How To Install Windows 10 In A Virtual Machine

Windows 10 is officially on the market to the world, and it’s actually a fairly solid release. It’s not perfect, but it’s still worth looking at for the novelty factor alone. That being said, upgrading a production machine once a major OS release is normally frowned upon. For those people who want to try all the latest features without putting our productivity in danger, virtualization is the foremost bet to the time being.

Thankfully, starting Windows 10 in the virtual machine isn’t particularly difficult. I’ll walk you through the task from tip to tail, and also the end with this post, you’ll be ready to take a look at Cortana and also the new Xbox app.

VirtualBox installation

1. Download the Windows 10 ISO

First off, visit the Windows 10 download page, and select which edition you intend to download. Click “Confirm,” choose foreign languages, and then click “Confirm” again. At this point, you’ll receive the option to choose between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions from the OS. For the purposes in this walkthrough, I’m utilizing the 64-bit English ISO, but select whatever works best for your set-up.

2. Create a new virtual machine

Go for the VirtualBox website, and download the most recent version of Oracle’s free, open source software. Go through the installation process, after which launch the approval. Press the “New” button, and name your virtual machine. Make sure your “Type” is scheduled to “Microsoft Windows,” as well as your “Version” is determined to “Windows 10.” Just you should definitely match the x64 version having a 64-bit VM, plus the x86 version having a 32-bit VM.

3. Allocate RAM

Now, you'll want to decide just how much RAM you intend to allocate because of this VM. For the x86 version, you’ll need a minimum of 1GB of RAM. For the x64 version, you’ll need 2GB. I have 16GB of RAM around my desktop, so I decided that 4GB was befitting my configuration. Whatever you decide, just be certain you stay from the green. If you allocate an excessive amount RAM, you’ll get serious performance issues.

4. Create a virtual drive

Next, you should create a virtual drive. Microsoft says that 16GB could be the minimum space needed to the 32-bit version, but 20GB is required for your 64-bit version. I decided over a 50GB virtual drive on my small desktop, but you can make it as huge as you need. Just be sure which you have enough space in your actual disk drive to handle the sized your virtual drive.

5. Locate the Windows 10 ISO

Now, enter the settings just for this virtual machine, and navigate for the “Storage” tab. Click the disc icon that has a green plus beside “Controller: SATA.” Click “Choose disk,” and after that locate the Windows 10 ISO you downloaded earlier.

6. Configure video settings

Before you start and start installing Windows 10, move over for the “Display” tab. You can configure the amount video memory you’re prepared to allocate on the virtual machine, but be sure you stay inside green. You can also toggle on 3D and 2D acceleration expecting better performance, however the VirtualBox user manual lists them as experimental, so it’s entirely possible that you may come across some quirks.

7. Launch the installer

With all the setup finished, press the “Start” button in VirtualBox, and commence the Windows 10 installation process. Follow the instructions on the watch's screen, and you’re well in your way. You’ll eventually be prompted on your credentials, so provide your Live.com details. This is how you’ll log into the account in Windows 10.

8. Install VirtualBox guest additions

Once you’re with the Windows 10 desktop, you’ll need to setup all on the proper drivers for VirtualBox. In the VirtualBox UI, head to “Devices,” then select “Insert Guest Additions CD image.” Navigate to this disc image in Windows Explorer, and run the installer. Once you’ve went through the entire process, you’ll should reboot the VM.

9. You’re prepared to rock

Back for the desktop, you'll be able to finally use full-screen mode for the proper resolution. In the VirtualBox menu, check out “View,” and select “Switch to Fullscreen.” For the most part, this really is now the same experience you’d have running it natively. Enjoy yourself, and you can poke around every one of the new features.