The emergence new version operating system is stressful for most users. Therefore, one of the main tasks of developers is to make the transition as smooth as possible. It does not always work out, but the creators of windows 7 turned out to be people who understand, and therefore they introduced a virtualization package into the system, which was new at that time, that allows you to run XP inside the "seven".
General information
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 gives you the opportunity to "try" another system without removing the existing one. You can work with physical drives, install games and programs for windows XP, without giving up the "seven", save files and perform others tasks. Let's take a look at how to install a virtual machine on windows 7 to take advantage of all its useful features.
Checking for Virtual PC
If you have installed windows 7 versions Ultimate, Enterprise or Professional, 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 Microsoft Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Detection Tool.
Download the utility and run it. Depending on the results of the processor check, the following messages may appear on the screen.
You can enable / disable virtualization in BIOS settings, so before installing Virtual PC manually, make sure the option is enabled.
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 that the virtual machine cannot be started, windows prompts you to install a special patch. At this stage, it is important to choose the right system bit - x32 or x64.
Manual installation
Installing a virtual machine on windows 7 includes two stages:
- Installation windows Virtual PC;
- Installing a virtual disk windows XP Mode.
Let's take a look at Virtual PC first:
Then you can proceed to install the windows XP Mode virtual disk:
First start
After installing XP Mode, the "seven" must configure it further 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 the security features of the system you are creating. This is optional. 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. It remains to create a new environment and run windows XP in it.
The sandbox you just created appears in the main XP Mode 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 disc with the Windows XP distribution kit) or a pre-loaded ISO image. The System Installation Wizard will start.
All you need to do is install windows XP as usual 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 OS from Microsoft: install gadgets for windows XP, install games that do not run on the "seven", run outdated programs, etc. - to do this, you just need to run XP mode through the emulator.
Alternative virtual machines
In addition to the built-in hardware virtualization feature, windows 7 supports third-party programs that help create an isolated environment and install any operating system into it.
First of all, it should be noted such virtualization systems as VMWare Workstation and Oracle VM VirtualBox. Let's look at the example of Virtualbox, how such programs work.
Oracle VM Virtualbox
Download and install Virtualbox. It is installed just like any other program, so you shouldn't have any problems.
The sandbox 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 process of installing windows 7 in detail here, since it is no different from the usual installation on a physical hard drive. You just need to wait for the system installation to complete.
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. 
In some other programs, additional configuration may be required, so for beginners they may seem a little complicated.
Conclusion
It is quite simple to create a virtual machine and install a system on it, but you need to be careful - since April 2014, Windows XP is not supported by Microsoft, therefore, even emulating the mode of this OS, you make your system vulnerable.
Also, XP Mode is not supported on machines with windows 8 installed, and there is no way you can fix it. The Virtual PC feature was originally designed for a smooth transition between systems, so you won't be able to jump over the version.
However, you can try to install a system other than Microsoft windows - for example, Linux. It is quite difficult to switch to it right away, besides, you have to abandon most of the usual software Windows programs... In emulation mode, you will gradually get used to the peculiarities of interaction with new system and decide if you need to completely switch to it.
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Virtual machine installation instructions for windows 7 operating system
More and more users of windows 7 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. On the this 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 it, in comparison with other virtual machines, provides rich virtualization capabilities and is quite simple to configure and operate.
General algorithm of actions
Typical mistakes
When performing the installation according to the above algorithm for Virtual PC at step 6, a message may appear about windows error 7 related to the disabled virtualization feature. 
To fix it, you need to enable system virtualization in the settings panel and make BIOS settings for some versions of motherboards.
Besides this problem occurs when working in windows 7 antivirus software with its own firewall and firewall. Therefore, it is recommended to disable or suspend all anti-virus programs before installing the virtual machine.
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Virtual machine for windows 7
A virtual machine is special program capable of acting as an emulator of a real computer with all its existing components (BIOS, full system filling, 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 the most different ones) on one computer, with which you can safely 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. It is also necessary for testing various software, safely launching programs downloaded from suspicious sites that may be infected with especially dangerous viruses. You can also emulate a whole computer network.
What is a virtual machine for windows 7 for?
1. You have exactly this OS installed, but you want to use programs for windows XP, more modern windows 8, or even for Linux, which works on a completely different principle and the usual "compatibility" will no longer be able to help here.
2. In order to find a suitable program, for example, for video processing. They are quite large and, if you install them right away on your work computer, you can easily "litter" the registry. This is especially true if you uninstall programs incorrectly - you can inadvertently leave "tails" from files that may 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, look at how data is encrypted, how the program behaves under critical loads, in the end what happens if you infect it with a virus.
The most popular virtual machines for windows 7
windowsVirtualPC is already built into the OS and is a completely free module for working with applications incompatible with the "seven". Applications running in "windows XP" mode can easily run right on the desktop of the computer, which is extremely convenient. Programs can also be installed in any convenient way - download over the Internet, from a flash drive, using DVDs. In general, in any convenient way.
Minimum requirements for installation - presence of windows 7 OS not lower than "maximum" or "professional", 1 Ghz processor, 1 GB random access memory, 15 GB free space on your hard drive.
You can start this virtual machine in a simple way to everyone who has the official version of windows 7. To do this, open the "All Programs" in the "Start" menu and click on the words "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 systems). After that, you can safely start working.
VMWare Workstation from VMWare - Microsoft's main competitor in the virtual machine market. Mostly useful for developers who often need to test and check their own developed applications for different operating systems.
This virtual machine for windows 7 has already won about 50 different awards from IT professionals precisely because of the thoroughly thought-out environment of use, built-in set of functionality and, just as important, high performance and optimization. Perfect for those who need to do everything quickly. It also has the ability to "release" system resources by simply stopping already running processes, which unloads the processor and significantly speeds up data processing. Required for demanding applications.
VirtualBox. A computer virtualization system similar to the above. It can work in the dynamic translation mode (the processing of the main part of the data is transmitted to the 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, the ability to work with virtual images of VMware. 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, let's start configuring it.
So, go to the official VirtualBox website and download the latest version of the program from the website. We launch the installer and see this welcome window
We confirm that we wish to proceed with the installation and proceed 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 is 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.
The next stage of the installation
Here you just need to specify where the program shortcuts will be located.
The next stage can frighten inexperienced users, although the program warns that now the computer will be disconnected from the network for a short time. So, if you did not follow the wise advice to carry out the installation with closed programs and are now actively downloading something from file sharing services, then you must either wait until the download is complete, 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 we press "Install".
Now you have to wait a while until the virtual machine is installed on the 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 the installation is complete, click "Finish". If everything was done as it should, and you did not clear the corresponding checkbox (as shown in the image), then the virtual machine will start automatically immediately after the installation is complete.
Machine creation and customization
To do this, create a new machine in the VirtualBox working window. To do this, you just need to click the corresponding button ("Create", upper left corner).
After the program, you will be asked to choose what type of machine will be created. Here you just need to enter its name and select the type of operating system. Remember to be careful and 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 will tell the program how much RAM will be allocated for our new virtual computer.
Everything must be done carefully, because this parameter depends on the OS you are going to use and will consume the RAM that is on the computer. A windows 7 virtual machine requires no less than a normal operating system, which means that we need at least 1 GB. But I set it to 1.5 because I can afford it and I'm 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 a margin". And here lies another danger - you cannot give a virtual machine more than half of the "live" computer memory, otherwise the computer will start to glitch and may even freeze. However, if you have powerful computer, which has more than 8 GB of memory, then a virtual machine can be allocated about 5-6 GB.
The next step is the hard drive.
Every computer must have a hard drive. Virtual is 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 do not tell you anything at all, 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 - the dynamic hard disk is "rubber", so to speak, and it can be more or less easily expanded. Fixed has a hardcoded size and will never take up more. It all depends on your needs and preferences. But I need a hard drive, which can be increased if necessary, so I choose "dynamics".
Now it remains to name it and indicate the original size.
We create it and move on to the next step.
Setting up a virtual machine
In the upper right corner there is a button "Configure". Click it and get here - "Settings"
A variety of parameters can be changed here. Adjust the amount of RAM, if you made a mistake before, the boot order of various devices, the use of acceleration, and so on.
There are several sections in total. The version I am using has 9 sections, but it would take too long to talk about each in detail. And it is better to do it on your own, consciously, looking at how the behavior of the virtual computer changes. In addition, there is a convenient help system - just hover the mouse cursor over the item of interest, 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 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, the number of monitors used, the ability to connect to a remote monitor, acceleration, video capture.
4) Media. Configuring existing virtual hard drives;
5) Audio. Here everything is clear anyway - sound and everything connected with it;
6) Network. Ability to configure virtual network adapters;
7) Com ports. Enabling and configuring them;
8) USB. This controller and filter settings;
9) Shared folders. Configuring and managing them.
If a serious mistake was made during the settings, the smart program will immediately inform you about it. And at the bottom of the settings window, a warning message “Incorrect settings found” will appear. If you hover your mouse over the "exclamation mark", then you will be told what exactly was done wrong.
However, most likely you only need the first 3 types of settings: "General", "System", "Display". If the virtual machine starts to work slowly and slows down, then you can try to increase the amount of RAM it uses or to increase the processor power.
After finishing the settings, we confirm everything ("OK"). To start the selected virtual machine, just select it and click the "Start" button. Now it remains only to install the previously selected OS on our virtual computer, configure it and you can work.
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Today, more than ever, they are in demand among completely different groups of users of computer systems. Actually, the "operating system" Windows does not lose its popularity, which many users want to use on their terminals in parallel with the main OS. Let's take a look at how to install Windows 7 on a virtual machine in the simplest way. Let's take the WM VirtualBox software package as a basis, which is not only one of the most powerful, but also one of the easiest to understand. general principles work.
What is a virtual machine?
If anyone does not know, software in the form of a virtual machine is nothing more than an emulator of a computer system with hardware, operating system and user programs installed in it.
Essentially, a virtual machine with installed Windows 7 is, as it were, a copy of a real (physically) existing computer with a "seven" on board, but only at the software level, and is no different in its capabilities from a real terminal. In such a virtual system, you can install programs and applications, test equipment, emulate the operation of web servers, etc.
As a rule, all the processes associated with the installation of the software itself, and then the operating system, do not cause difficulties, however, given the requirements of the "seven", it is still worth giving some recommendations on how to complete all steps of this process.
Virtual Machine for Windows 7: WM VirtualBox
So let's get started. As already clear, first we need an existing operating system. We proceed from the use of the WM VirtualBox package.
Note, in this case, the question will not be considered about how to install a virtual machine on Windows 7, but how to put the "seven" on the machine. Indeed, why should we emulate its work if it is already installed as the main system?
First, we need to download the latest version of the program. You can do this either on the official website, or find it on the Internet. In any case, the application is free, so there will be no problems with some "cracked" versions.
Run the installation file and follow the instructions. Everything is as usual here: we agree with the licensed use and constantly press the "Next" button until we reach the confirmation of the installation. There is one nuance here. The fact is that after pressing the Install button, the connection will be disconnected for a while, access to the Internet will be lost. There is no need to panic, this is normal.
Next, windows with an offer for some devices will appear. We agree everywhere. The last window will show a checkbox next to the line to immediately create a virtual machine. If you need to start these actions, we leave everything unchanged. If the virtual machine will be created later, uncheck the box and click the Finish button.
How to install Windows 7 on a virtual machine: preselection of options
Everything. The main program is installed. The next step will be the creation of a new machine, on which the "seven" will subsequently be installed.
To do this, in the running program, we use the corresponding button, after which in the start window of the "Wizard" we press the continue button. Now you need to select a few basic parameters. We indicate the type of "operating system" Microsoft Windows and choose Windows version 7.
Now one of the most crucial moments is the choice of the amount of RAM. Please note that it will stand out from the total installed on the computer, so that when the child OS is running, it will shrink in the main one. It is not recommended to set the size less than 512 MB (better than 1 GB and above) and more than half of the total available size, otherwise the main system will not only slow down, but may refuse to work at all.
The next step - creation In a similar "wizard" it is recommended to select a dynamically expanding disk (Dynamically Allocated) and give it a name. The save location and size will be indicated by default, but these parameters can be changed, for example, to use not the system partition with the installed "operating system", but another logical partition. The program suggests using a size of 20 GB. This parameter can be left unchanged, but if you decide to change it, it is not recommended to use a size less than 15 GB (this is due to the requirements of the "seven" itself).
Create a bootable disk (or system image)
When considering the question of how to install Windows 7 on a virtual machine, remember that it must be installed from disk. There are two options here: either the original will be used installation disk(or a copy of it), or the installation will be performed from the image.
In principle, with a dynamically expanding disk created early on, it is better to choose a bootable system image. You can create it from the original DVD quite simply with programs like UltraISO, Daemon tools, Nero, etc. and save directly to your hard drive. It makes no sense to dwell on this in detail.
Pre-configuring a virtual machine
Now, before proceeding directly with the installation of the child OS (in our case, Windows 7), the virtual machine needs to be configured.
For this we use the properties button. In the menu, first set the video memory size for the display (at least 26 MB) and enable 2D and 3D acceleration.
Then, in the media section, depending on how the installed "operating system" is written, select the DVD icon for the optical media with the original (after which we insert the disc into the drive) or the folder icon to indicate the location of the image. Iso (after that the line will appear with reference to the image). Audio, network, COM ports and shared folder settings can be configured without changes.
Now the main application window appears again, where you should press the "Start" button. If an informational message appears, agree, and then click on the virtual machine screen and select the "capture" command in the pop-up window.
Installation of "seven"
Only now we are installing Windows 7 on the VirtualBox virtual machine. In principle, the installation process of the "seven" is absolutely no different from how it would be done on a real computer. You just need to follow the instructions of the installer. Depending on the created configuration, the process can take up to 20-30 minutes. At the end of the process, we get a "seven", which is no different from the usual terminal.
Working with add-ons
Separately, it should be noted that the question of how to install Windows 7 on a virtual machine cannot do without understanding some of the nuances that many users often do not pay attention to. The problem is that a powered virtual machine is blocking keyboard and mouse use on the host system. In addition, it will not be possible to use it for a hosting and a child OS at the same time. That is, it will be impossible to copy data in the main application running on the main system and paste it into the program on the virtual machine.
To prevent this from happening, you just need to go to the add-ons installation section, after which in the autorun window you need to click on the VBoxWIndowsAdditions.exe line and install the program.
Conclusion
So we figured out how to install and work with the WM VirtualBox virtual machine. As you can see, there is nothing particularly complicated here. In addition, in most cases, an ordinary user will not have to select parameters manually, since the "Master" initially monitors the configuration of the main system and offers optimal options settings.
Well, how expedient and justified is the use of a child OS in the form of a "seven", it already depends only on what tasks the user assigns to it. By the way, if you noticed, in this case, you can even not enable support for virtual technology in the BIOS settings. They are mainly used only when using the "native" Hyper-V hypervisor (for its operation or for choosing the bootable OS). But in our case, this is not required.
If you need to download a Windows 7, 8 or Windows 10 virtual machine, then Microsoft provides an excellent opportunity to do this. For everyone, free ready-made virtual machines of all OS versions are presented, starting with Windows 7 (update 2016: recently there was XP and Vista, but removed).
If you do not know at all what a virtual machine is, then briefly it can be described as emulating a real computer with its own operating system inside your main OS. For example, you can start a Windows 10 virtual computer in a simple window on Windows 7 like a regular program without reinstalling anything. Great way to try different versions systems, experiment with them, without fear of spoiling something. See for example.
If you wish, you can change the settings for the number of processors, RAM (just do not take too much memory from the main OS), and then click "Import". I won't go into the settings in more detail, but the default ones will work in most cases. The import process itself takes a few minutes, depending on the performance of your computer.
When finished, you will see a new virtual machine in the VirtualBox list, and to start it, you just need to either double-click on it, or click "Start". Will begin Windows boot, similar to the one that occurs the first time after installation, and after a short time you will see the desktop of a fully functional Windows 10, 8.1 or another version that you have installed. If suddenly some VM controls in VirtualBox are not clear to you, carefully read the informational messages that appear in Russian or go to the help, everything is set out in some detail there.
On the desktop of the virtual machine loaded from modern.ie, there is some helpful information... In addition to the username and password, details of the license terms and renewal methods. I will briefly translate what may be useful to you:
- Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 (as well as Windows 10) are activated automatically when connected to the Internet. If this did not happen, in command line as administrator enter slmgr /ato- activation period is 90 days.
- For Windows Vista and XP license is valid for 30 days.
- It is possible to extend the trial period for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, for this in the last two systems, enter in the command line as administrator slmgr /dlv and reboot the virtual machine, and on Windows XP use the command rundll32.exesyssetup,SetupOobeBnk
So, despite the limited period of validity, there is enough time to play, and if not, then you can delete the virtual machine from VirtualBox and re-import it to start from the beginning.
Using a virtual machine in Hyper-V
The launch of the downloaded virtual machine in Hyper-V (which is built into Windows 8 and Windows 10 starting from Pro versions) looks approximately the same. Immediately after import, it is advisable to create a checkpoint for the virtual machine to return to it after the 90-day expiration date.
Also, if you need Internet access, in the parameters of the virtual machine, set the virtual network adapter(I wrote about its creation in the article about Hyper-V on Windows, mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Hyper-V Virtual Switch Manager is used for this). At the same time, for some reason, in my test, the Internet in the loaded virtual machine worked only after manually specifying the IP connection parameters in the VM itself (while in those virtual machines that were created manually works without it).
Video - download and run a free virtual machine
The following video was prepared prior to changing the boot interface for virtual machines on the Microsoft site. Now it looks a little different (as in the screenshots above).
That's probably all. A virtual machine is a great way to experiment with different operating systems, try programs that you would not want to install on your computer (when run in a virtual machine, they are in most cases completely safe, and you can also return to the previous state of the VM in seconds), learning and much more.
Installing a virtual machine on your computer is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. In this article, we will explain in detail how to install and configure virtualbox, as well as how to add new virtual machines. First, let's figure out what a virtual machine is.
For example, you have Windows 7 or higher operating system, but you need to use an application that runs exclusively on Windows XP. Agree, if you need to work with this application, reinstalling the OS is not always advisable, especially on an outdated version of Windows. It's easier to install a virtual machine on your computer, deploy Windows XP in it and run the required application without any problems.
Thus, a virtual machine is a full-fledged computer (containing a processor, RAM, hard disk and BIOS), working inside the computer through an emulator application.
Using a virtual machine, you can:
- test applications;
- run programs that your OS does not support;
- get acquainted with the capabilities of other operating systems;
- test the work network programs in closed virtual networks, etc.
Step-by-step installation of Virtualbox
To download Virtualbox go to the official website www.virtualbox.org. At this moment latest version utilities is 5.0.10.
Run the downloaded installer file, click "Next".
After that, the next window of the program will start. Do not change anything in it. Click Next.
In the window for selecting parameters, leave the checkboxes by default. Click Next.
After that, the next installation window will appear. The Virtualbox installer will inform you that during the installation process a new one will be created. network connection... This means that your main connection is temporarily deactivated. Click "Yes", then in the next window "Install".
Wait for the app to install. Upon completion of the installation, a notification will pop up regarding the successful completion of the Virtualbox installation process. Click Finish.
If everything succeeds, the "VirtualBox Manager" will start.
"Manager" is a shell that provides work between Virtualbox and a stationary PC. The range of options for this application is quite small. However, it is not worth spending time looking at them, since the program works with default settings that can satisfy most of the users.
How do I add a new virtual machine?
To install a new virtual machine, select the "Create" option. We enter its name, select the type and version of the operating system. In our case, Windows XP.
In the new window, select the amount of RAM. Please note that you will not be able to allocate more memory than your PC has installed.
The next window will offer to create a new virtual hard disk or use an existing one. Since this is our first launch. Since we are running the program for the first time, create a new one using the "Create a new virtual hard disk" option.
In the next window, you need to specify the type of hard disk. We recommend leaving the VDI type, then your virtual disk will be fully synchronized with the virtual machine, and the speed of its functions will be no less than that characteristic of a real hard drive.
A dynamic virtual disk, the volume of which naturally changes in the process of adding information. It forms faster, but functions very slowly.
A fixed virtual hard drive, the volume of which will be static and indicated by the size that was set at creation. It takes longer to build, but it works much faster.
Which type to choose is the decision for you. But in our example, we will focus on a dynamic type.
Go to the next window. Here you need to enter the name of the disc, indicate its size and location.
Click on the "Create" button and a window with a newly created virtual machine will open in front of us. Actually, this is the end of our preparatory actions.
How do I set up a new virtual machine?
Go to virtualbox settings, click "Configure":
After the done actions, click "OK", then "Run".
If you did everything correctly, the operating system will start loading, as shown in the figure.
Good day.
Why might you need a virtual machine (a program to run virtual operating systems)? Well, for example, if you want to test some program so that if something happens, you do not harm your main operating system; or are planning to install some other OS that you do not have on a real hard drive.
In this article, I would like to focus on the key points when installing Windows 7 on a VM Virtual Box virtual machine.
1. What will be required for installation?
1) A program that will allow you to create a virtual machine on your computer. In my example, I will show the work in the VM Virtual Box (in more detail about it). In short, the program: free, Russian, you can work in both 32-bit and 64-bit OS, a lot of settings, etc.
2) Image with operating room Windows system 7. Here you choose: download, find the required disk in your bins (when you buy a new computer, the OS is often included on the disk).
3) 20-30 minutes of free time ...
2. Setting up a virtual machine (VM Virtual Box)
After starting the Virtual Box program, you can immediately click the "create" button, the settings of the program itself are of little interest.
If you already had a virtual hard disk, you can select it, if not, create a new one.
A dynamic hard drive is preferred. Because its occupied space on a real hard disk will increase in direct proportion to its fullness (i.e. if you copy a 100 MB file to it, it will take up 100 MB; copy another 100 MB file, it will take up 200 MB).
In this step, the program asks for the final size hard disk... Here you indicate how much you need. It is not recommended to specify less than 15 GB for Windows 7.
This completes the configuration of the virtual machine. Now you can launch it and start the installation process ...
3. Installing Windows 7. What if an error occurs?
Everything is as usual, if not one thing, but ...
Installing an OS on a virtual machine is, in principle, not much different from installing on a real computer. First, select the desired machine for installation, in our case it is called "Win7". Launch it.
If in the program we have not yet specified boot device, then she will ask us to indicate where to boot from. I recommend that you immediately specify the boot ISO image, which we prepared in the first section of this article. Installation from an image will be much faster than from a real disk or flash drive.
Usually, after starting the virtual machine, a few seconds pass and you will see the OS installation window. Then you act as when installing the OS on a regular real computer, in more detail about this, for example,.
If during installation an error with a blue (blue) screen got out, there are two important points that could cause it.
1) Go to the RAM settings of the virtual machine and move the slider from 512 MB to 1-2 GB. It is possible that the OS is running out of RAM during installation.
2) When installing the OS on a virtual machine, for some reason, various assemblies behave unstable. Try to take the original OS image, usually it is installed without any questions or problems ...
4. How do I open the VHD of a virtual machine?
A little higher in the article, I promised to show you how to do this ... By the way, the ability to open virtual hard disks appeared in Windows7 (Windows 8 also has such an opportunity).
To get started, go to the OS control panel, and go to the section administration(you can use the search).
On the right, in the column, you can connect a virtual hard disk. We are only required to indicate it location... By default, VHDs in Virtual Box are located at the following location: C: \ Users \ alex \ VirtualBox VMs \(where alex is your account name).
More similar about all of this is.
That's all, good installations! 😛