy new hardware. At its core, it's free. software for virtualization.

VirtualBox was created to solve many problems. Thanks to this functionality, you get the opportunity to create virtual computers out of thin air. They don't take up any space on your desk, but they work just like a real PC. They can be created and deleted with a few clicks.

What is VirtualBox? It is a free, open source, cross-platform application for creating, managing and running virtual machines (VMs) - computers whose hardware components are emulated by the host computer, or device, on which the program is running. VirtualBox can run on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Solaris.

Why is this necessary?

Using virtual machines can be extremely beneficial for a number of reasons. For example, you can run it to try software that you think might be dangerous, or you can try a different operating system without changing the way your computer is configured.

You can also use it for security purposes. For example, you can create a virtual machine just for online banking to make sure you don't become a victim spyware or Trojans obtaining your data.

How to install VirtualBox?

The easiest way to get latest version VirtualBox - Download it from the download page of the official website. There you can find suitable version for your platform or? If you use Linux, you can study the list of instructions for the various distributions of this OS.

For each version of Linux, you are given the option to download the "i386" or "amd64" option, 32-bit and 64-bit versions, respectively.

How to install VirtualBox? The process is similar to installing any other program on your platform, so you shouldn't have any problems. If you have any difficulties, you can always read the installation guide on the service's website.

Using VirtualBox

How to use VirtualBox? When you launch the application for the first time, you will be greeted by the VirtualBox Manager. Here you can create virtual machines, enable or disable them and configure access to the virtual hardware available to them, as well as make network settings.

Creating a virtual machine

In order to configure the network in VirtualBox and get started, you will need to create a virtual machine. This is done as follows.

The first step to creating any virtual machine is to click the "Create" button in the top left corner of the VirtualBox Manager window - this is a big blue Star, which is very difficult to miss.

This will launch the New Virtual Machine Wizard, which will walk us through the steps required to get it up and running.

Enter the name of the virtual computer. This name is completely up to you, but there are some nuances.

VirtualBox will try to figure out what OS you plan to run in the virtual machine based on what name you enter. If the name mentions "XP", it is assumed that you will be installing Windows XP and configuring it accordingly. However, you can come up with random name. You will then have the option to manually select your OS type from the drop-down lists below. When you do this, click Continue to move on to the next step. This example looks at Windows for VirtualBox. Below are instructions for installing this OS as a guest OS and then setting up a network connection.

Selecting RAM

To install the guest OS after running VirtualBox, you will be asked to select the amount of RAM you want to place in the virtual machine. The more volume you give it, the better app will work, but keep in mind that the memory allocated to the virtual machine cannot be used by the host OS (i.e. the machine on which VirtualBox is installed).

So how much RAM should you allocate to a VM? This depends on a number of factors. If you plan to only use the virtual machine while it's running, you can afford to give it more RAM because you won't be asking the host system to multitask. If, on the other hand, you will be using it while running many other functions on the host OS, you should better calculate this value. good general rule is to allocate half of your computer's RAM. So, if your PC has 4GB RAM, give 2GB to the VM, leaving the host with the rest. If you select this value with a blunder, you will encounter the fact that VirtualBox does not start.

Storage space

The next step is to create a “virtual hard disk” (VHD). This creates a file on your HDD that can be used by VirtualBox to act as a separate HDD. This allows you to install the operating system without worrying about your existing data being affected.

Make sure Boot is selected Hard Disk and "Create new hard disk", then click "Continue". This will launch "Create New Master" virtual disk" Click Continue again to complete the action.

You'll then be asked whether you want to create a "dynamically expanding" or fixed-size disk. Each has its own advantages. The great thing about a dynamic disk is that it only takes up as much space as the data it contains. It is also much faster to create than a fixed one of any significant size.

However, you need to keep an eye on this because his flexibility can also be his negative trait. So you create a dynamic disk and assign 50GB to it and then put about 20GB of data on it. Its file will appear as holding only 20 GB of hard drive space, according to your host OS. Therefore, you can take this place with other data and not notice it.

The point is that if you start a virtual machine and try to add more data to the dynamic disk, you will have problems - the virtual disk says it still has 30 GB, but in fact it may no longer have it.

This is also the advantage of a fixed-size disk. Sure, it's inconvenient when you're trying to figure out how much space you'll need, but then you won't have to worry about it anymore.

This example shows dynamic disks, but fixed ones will work just as well. Make sure Dynamically Expanding Storage is selected, then click Continue again. Next, you will be asked to select a name, location, and size for the new VHD. For most uses, you won't need to change the name or location, but you can do so by clicking on the folder icon next to the text field.

The size you should specify depends on how much material you plan to use. If you just want to use it to run a few programs, the suggested size of 10 GB should be sufficient. Make sure the settings are correct, then click Continue and Finish.

At this point, you just need to check everything and make sure that all the settings are set as you expect. Then you just need to click "Finish" and the virtual machine will be created so you can install Windows.

Booting a Guest OS in VirtualBox

How to continue using the service? Now it's time to run the virtual machine for the first time. Make sure the new virtual PC you just created is selected in the VirtualBox Manager window, then click the Start button at the top of the window. When the service starts, you will be greeted with a First Run Wizard window that will help you prepare to install Windows XP. Click Continue. Then the question will open what do you want to use as installation media- a CD or image on your hard drive (usually as an .iso file). Once you've selected your option, click Continue, then Finish.

If you were unable to open the VirtualBox virtual machine after the above settings, you probably did not allocate space for RAM or HDD correctly. If rebooting does not solve the problem, repeat the previous steps again.

Since there is nothing installed on the virtual hard disk, the program will automatically load Windows installations. It will take some time to download all the necessary OS files, but eventually you will see a screen that displays a list of existing partitions and unallocated space on the computer.

After this you should configure XP, so press Enter. You will be asked how you want to format the drive. You need to select the option “Format partition using file NTFS systems(Quick)". Make sure you select the "Fast" option or you will be waiting for a very long time!

Windows Setup will then format the VHD and then begin copying the files to the drive. Your participation in this process is not required. Once the files are copied, Windows Setup will automatically restart your computer to move on to the next step.

When the PC reboots, it will try to boot from the CD using the "Press any key to boot from CD..." window. Ignore it! If you do this, you will repeat the previous step again for no reason.

You can prevent this systemic issue by right-clicking the CD icon at the bottom of the virtual machine window and clicking Remove Disk from Virtual Disk. Once this window closes, you will see the familiar screen Windows boot XP before it switches to the second stage of installation.

Once the “Windows XP Installation Wizard” is displayed, click “Next” to begin it. You'll first be asked to set your regional and language settings, which basically involve clicking "Customize..." (to select your country) and then "Details" if you need to change your keyboard layout.

Once everything is selected, click Next again. After this, you will need to enter your computer name and administrator password. It's better to choose a name that has some meaning instead of a random string of automatically generated characters. How complex you want to make the administrator password depends on how important the security of the virtual machine is.

After clicking Next, you will see the date and time settings, which you do not need to change. When you click this button again, the window will disappear for a while, Windows will apply all the settings and continue with the installation. Now you can use VirtualBox guests additions.

After a minute or two another window will appear, this time for network settings. It is more convenient to choose the first option (a network that does not have a domain). To do this you need to enter a name working group- default is Rward, and all values ​​are default. However, you may need to select "Direct3D Support" when asked to identify components.

How to work with the network?

Networking in VirtualBox is extremely powerful, but setting it up can be a little tricky. To understand this, you need to consider various ways VirtualBox network settings with a few pointers to what configurations should be used and when.

Oracle VM VirtualBox 5.1 allows you to configure up to 8 virtual network adapters(controllers network interface) for each guest virtual device(although there are only 4 in the GUI).

Main modes:

  • Broadcast network addresses(NAT).
  • Bridge networks.
  • Internal network.
  • The network is for hosting only.
  • NAT with port forwarding.

Oracle VirtualBox offers them as based on the guest OS type you specify when you create the virtual machine, and you rarely need to modify them. But choosing a network mode depends on how you want to use the device (client or server) and whether you want other computers on your network to see it. So, you should look at each VirtualBox network configuration mode in a little more detail.

Network Address Translation (NAT)

This is the default mode for new virtual machines and works fine in most situations where the guest OS is a "client" type (i.e. most network connections are outgoing). Here's how it works.

When the guest OS boots, it typically uses DHCP to obtain an IP address. Oracle VirtualBox will send this DHCP request and inform the operating system of the assigned IP address and gateway address for routing outgoing connections. In this mode, each virtual machine is assigned the same IP address (10.0.2.15) because each one considers itself to be on its own isolated network. And when they send their traffic through the gateway (10.0.2.2), VirtualBox rewrites the packets so that they appear as if they came from the host, and not from the "guest" (running inside the host).

This means that the guest OS will work even if the host moves from network to network (such as a laptop moving between locations), from wireless to wired connections.

However, how does another computer initiate a connection with it? For example, you need to connect to a web server running on guest computer. This is not possible (usually) using NAT mode because there is no route to the guest OS. So for running virtual machine servers you need a different network mode and a different VirtualBox network setup.

NAT connection (network characteristics):

  • Guest OSs are on their own private network.
  • VirtualBox acts as a DHCP server.
  • Mechanism NAT VirtualBox translates addresses.
  • Destination servers display traffic originating from the VirtualBox host.
  • No configuration is required for the host or guest OS.
  • Works great when the "guests" are clients but not servers.

Bridged networks

Bridged Networking is used in cases where you want your virtual machine to be a full member of the network, that is, equal to your host device. In this mode, the virtual network adapter is "connected" to the physical one on your host.

This is because each virtual machine has access to the physical network just like your host. He can access any service on the network - external services DHCP, name lookup services and routing data and so on.

The downside to this mode is that if you run a lot of virtual machines, you can quickly run out of IP addresses or your network administrator will be overwhelmed with requests for them. Second, if your host has multiple physical network adapters (such as wireless and wired), you must reconfigure the bridge if it reconnects on the network.

What if you want to run servers in a virtual machine, but don't want to involve a network administrator? Maybe one of the following two modes will work for you, or maybe you need a combination additional parameters, for example NAT vNIC + 1 Host-only vNIC.

Bridged network characteristics:

  • VirtualBox bridges are for the host network;
  • good for any guest OS (both client and server);
  • use IP addresses;
  • may include guest configuration;
  • best suited for production environments.

Internal network

When you configure one or more virtual machines to run on an internal network, VirtualBox ensures that all traffic on that network remains within the host and is only accessible to the device on that virtual network.

The internal network is a completely isolated system. It is good for testing. In it, using a virtual machine, you can create complex internal networks that provide their own services (for example, Active Directory, DHCP, etc.). Note that even the host is not an element.

This mode allows the virtual machine to run even if the host is not connected to the network (for example, on a plane). However, with this type of connection and network setup, VirtualBox does not provide such “convenient” services as DHCP, so your device must be statically configured or provide the DHCP/Name service.

It is possible to install several internal networks. You can configure virtual machines to allow multiple network adapters to reside in internal and other network modes, and thereby provide routes if necessary. But all this looks complicated and inaccessible to a non-specialist.

What if you want the internal network to accept the VirtualBox host while providing IP addresses to the guest OS? To do this, you may need to configure a host-only network.

Internal network characteristics:

  • guest operating systems can see other “guests” on the same internal network;
  • the host cannot see the internal configuration;
  • network configuration required;
  • even if the host is not a party to the connection, the internal network can be used in conjunction with a bridged connection;
  • well suited for multi-user networks.

Hosting only network

Works almost the same as an Internal Networking connection, where you specify which network the guest server is on. All virtual machines located on this network will see each other and the host. However, other external devices cannot see "guests" on this network, hence the name "host only".

It is very similar to an internal network, but the host can now provide DHCP services. To set up such a connection, go to VirtualBox Manager and select the default settings.

Network characteristics:

  • VirtualBox creates a private internal network for the guest OS, and the host sees the new NIC software.
  • VirtualBox provides a DHCP server.
  • Guest operating systems cannot access the external network.

NAT with port forwarding

Now you can imagine that you have learned enough modes to handle every case, but there are exceptions. What if your development environment is on a laptop, for example, and you have one or more virtual machines that need other computers to connect to? And you are constantly forced to use different client networks.

In this scenario, NAT will not work because the external machines must be bridged. It's possible a good option, but you may need IP addresses. Additionally, software may not always be able to cope with changing networks.

If you use an internal network, it may turn out that your virtual machines required to be visible online. What to do in such cases?

Configure the virtual machine to use a NAT network, add port forwarding rules, and external computers connect to "host". The port number and connection will be forwarded by VirtualBox to the guest OS number.

For example, if your virtual machine runs a web server on port 80, you can configure the above rules. It provides a mobile demo system that does not need re-tuning every time you connect your laptop to a different LAN/Network.

Ultimately, VirtualBox has a very powerful set of options, allowing you to customize almost any configuration you might need. To choose the option you need, read the VirtualBox instructions on the official website.

Using the free VirtualBox program, you can create a virtual machine on your computer with another guest operating system. Program VirtualBox virtualization creates virtual machines into which you can install different operating systems: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, etc.

In Virtual Box, a virtual computer with a different (or other) operating system will be installed on your computer, which will not in any way affect the main OS installed on your computer. With this program, you can simultaneously work in two different operating systems, for example, Windows and Linux Mint, or in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1.

In such a virtual operating system it will be possible to perform different actions: learn to work in a new OS, test new ones Windows versions, try it at work unfamiliar programs, run legacy applications that no longer work on your system, etc. You can do whatever you want with the virtual (guest) operating system without any risk to the host system.

To do this, you will not need to create new partitions on your hard drive and install another OS there. VirtualBox will do everything you need to create a virtual machine.

More information about installing the VirtualBox program and add-on package can be found here. Next, we will look at the process of creating a virtual machine and configuring it. The VirtualBox program is completely Russified.

Creating a virtual machine in VirtualBox

To start the process of creating a virtual machine, in the main window of the VirtualBox program, click on the “Create” button.

In the “Specify OS name and type” window, you will need to enter the name of the new virtual machine, then select the type and version of the operating system. The created virtual machine will be identified by this name, so I recommend making the names clear.

In this case, Windows 10 is installed on my real computer, and I want to install Windows 7 on the virtual machine. In order to avoid confusion between versions (it will be possible to install several identical systems different releases), I gave the guest a detailed, friendly name.

It will be possible to install the virtual machine in expert mode (all settings will be grouped in several windows), or in detailed mode, which we will now look at.

VirtualBox recommends the minimum amount of RAM for a given virtual machine. You can choose the required amount of memory yourself. Here you should adhere to the following recommendation: you should not exceed the size of the allocated memory, which is marked on the scale green so that in the end there are no problems with the operation of the created virtual machine.

Virtual memory is the portion of your computer's physical memory that will be used in the virtual machine. Virtual memory is allocated from the host operating system to allow the guest operating system to run on a virtual machine. The allocated RAM will only be used when the virtual machine is running.

My computer has 8 GB of RAM, so I can allocate half the capacity to the virtual machine - 4 GB. You can select your RAM size by moving the cursor on the scale, or enter the memory size as a numerical value in MB. In the future, if necessary, you can change the amount of allocated RAM in the settings of this virtual machine.

In the next step, you will need to create a virtual hard disk, since the virtual machine will not be able to work without such a hard disk. A virtual hard disk is a file special type, which is stored in file system Your computer's OS.

This window offers three options to choose from:

  • Do not mount the virtual hard disk - you can mount the virtual hard disk after creating the virtual machine
  • Create new hard disk - a new virtual hard disk will be created
  • Use an existing virtual hard disk - a previously created virtual hard disk will be connected to the virtual machine

In the next window you will need to select the type of virtual hard disk. You can choose following formats disks (virtual containers):

  • VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image) - VirtualBox disk format
  • VMDK ( Virtual Machine Disk) - VMware disk format
  • VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) - Microsoft disk format
  • HDD (Parallels Hard Disk) - Parallels disk format
  • QED (QEMU enhanced disk) - format for QEMU/KVM
  • QCOW (QEMU Copy-On-Write) - format for QEMU (qcow2)

If you only use the VirtualBox program to create and run virtual machines, then you can leave the default choice: VDI format. Discs of this format will be opened in the Virtual Box program.

The VMDK format is suitable if you will use a virtual VMware machine Player, or VMware Workstation. By creating a virtual machine in VirtualBox and selecting the VMDK virtual disk type, you can then launch this virtual machine with the operating system installed, not only in VirtualBox, but also in another VMware program.

After selecting the disk type, click on the “Next” button.

A dynamic hard disk file will take up little space on your computer's physical hard drive. As it fills with data, it will increase in size to its maximum capacity.

A fixed hard disk file will immediately occupy the entire space of the virtual hard disk.

In the new window you will be asked to specify the name and size of the virtual hard disk file.

In the name field you will need to write the name of the virtual hard disk. I always provide clear names for virtual machines so that I can easily distinguish virtual container files from each other.

By default, all virtual machine files will be saved in the user profile on the “C” drive of your real computer. I recommend doing it differently: creating it in another (non-system) partition of your computer’s disk. special folder(I call it Virtual Machines), in which you can store virtual machine files.

If the virtual machine files will be stored in the user profile on system disk, then if the operating system is reinstalled, previously created virtual machines will be lost. You will need to re-create the virtual machine and then install the operating system there.

Files saved on another hard section disk, or on another hard drive, in case of reinstallation of the system will be saved. After installing a virtualization program (VirtualBox or VMware) on your computer, you will only need to connect and launch previously created virtual machines with operating systems.

To select a storage folder for virtual machines, use the icon with a folder button. In the Explorer window, select the drive and folder to store the virtual machine data.

Then use the scale to indicate the size of the virtual hard disk in megabytes. To do this, drag the slider to the desired location that suits your needs. After selecting the settings, click on the “Create” button.

The virtual machine has been created. After this, the main window “Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager” will open with the newly created virtual machine. On the right side of the window you can see some parameters of the virtual machine.

Now you will need to do additional settings before installing the operating system on a virtual machine.

Virtual machine settings in VirtualBox

In the main VirtualBox window, highlight the virtual machine (if there are several of them), and then click on the “Configure” button to enter the settings for that specific virtual machine.

In the "General" section, in the "Advanced" tab, you will need to select a storage folder for system snapshots (very useful feature). By default, system snapshots will be saved in the “Snapshost” folder in the user profile on the system drive “C”. You can create a folder with this name in the place where you store the files of this virtual machine, so as not to lose snapshots when reinstalling the system.

You will also need to select a shared clipboard in order to exchange data between the host real operating system and the guest virtual OS. There are several options to choose from:

  • Off - default setting
  • From main to guest OS - you can move information from the main system to the virtual OS
  • From guest to host OS - you can move data from virtual OS to host OS
  • Bidirectional - data can be exchanged in both directions

It makes sense to choose a bidirectional shared clipboard for the greatest convenience when working.

In the "System" section, in the "" tab Motherboard"You can configure the boot order of the virtual machine. Use the up and down arrow buttons to select the boot sequence for the virtual machine. It makes sense to do it first boot device optical disk, with floppy disk It will be possible to uncheck the box altogether due to the irrelevance of this method.

When you select an optical disk as the first boot device, the system can boot as if from a real disk drive on your computer, where it will be inserted boot disk DVD with the operating system, and from a disk image, for example, in ISO format, which is physically located somewhere on the disk of your computer.

After applying the new settings, do not forget to click on the “OK” button.

In the “Processor” tab, you can enable additional cores if your computer’s processor is multi-core.

In the “Display” section, in the “Screen” tab, you can select the amount of video memory that the virtual machine will use. Here you can enable 2D (required) and 3D (optional) acceleration.

In the “Video Capture” tab, you can enable the video capture function in the virtual machine.

In the “Media” section you will need to select virtual drive. The virtual disk file is already displayed here, but it is almost empty, since the operating system has not yet been installed. Therefore, to install the system you will need to select ISO file image with the operating system.

Click on “Empty”, on the right side of the window opposite the item “ Optical drive» Click on the button with the disk image, and then in the context menu select “Select optical disk image...”. Use Explorer to find on your computer the desired image operating system.

In the “Audio”, “Network”, “COM Ports”, “USB” sections you can leave the default settings; these settings largely depend on the hardware of your computer.

There is nothing in the "Shared Folders" section yet, because guest system has not yet been installed. For shared folders to function, you will need to install VirtualBox Guest Additions. You can read more about installing the system in a virtual machine and installing add-ons here.

If necessary, you can change the settings for a specific virtual machine to others. All settings are individual for each virtual machine.

Removing a virtual machine in VirtualBox

To delete a virtual machine, in the main Virtual Box window you will need to enter the “Machine” menu, and then select the “Delete” context menu item.

After uninstallation, all files and data of the virtual machine will be deleted from your computer.

Conclusion

IN free program VirtualBox, you can create a new one, or connect a ready-made virtual machine, apply necessary settings for more convenient use virtual machine.

Hello! My name is Maxim Borisov, let me remind you that in this series of articles we are talking about virtual work VirtualBox machines. Last time we already did, and are now ready to create the platform itself for installing the operating system.

Please note that even before installing the OS itself, you need to tell the virtual machine what operating system we will install. At this stage, you need to select the OS type - Windows, Linux or another. In addition, you need to indicate whether the system will be 32 or 64 bit.

On some computers, 64-bit OS versions are not shown in the list. Most often this is due to the fact that the hardware does not support such systems or is not enabled. Also, one of the problems may be a conflicting Hyper V server in Windows 8 or 10.

It is worth remembering that the memory you allocate to the virtual machine will not be available real car when VirtualBox starts. Therefore, if you have 4 GB of memory in total, installing 64 bit versions does not make much sense. On the other hand, if you leave only 1 GB of RAM for the virtual machine, you will experience performance problems.

If you have not created virtual machines before, select “Create a virtual disk”. It is worth understanding that the guest OS installed on the virtual machine will not have access (by default) to the hard drives of the main (host) system. Therefore, on one of next steps You need to think carefully before deciding how much disk space to allocate for a virtual machine.

The type of disk matters in cases where the same disk is used by several hypervisors (programs for creating virtual machines). In our example, we are installing our first virtual machine, so I leave the default option and the hard drive will be created in the internal VirtualBox format.

The next parameter is of great importance. If you select “Fixed virtual hard disk”, space on the physical hard disk will be immediately allocated and archived for it. Another thing is “Dynamic”, on physical disk it will take up space as it fills.

The size of the virtual disk cannot be changed after installing the OS, so if you select 15-20 GB and then they run out, you will have to create the machine again. So, the 32 GB that is recommended to us is the minimum that needs to be selected, especially for modern Windows operating systems - 7, 8 or 10.

The creation of the virtual machine is complete, let's launch it.

And we see that for the first time you need to insert bootable media or select an OS image on your hard drive. If you close this window, it will not appear the next time you start the machine.

But let's do it anyway, I'll show you how to start the OS installation later. In the meantime, let's make some more settings, which, in principle, could be done after installing the OS, but it wouldn't hurt to familiarize yourself with them before.

In the "General" and "Advanced" sections you can change the path of an individual machine. Make sure that it is not stored in a folder with all machines, but separately. But even during VirtualBox settings We set this parameter so that the space on drive C is not cluttered and now there is no need to change anything. But enabling the ability to transfer files via drag-and-drop and clipboard is very convenient.

In the "System" and "Motherboard" sections, you can select the boot device. Please note that there is no option to select a flash drive; I’ll tell you in a separate article if there is such a need.

In the "Processor" section, you can configure the processing power that is available to the virtual machine. Although the slider technically works if there is only one processor on the physical machine, do not set the setting to 2-3 or 4. This will cause a conflict. But the processor power available to the guest OS can be adjusted. Although, for most systems it is better to leave it at 100% and then the guest OS will use the power as needed. This does not mean that all 100% will be downloaded at once, but if necessary they can be used.

To work correctly with Windows 8 and 10, enable support for PAE/NX technology.

Now let's focus on file sharing between the host and guest operating systems. This is what shared folders are for.

By clicking on the plus sign, you can add a temporary or permanent shared folder. You can also place files in it that are needed for the guest OS. Someone even adds the entire disk D to a shared folder, but then you should understand that the guest OS will have access to your real files, and in some cases this is unsafe, for example, if some malware is being tested on the guest OS.

Let's summarize our creation of the virtual machine - we did everything right, and the machine works. To install the OS you now need to select top menu machine item “Devices”, “ Optical discs"and find either a system image or insert the disc into the drive.