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Installing and configuring a virtual machine using VirtualBox. Virtual machine. How to Install and Configure Oracle VM VirtualBox

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 is free virtualization software.

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 useful 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 might want to create a virtual machine just for online banking to make sure you don't fall victim to spyware or Trojans getting your data.

How to install VirtualBox?

The easiest way to get the latest version of VirtualBox is to download it from the download page of the official website. There you can find the appropriate 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 - that's the big blue star that's very hard 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 a 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 space you give it, the better the application will perform, but keep in mind that the memory allocated to the virtual computer cannot be used by the host OS (that is, the computer 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. A 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 hard drive. This allows you to install the operating system without worrying about your existing data being affected.

Make sure Boot Hard Disk and Create a new hard drive are selected, then click Continue. This will launch "Create a new virtual disk master". 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. It will then ask you whether you want to use a CD or an image on your hard drive (usually an .iso file) as installation media. 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, Windows Setup will automatically load. 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 your 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 “Format partition using NTFS (Quick)” option. 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 system 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'll see the familiar Windows XP boot screen before it switches to the second installation step.

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. You can now use Guest Additions in VirtualBox.

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 workgroup name - Rward by default, and all default values. 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 figure this out, we need to look at the different ways to configure VirtualBox networking, with a few pointers to what configurations to use and when.

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

Main modes:

  • Network Address Translation (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 a 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.
  • VirtualBox's NAT mechanism 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. It can access any service on the network - external DHCP services, 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 may 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? Perhaps one of the following two modes will work for you, or you may need a combination of additional options, such as 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.

Installation of several internal networks is allowed. You can configure virtual machines to allow multiple network adapters to be in internal and other network modes, thereby providing routes if needed. 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. This may be 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, you may find that your virtual machines need to be visible on the network. What to do in such cases?

Configure the virtual machine to use a NAT network, add port forwarding rules, and connect external computers to the “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. This provides a mobile demo system that does not need to be re-configured 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.

Now we’ll try to set up the well-known VirtualBox virtual machine and tell you how to use it, but first we’ll figure out what purposes it can be useful for. This emulator is designed to deploy multiple operating systems that you install (Windows, Linux, Mac or Android) without affecting your main system. It can be used for various experiments, testing software and programs.

VirtualBox virtual machine, a good emulator for companies and private use. This free and open source product has various functions. The distribution package of the program is on the official portal, where you can download it. There is a paid virtual machine for more advanced users called VMware, but we will cover this topic in another post.

Download and install the VirtualBox emulator


Go to and download the distribution package of the program to your computer. Download distributions for your Windows or Linux operating system.


Unzip the file, right-click and run the VirtualBox emulator as “Administrator”. A welcome window will open, click the "Next" button.


In another window you will be prompted to select a directory for installing program components; we recommend leaving the standard settings and clicking “Next”.


Then they will offer to install program shortcuts, you can not touch anything and continue installing the emulator. During installation of the program, a notification will pop up indicating that the network may be disconnected. If you are downloading any files from the Internet, wait until they are downloaded and continue installing and configuring VirtualBox.



When installing the program, windows will pop up about installing software for the USB controller, network services and network adapters, click “Install”.


At the end, click "Finish"

How to set up VirtualBox

Setting up a VirtualBox virtual machine implies the following: after installing the program, run it from "Administrator name" and change the interface language in case it doesn’t suit you or leave the standard settings.


In the program panel, click "File" - "Settings" Select the language that suits you on the right and click "OK".


Let's start installing the emulator. At the top of the panel, click "Create". In the “Create a virtual machine” window, write the name that will be displayed in VirtualBox, select the OS type and version.


Assign the required amount of RAM (random access memory) to the emulator. Then this parameter can be changed. In another window click "Create a new virtual hard disk".


We mark the type of file that will serve as a HDD disk for your emulator, we recommend setting "VDI". Select storage option, it is better to put "Dynamic virtual hard disk".


Use the slider to indicate the volume required for your disk; as a rule, the smallest volume is standard. In case you later need to change the characteristics, mark your virtual machine and click “Configure” in the top panel:


Menu "System": tab "Motherboard"- you can change the size of the allocated RAM (random access memory). "Boot Order"- uncheck the item "Floppy Disk".


Tab "CPU"- select the number of processors for the VirtualBox virtual machine, as well as the CPU (processor) load limit. Check the box "Enable PAE/NX".


Tab "Acceleration" check the boxes "Hardware virtualization".


On the menu "Display": You can speed up the video memory and enable 2D and 3D acceleration.


Menu "Carriers": select the iso image of your operating system previously downloaded from the Internet. In case you are installing the OS from a disk, check the box "Live CD/DVD".


Select "Optical disk image".


In the left menu "Net": It is possible to set the number of Internet adapters and connection type. Check the box "Enable network adapter"- connection type "NAT".


Menu USB: Celebrating "Enable USB controller" - "Enable USB EHCI controller". The USB filter determines which USB device will be connected in the virtual OS and which one will be connected to your system. For normal operation of all your USB-2.0 drives in a virtual OS, you need to install a plugin, you can download it on the official website.


Shared folders: This setting is important to configure because the virtual OS will interact with your system through shared folders. Click plus and type the full path to the directory of the shared folder located on your PC, for example drive D:\Disk. The Disk folder must be created in the D: drive directory on your PC. Check the box "Auto connect" and click "OK".

Launching and installing the operating system in VirtualBox


Now all that remains is to launch the VirtualBox emulator and install the OS as on a real PC. Click "Run".


And install the operating system.

After creating a virtual machine in VirtualBox, you can begin installing the Windows operating system (or any other) on the VirtualBox virtual machine. By installing an operating system on a virtual machine, you can use several operating systems on your computer at the same time: the main (host) and guest (virtual) operating systems.

The guest operating system installed on the virtual machine will operate in isolation from the main system installed on your computer. You can learn to work in a new OS, test applications, run outdated programs, use a virtual system for security purposes, etc. In this case, nothing will threaten the main system, and you can make any changes in the guest system.

In previous articles on my website, we discussed in detail the process of installing the VirtualBox virtualization program and the VirtualBox Extension Pack on a computer, creating and configuring a virtual machine in VirtualBox (you will find links to the articles mentioned here under this article). Now the final stage has come: installing the operating system in VirtualBox, installing the VirtualBox Guest Additions, final settings of the virtual machine.

Once the virtual machine has been created and configured, you can begin installing the operating system.

In this example, I install Windows 7 in a virtual machine; Windows 10 is installed on my computer (by the way, you can additionally install another Windows 10 on the virtual machine).

Installing Windows on VirtualBox

In the main window of the Oracle VM VirtualBox program, select the desired virtual machine if you have several virtual machines installed, and then click on the “Launch” button.

In the Virtual Box program window, the process of installing the operating system into the virtual machine will begin. The system installation process itself is no different from installing the system on a regular computer. Go through all the steps of installing the OS on a virtual computer.

After installing the operating system on the virtual machine, you will see Windows (or another operating system) in the VirtualBox program window.

A virtual OS requires customization to suit your needs, just like a regular system on your computer.

Immediately after installing the operating system on the virtual machine, you will need to install Additions for the guest operating system - VirtualBox Guest Additions, which consists of a set of drivers and utilities. After installing the add-on package, the functionality of the guest OS is noticeably improved.

Installing VirtualBox Guest Additions

In the window of the running virtual machine, go to the “Devices” menu item. Next, in the context menu, select “Mount guest OS Add-ons disk image...”.

After this, in the guest operating system you will need to open Explorer. In Explorer, you will see that the VirtualBox Guest Additions disk image is located in the place of the CD-DVD drive.

Now you will need to install VirtualBox Guest Additions.

Go through the steps of installing add-ons for the guest system by consistently clicking on the “Next” button. Agree to install software for devices.

After the installation of the guest OS package is complete, reboot the virtual operating system.

Creating a shared folder in VirtualBox

A shared folder is needed to exchange data between the main (host) and guest operating systems. First, you will need to create a shared folder on the main operating system installed on your computer. I have a “Data Sharing” folder on one of the drives on my computer, which is intended for data exchange.

In the “Folder Path” field, enter the path to the folder on the main system. Select "Other...", and then in the Explorer window, select or create the desired folder.

In the “Add a shared folder” window, check the “Auto-connect” and “Create a permanent folder” checkboxes, and then click the “OK” button.

In the Explorer window, go to “Network”, in the VBXSVR folder you will see a shared folder. In Virtual Box you can create several shared folders.

After installing additions for the guest OS, remove the ISO image of the operating system from the virtual machine's disk drive, since the system image is no longer needed.

For faster access, the shared folder can be added to the “Network Location” of Explorer as a network drive. To do this, press the “Windows” + “R” buttons on your keyboard. In the Run window, in the Open field, enter the following command:

Net use x: \\vboxsvr\folder_name

Then click on the "OK" button.

After executing the command, the shared folder will appear in Explorer under “Network Location”.

Taking a System Snapshot in VirtualBox

VirtualBox has a very useful feature: Snapshots. An operating system snapshot is the current state of the operating system at the time the snapshot was taken. Essentially, it is a system backup for recovery. You can take one or more snapshots and then restore the system to the state it was in when the snapshot was taken.

A typical situation: an operating system was installed on a virtual machine, after configuring it and installing the necessary applications, a snapshot of the guest operating system was taken. After this, the user “killed” Windows (or another system), changed the configuration, etc. As a result of these actions, the operating system malfunctions or does not work at all.

Since this is a virtual OS, you can easily remove it from VirtualBox and then install a new system on the virtual machine. If a system snapshot was previously taken, then nothing will need to be done. In this case, it will be possible to restore the system to working condition using the previously taken “Snapshot”.

To create a system snapshot, click on the “Snapshots” button in the main VirtualBox window.

In the “Pictures” tab, click on the camera button. In the “Take a snapshot of a virtual machine” window, you will need to give a name to the snapshot being created, and in the description you can add additional information (I added the date the snapshot was created). Next, click on the “OK” button.

After this, the process of creating a snapshot of the system in Virtual Box occurs.

A system snapshot has been created and can be accessed from the main VirtualBox window. Just keep in mind that system snapshots take up some space on the guest operating system's disk.

Recovering using a system snapshot

If necessary, for example, in case of serious problems with the guest system, you can restore the state of the virtual machine using a previously taken system snapshot. Restoring using a system snapshot occurs when the virtual machine is turned off.

Click on the "Snapshots" button in the main VirtualBox window. In the “Snapshots” tab, right-click on the system snapshot, and in the context menu select “Restore snapshot”.

In the question window, agree to restore the image. If the guest system is not working, you can uncheck the “Create a snapshot of the current system state” checkbox so as not to create an unnecessary snapshot since the system is not working normally.

Click on the "Restore" button.

If you create a snapshot of the current state, give it a name and description.

In the next window, click on the “Restore” button.

The guest operating system will be restored to the virtual machine in the state at the time the system snapshot was taken.

VirtualBox Update

To update VirtualBox, you will need to download the installation file of the new version of the program, as well as the Extension Pack of the new version. After installing the program, all previously made settings will be saved.

After starting the guest operating system in the virtual machine, you will need to install the VirtualBox Guest Additions again. If several operating systems were installed in VirtualBox, then in this case, Add-ons for Guest OS will need to be installed on each operating system.

Conclusions of the article

You can install a guest operating system on a VirtualBox virtual machine, install the VirtualBox Guest Additions, create shared folders, take a snapshot of the system, and then restore the virtual OS using the snapshot.

One operating system - virtual - inside another operating system, but a real one - this is an ideal find for those who like to test third-party software as well as different versions and builds of operating systems.

It's safe, it's interesting, moreover, it's even useful for development. The VirtualBox program is perhaps the only widely known representative of software that provides the mentioned capabilities.

It is free, simple and easy to use even for novice users. How to install a virtual Windows operating system using VirtualBox? We will consider this question below.

Step 1. Create a virtual computer

There are unlikely to be any problems with downloading and installing VirtualBox; it can be freely downloaded from developer's official website, and it is installed as standard.

The launched program will open with a welcome window, where you need to click the command - “Create”.

The window that appears will give you a choice of operating systems supported by the program. We select the required version, set a name for the virtual computer. Click "Forward".


We indicate what system we are creating:

Correct operation of Windows XP will be ensured by 512 MB of RAM, but for Windows 7 it is better to allocate 800-900 MB.

You cannot enter the red section of the scale, thereby giving the virtual computer more than half the hardware potential of the physical computer. Click "Forward".

In the next hard drive selection window, select the option to create a new hard drive.

In the next window, it is better for beginners to choose a storage format - fixed disk, since it works a little faster than dynamic. Click "Forward".

This figure will also be taken from the memory of the physical hard drive, so it is necessary to select the optimal amount, which will be enough for the purposes of operating a virtual computer, and this will not be to the detriment of physical memory.

For Windows XP you can allocate 5 GB, and for Windows 7 – about 15 GB. Here, using the browse button visible at the end of the first line, select the directory of the physical computer where the virtual hard drive will be placed.

It is better to choose a location on a non-system drive. The “Create” command will start the process of creating a virtual computer hard disk, after which you can admire the parameters of the newly created virtual computer.

Step 2. Install the operating system on the virtual computer

The virtual computer has been created and the operating system can be installed on it. Click the “Run” command.

We select either the operating system boot disk located in the physical drive or the disk image. You can set the path to the disk image using the browse button at the end of the line. Click “Continue”.

The familiar Windows installation menu will open in a separate VirtualBox window. The further steps are no different from the process of installing Windows on a physical computer.

The release of a new version of the operating system is stressful for most users. Therefore, one of the main tasks of developers is to make the transition as smooth as possible. This doesn’t always work out, but the creators of Windows 7 turned out to be understanding people, and therefore introduced a virtualization package into the system that was new at that time, allowing you to run XP inside the “seven”.

General information

A virtual machine emulates hardware, creating an isolated environment within the system in which any OS can be installed. This allows you to solve many problems with software compatibility, and also makes it possible to “try” another system without deleting the current one. You will be able to work with physical drives, install games and programs for Windows XP without giving up the “seven”, save files and perform other tasks. Let's see how to install a virtual machine on Windows 7 to take advantage of all its useful features.

Checking for Virtual PC

If you installed Windows 7 Ultimate, Enterprise or Professional versions, then you have the Virtual PC function by default. You just need to make sure that the processor supports hardware virtualization. This can be done using the utility from Microsoft Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Detection Tool.

Download the utility and run it. Depending on the results of the processor test, the following messages may appear on the screen.

Enabling/disabling virtualization is done in the BIOS settings, so before installing Virtual PC manually, make sure that the option is activated.

The option may be called Intel_Virtualization Technology, AMD-V, Virtualization Extensions, etc. Find this function in the BIOS and change the value from “Disabled” to “Enabled”. If after this you cannot start the virtual machine, Windows offers to install a special patch. At this stage, it is important to choose the correct system bit size – x32 or x64.

Manual installation

Installing a virtual machine on Windows 7 includes two stages:

  1. Installing windows Virtual PC;
  2. Installing a Windows XP Mode virtual disk.

First, let's deal with Virtual PC:

Then you can proceed to installing the windows XP Mode virtual disk:

First start

After installing XP Mode, the "seven" must further configure it to create a virtual disk. Therefore, after clicking the “Finish” button, the following window will appear on the screen, in which there will be another license agreement, the terms of which you must accept. Specify the folder where the virtual disk will be located and create the first user. Enable security features of the system you are creating. This is not necessary. Click "Start Installation". The installation process will start; you just have to wait for it to end.

New virtual machine

The system is prepared, the virtual disk is installed. All that remains is to create a new environment and run Windows XP in it.

The newly created sandbox will appear in the XP Mode main window. Right-click on it and select “Open”. Select the “DVD drive” option and specify the path to the physical drive (if you have a disk with the Windows XP distribution) or a pre-downloaded ISO image. The system installation wizard will launch.

All you have to do is install Windows XP in normal mode to start using this system in an isolated environment created using the hardware virtualization function.

After the installation is complete, you can use all the features of the Microsoft OS: install gadgets for Windows XP, install games that do not run on the “seven”, run outdated programs, etc. – to do this, just run XP mode through the emulator.

Alternative virtual machines

In addition to the built-in hardware virtualization function, Windows 7 supports third-party programs that help create an isolated environment and install any operating system into it.

First of all, it is necessary to note such virtualization systems as VMWare Workstation and Oracle VM VirtualBox. Let's look at the example of Virtualbox to see how such programs work.

Oracle VM Virtualbox

Download and install Virtualbox. It is installed in the same way as any other program, so you should not have any problems.

The isolated environment is ready. To start working with it, mark it with the left mouse button and click the “Run” button in the top menu. A new window will appear on the screen, through which you will first install and then interact with Windows 7 or another installed operating system. Specify the path to the physical disk or ISO image with the Windows distribution and click “Continue.” We will not consider the Windows 7 installation process in detail here, since it is no different from a regular installation on a physical hard drive. You just need to wait until the system installation is completed.

The virtual machine is launched through the Oracle VM VirtualBox program. You will need to open this utility and select the desired virtual system image from the main menu on the left.

As for other utilities, in VMWare Workstation the process of creating a virtual machine almost completely repeats the procedure described above. Some other programs may require additional configuration, so for beginners they may seem somewhat complicated.

Conclusion

Creating a virtual machine and installing a system on it is quite simple, but you need to be careful - since April 2014, Windows XP is not supported by Microsoft, therefore, even by emulating the mode of this OS, you make your system vulnerable.

In addition, XP mode is not supported on machines with Windows 8 installed, and there is nothing you can do to fix this. The Virtual PC feature was originally created for a smooth transition between systems, so skipping versions will not work.

But you can try installing a system other than Microsoft windows - for example, Linux. It’s quite difficult to switch to it right away; besides, you have to give up most of the Windows programs you’re used to. In emulation mode, you will gradually get used to the peculiarities of interaction with the new system and decide whether you need to completely switch to it.

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Instructions for installing a virtual machine for the Windows 7 operating system

More and more Windows 7 users want to try the capabilities of the eighth version of this operating system. For these purposes, the use of virtual machines is perfect, on which you can completely install the system without harming the native system. At the moment, there are several popular virtualization programs for Windows 7: WMWare, Virtual Box and Virtual PC. In this article we will consider the latter program, since, compared to other virtual machines, it provides rich virtualization capabilities and is quite easy to configure and operate.

General algorithm of actions


Common mistakes

When installing using the above algorithm for Virtual PC at step 6, you may receive a Windows 7 error message related to the disabled virtualization function. To eliminate it, you need to enable system virtualization in the settings panel and make BIOS settings for some versions of motherboards.

In addition, this problem occurs when running antivirus software in Windows 7 with its own firewall and firewall. Therefore, before installing a virtual machine, it is recommended to disable or pause all antivirus programs.

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Virtual machine for windows 7

A virtual machine is a special program that can act as an emulator of a real computer with all its existing components (BIOS, complete system hardware, including motherboard, graphics, network, hard drive, etc.).

Naturally, on such a “computer” you can easily install a variety of operating systems, and for them - any programs designed to work on the installed system. Thus, you can install several operating systems (even very different ones) on one computer, with which you can easily work, and between which you can exchange data over the “network” (if it is configured correctly).

Not every user needs a virtual machine. Most often, it is used by advanced users to be able to work with other operating systems (say, Ubuntu), or gradually master them without stopping effective work, say, on Windows. This is also necessary for testing various software and safely launching programs downloaded from suspicious sites that may be infected with particularly dangerous viruses. You can also emulate an entire computer network this way.

Why do you need a virtual machine for Windows 7?

1. You have this particular OS installed, but you want to use programs for Windows XP, the more modern Windows 8, or even for Linux, which works on a completely different principle and the usual “compatibility” can no longer help here.

2. In order to select a suitable program, for example, for video processing. They are quite large and, if you immediately install them on a work computer, you can easily litter the registry. This is especially true if you remove programs incorrectly - you can carelessly leave “tails” of files that can turn into a real problem in the future.

3. For a simple program test. For example, to explain to readers how to use it or to see how it behaves on different systems, what errors may appear and how to deal with them.

4. For experimental installation of programs. Let's say, see how data is encrypted, how the program behaves under critical loads, and, ultimately, what will happen if it is infected with a virus.

The most popular virtual machines for Windows 7

windowsVirtualPC is already fundamentally built into the OS and is a completely free module for working with applications that are incompatible with the “seven”. Applications running in Windows XP mode can easily run directly on the computer desktop, which is extremely convenient. Programs can also be installed in any convenient way - downloaded via the Internet, from a flash drive, using DVDs. In general, in any convenient way.

The minimum requirements for installation are Windows 7 OS no lower than “maximum” or “professional”, a 1 Ghz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 15 GB of free hard disk space.

You can launch this virtual machine in a simple way for anyone who has the official version of Windows 7. To do this, you need to open “All Programs” in the “Start” menu and click on “Windows Virtual PC” there. If this item is missing, then you just need to install an update called “windows6.1-KB958559-x86” (designed for 32-bit systems) or windows6.1-KB958559-x64 (for 64-bit). After this, you can safely get to work.

VMWare Workstation from VMWare, Microsoft's main competitor in the virtual machine market. Mostly useful for developers who often need to test and verify their own applications for different operating systems.

This virtual machine for Windows 7 has already won about 50 different awards from IT specialists thanks to a thoroughly thought-out environment for use, a built-in set of functionality and, last but not least, high performance and optimization. Perfect for those who need to do everything quickly. It also has the ability to “free up” system resources by simply stopping already running processes, which relieves the processor and significantly speeds up data processing. Necessary for working with demanding applications.

VirtualBox. A computer virtualization system similar to those described above. Can work in dynamic translation mode (processing of the main part of the data is transferred to real, not emulated, equipment). It is universal because it can be installed on any of the listed systems Mac OS, windows, Solaris, Linux. You can install on it: GNU/Linux, windows, Solaris, BSD.

Advantages - completely free distribution, fairly high performance, small size, ability to work with VMware virtual images. The most significant disadvantage is that it is impossible to drag files into the application window using the mouse.

windows 7 virtual machine installation

Since Windows Virtual PC is already included, we will install VirtualBox - it is free, unlike more serious products. After installation, of course, we’ll start setting it up.

So, go to the official VirtualBox website and download the latest version of the program from the site. We launch the installer and see this welcome window

We confirm that we wish to continue with the installation and move on to the next step.

Here we are shown which program components are present and where they will be installed. Of course, you can freely change the directory and install the machine on any disk, but it’s better to leave all the components, especially if you are new to using virtual machines. I agree that you may not need all the components in the near future, but if you need them, you will have to reinstall this program again. And also everything that you install on your virtual computer.

Next stage of installation

Here you just need to indicate where the program shortcuts will be located.

The next stage may frighten inexperienced users, although the program warns that the computer will now be disconnected from the network for a short time. So, if you did not follow the wise advice to install with closed programs and are now actively downloading something from file hosting services, then you need to either wait for the download to finish or interrupt the download yourself.

After that, we agree with everything – “Yes”, and move on. The program will inform you that everything is ready for installation, which means click “Install”.

Now you will have to wait a while until the virtual machine is installed on your computer. At this time, pop-up windows may appear on the screen offering to install different software for our device. We agree with all of them and establish absolutely everything.

After installation is complete, click “Finish”. If everything was done as it should, and you did not uncheck the corresponding box (as shown in the image), then the virtual machine will start automatically immediately after installation is complete.

Machine creation and customization

To do this, you need to create a new machine in the “VirtualBox” working window. To do this, you just need to click the appropriate button (“Create”, upper left corner).

Afterwards the program will ask you to choose what type of machine will be created. Here you just need to enter its name and select the type of operating system. Please remember that some care must be taken to be accurate.

I need a virtual machine to test a variety of programs before installing them in the main directory of the computer. This means that I will create a computer running Windows 7.

Now we’ll tell the program how much RAM will be allocated for our new virtual computer.

Everything must be done carefully, since this option depends on the OS you are going to use and will consume the RAM that is available on the computer. The Windows 7 virtual machine requires no less than a normal operating system, which means we need at least 1 GB. But I set it to 1.5 because I can afford it and am going to test programs that will also consume RAM.

Windows XP, accordingly, will require less RAM. But all the same, it is advisable to always give it “with reserve”. And here lies another danger - you cannot give the virtual machine more than half of the computer’s “live” memory, otherwise the computer will start to glitch and may even freeze altogether. However, if you have a powerful computer with more than 8 GB of memory, then the virtual machine can easily be allocated about 5-6 GB.

The next stage is the hard drive.

Every computer must have a hard drive. Virtual ones are no exception, and therefore it must be created. Therefore, we create a new virtual hard disk.

Then we indicate its type.

And if the names of all these formats mean absolutely nothing to you, then we simply leave everything “by default” and move on. Click “Next”.

Next window

It invites us to indicate to the machine the format for storing data on the virtual machine. What is important is that the dynamic hard drive is “rubber,” so to speak, and can be more or less easily expanded. Fixed has a fixed size and will never take more. It all depends on your needs and preferences. But I will need a hard drive that can be enlarged if necessary, which is why I choose “dynamics”.

Now all that remains is to name it and indicate the original size.

Let's create it and move on to the next stage.

Setting up a virtual machine

In the upper right corner there is a “Customize” button. Click it and get here - “Settings”

Here you can change a variety of parameters. Adjust the amount of RAM, if you made a mistake before, the boot order of various devices, the use of acceleration, etc.

There are several sections in total. The version I use has 9 sections, but it would take too long to go into detail about each one. And it’s better to do this yourself, consciously, watching how the behavior of the virtual computer changes. In addition, there is a convenient help system - just hover your mouse over the item you are interested in and a tooltip will appear.

But here is a brief description of the settings by section:

1) General. Here is the name of the virtual machine, the OS it uses, removable media and the clipboard;

2) System. Everything related to the hardware of our virtual machine (RAM, processor, chipset, device boot order, acceleration);

3) Display. Video memory and its settings, number of monitors used, ability to connect to a remote monitor, acceleration, video capture.

4) Media. Configuring existing virtual hard disks;

5) Audio. Everything is clear here - the sound and everything connected with it;

6) Network. Ability to configure virtual network adapters;

7) Com ports. Their inclusion and configuration;

8) USB. This controller and filter settings;

9) Shared folders. Their configuration and management.

If a serious mistake was made during the settings, the smart program will immediately report this. And at the bottom of the settings window a warning message “Incorrect settings detected” will appear. If you hover your mouse over the “exclamation mark”, they will tell you what exactly was done incorrectly.

However, most likely you will only need the first 3 types of settings: “General”, “System”, “Display”. If the virtual machine starts to work slowly and slows down, you can try increasing the amount of RAM it uses or increasing the processor power.

After completing the settings, confirm everything (“OK”). To start the selected virtual machine, just select it and click the “Launch” button. Now all that remains is to install the previously selected OS on our virtual computer, configure it and we are ready to work.

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