To install Windows, go to this Microsoft page and download the ISO file. This is what your virtual machine will look like when it is created. Step 6 – Install The Windows Operating System # Now click “Create” to make the virtual machine. You also need to specify which folder on your computer, the virtual system should be installed to (assuming you want to change it). If 32GB is too much or too little, then this is the screen where you can change it. Step 5 – Select Virtual Machine Directory & Hard Disk Size # As it states, it takes longer to create, but is faster to use. Remember when VirtualBox made a hard disk of 32GB? This is now asking you if you want it to either be the full fixed size right away, or something called “dynamically allocated“.ĭynamically allocated will only take up space as you use it, but the downside is that when you delete something, the space won’t be given back to you. Step 4 – Choose The Type Of Hard Disk Storage #

If you don’t know, leave it on the default. The default is 32GB. If you want to change it, you would need to skip making it here, and make it in the next couple of steps. This will be for installing Windows, installing software programs, and so on. Next, choose how big the virtual hard disk is going to be. By default, it’s at 2048MB, so unless you feel the need to increase it, just leave it at 2048MB. Next, choose how much memory space you want to allocate to set Windows up.

Step 3 – Choose Your Memory & Virtual Hard Disk Sizes # I called mine “Windows 10 Machine” (original!). Choose the one you want, and type in a name for it. This then drops down a window where you can choose what operating system you want to install. To get started with installing Windows, click the “New” icon at the top left-hand side. Install the app on your Mac and start it up.

The virtual machine will be operated by a free cross-platform program called VirtualBox. If you don’t have a spare license key, eBay quite often has cheap versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 on offer. If you are running Linux, then OK, that’s free and you don’t have to worry about license keys.īut Windows is not free. A virtual machine does not allow you to get around paying for Windows. It should be stressed from the outset that if you want to run Windows in a virtual machine, you need to own a valid Windows license key.

because you can’t decide what is better – Windows or Mac. to test a new operating system before fully transferring and committing to it. To run a Windows program that is not available on MacOS. Files and apps are kept completely separate from the main operating system you are running on your computer. It is an area totally sealed off from the rest of your computer system, where you can run something else. Setting Up Windows 10 To Run In a MacOS VirtualBox #Ī virtual machine can also be described as a “sandpit”.

Mac os virtual machine for windows 10