What is a virtual machine on Windows 7. The best virtual machines for Windows: use it if you really want to look at other operating systems

The name of the program: VirtualBox
Program version: 6.0.6 Build 130049 Final
Latest version of the program: 6.0.2 Build 128162
Release year: 2019
Official site: virtualbox.org
Interface language: Russian, English, and others
Treatment: Not required

System requirements:
- Windows Vista SP1 and later (32-bit and 64-bit).
- Windows Server 2008 (64-bit)
- Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)
- Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Windows 8 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Windows 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Windows 10 RTM build 10240 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Windows Server 2012 (64-bit)
- Windows Server 2012 R2 (64-bit)

Description:
VirtualBox special program to create virtual computers in PC memory. Each virtual computer can contain an arbitrary set of virtual devices and a separate operating system. The scope of application of virtual computers is very wide - from performing software testing functions to creating entire networks that are easy to scale, distribute the load and protect. VirtualBox is free and open source. source code.

There are versions of VirtualBox designed to install on almost everyone operating systems ah, including Windows, Linux, Macintosh and OpenSolaris. Any operating system can also be used as a “guest” operating system, including Windows (NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, W7), DOS/Windows 3.x, Linux, and OpenBSD

VirtualBox can be controlled either through the GUI interface or through the command line.
To expand the functions of the program, a special SDK kit has been developed.
The parameters of virtual machines are described in XML format and do not depend in any way on the physical computer on which the system is running. That's why virtual computers VirtalBox format is easy to transfer from one PC to another.
When using Windows or Linux operating systems on guest computers, you can use special utilities, making it much easier to switch between physical and virtual computers.
For quick exchange With files between the guest and physical PC, you can create so-called “Shared folders”, which are simultaneously accessible from both of these machines.
VirtualBox allows you to connect USB devices to virtual computers, allowing the virtual machines to work directly with them.
VirtualBox fully supports the protocol remote access RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). The virtual machine can work as an RDP server, allowing you to manage it remotely.

The virtual USB 2.0 (EHCI) device; see the section called “USB settings”.
VirtualBox Remote Desktop Protocol (VRDP) support; see the section called “Remote display (VRDP support)”.
Intel PXE boot ROM with support for the E1000 network card.
Experimental support for PCI passthrough on Linux hosts; see the section called “PCI passthrough”.

Installation:
Launch VirtualBox, go to the menu File » Settings » Plugins and add the downloaded file with the extension .vbox-extpack

This is a service version. The following items have been corrected and/or added:

Virtualization kernel: support for Shanghai / Zhaoxin processors.
User interface: handle arguments correctly command line for VirtualBox (bugs #18206 and #18197)
User interface: improvements in the machine manager window, creating a virtual optical disk, storage selection window and log viewing window
User Interface: Various minor fixes and improvements
Audio: Implemented time scheduling for AC"97 device emulation to keep audio and video in sync
Graphics: Basic VMSVGA graphics device support on virtual machines using EFI
Network: Fix random NATNet crashes (Bug #13899)
Network: Worked around issues with some PCnet drivers on older operating systems
Serial: Fixed connection to pseudo terminals on POSIX hosts (6.0.0 regression; bug #18319)
Linux hosts and guests: fix for building kernel modules under Linux 5.0. Thanks Kyle Laker

Computer users are sometimes faced with a situation where they need to work with old programs that worked successfully on previous versions of Windows. Managing two computers at once is not always convenient. But it is possible to install another edition of the operating system on a work laptop. Parallel operation of two systems can be ensured by a virtual machine for Windows 7 (VM). From this article you can learn:

  • what is VM;
  • what programs exist for this purpose;
  • How to install and configure Windows 7 in a VM.

A second computer is real

Virtual machine- software. With its help, a copy of a real computer is created with:

  • hard virtual disks;
  • optical software drive;
  • analogue of network adapters;
  • BIOS, etc.

A virtual laptop with its own operating system starts in separate window and takes up a certain amount of space on the physical hard drive. It looks like this:

The example shows how in a real operating system with installed Windows 7 Professional, the program runs with the virtual Windows XP operating system. And it performs the same actions as on a real device.

VM tasks

Almost everyone is faced with a situation where downloaded from the network and installed program drags behind it a trail of unnecessary applications. That is why more advanced users prefer to install the downloaded application in a virtual system and test it both for functionality and for unexpected surprises.

In addition to this, other problems are solved:

  • Possibility to test the program.
  • Avoid harmful effects from suspicious programs.
  • Emulate a second computer network.
  • Check the consequences of changing settings in the system.
  • Safely perform autosurfing over the network.
  • Reduce the likelihood of a real laptop becoming infected with computer viruses.
  • Running programs that are incompatible with the real operating system.

Most popular emulators

You can find many programs with which you can create a virtual Windows. But it’s best to familiarize yourself with the most popular ones.

This is the most common demon paid program, with which you can emulate the most popular operating systems:

  • Windows(with support for different versions).
  • MacOS.
  • Any operating system from the family Linux.
  • Interaction with VMs from the paid version of the emulator is supported VMware Workstation.

Windows 7 and the created virtual machine can be easily configured by the average user. The program differs in both performance and stability. In addition, despite its free nature, it has extensive capabilities and a clear interface. It is better adapted than others for home use.

VMware

Also known and popular program. It found its main application in large corporations.

There are two versions of this product:

  • Workstation;
  • Player.

Version Workstation will be able to fully satisfy the user's needs, but this is a paid program. Regular users can use free analogue Workstation - VMware Player.

The paid version supports work with 32- and 64-x systems, sees USB 3.0, and various operating systems work quite successfully. VMware Workstation- an advanced version of a computer emulator, but due to its cost, it has found its use mainly among large companies, and not among ordinary users.

Microsoft Virtual PC

A similar virtual machine for working in Windows 7. It has wide functionality and a clear, convenient and practical interface. But there is also a significant drawback - it can only work with operating systems of the Windows family. Other operating systems, such as Linux or Mac OS, cannot be run on it.

In that brief overview The three most popular virtual machines are described. Now you can see that for home needs it is best to use the program. Next, the procedure for installing and configuring it will be discussed.

Installing Windows 7 in a VirtualBox virtual machine

The installation process of a virtual operating system can be divided into several stages:

  1. Install the program .
  2. Download the file with the Windows 7 image for the VM.
  3. Installation virtual Windows 7.

Let's consider all these processes separately.

Install VirtualBox

First of all, you need the virtual machine itself. As already mentioned, there are several of them. We are interested in . You can download it from the official website https://www.virtualbox.org. From the proposed list, select VirtualBox 5.1.14 for Windows hosts.

The process of how to install a virtual machine is described in other articles, but there are a few points:

After the Internet connection is restored, you can begin downloading and installing the finished VM file in Windows 7.

Finding a ready VM

Microsoft for testing purposes different versions Internet Explorer(8, 9, 10, 11) has specially prepared several options for downloading VMs with pre-installed Windows versions(7; 8.1; 10) https://developer.microsoft.com/ru-ru/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/ . If this link is not available, the browser will automatically redirect to English version site https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/

So first you need to choose Windows image 7 with any version of IE (8, 9, 10, 11).

From the drop-down list, select the item which virtual machine will undoubtedly be used. In our case it is .

And click on the Download .zip button. The zip file download process will begin.

All that remains is to install and run the virtual machine on Windows 7.

Adjusting virtual Windows 7

The virtual Windows file itself is extracted from the archive “IE10.Win7.For.Windows.VirtualBox.zip”.

After the file is extracted, right-click on it
and from the drop-down list we select “ To open with».

In principle, nothing needs to be changed in the import parameters. You can leave it as is and click the Import button.

The configuration process will start. The "" window looks like this:

After the process is completed, the new seven and VM will appear in the program list. To launch it, just double-click on the VM itself, or click on the arrow button “ Launch" The operating system startup process will begin immediately. If you install it for the first time, it will take a little longer, however, the same thing happens when installing a real OS. Once the installer has completed everything necessary actions, the desktop will appear with working system Windows 7.

Windows 7 on English language and the created virtual machine are ready to launch.

Set up a virtual system

All VM controls are intuitive. But if you have any questions, you should carefully read the pop-up tips in Russian. You can turn to help for help, where you can find answers to all your questions.

Typically, both the mouse and keyboard only work in the VM and are blocked in real Windows. But it is possible to switch between the two systems using the Right Control host key.

Now that the virtual machine is installed and running, you can configure Windows. The first thing you need to do is install software components(drivers) for all virtual devices. This process is quite simple. You need to go to the main menu and in the line “ Devices" click on " Install guest OS additions».

After installation is completed, the VM is rebooted. Now the picture has become clearer, the VM window can be dynamically changed, support for mouse integration will be enabled, and access to the Internet will open.

It is also possible to expand the display functions. In this mode, windows that open in the VM will be displayed on the real desktop, and not in a separate program window. This makes it possible to facilitate access to all controls and installed VM programs.

Shutdown virtual Windows 7

Just like in a real laptop, Windows installed in a VM requires a certain order to be completed. You can complete the job by pressing the button to stop the job. A menu will open offering three options for closing the VM.

« Save machine state» - before turning off, the machine will save everything running applications at the time of shutdown. When the VM is turned on again, work in it can continue from the moment it was turned off.

« Send a shutdown signal"- all applications can be closed, and the machine will turn off automatically.

« Turn off the car" - the same as if a real computer were de-energized.

Conclusion

From this short overview it is clear that working with virtual machines, such as, makes it possible to connect several different operating systems on one device at once. Naturally, the more powerful the real device (RAM and CPU), the faster the virtual computers will work. Disabling the antivirus on your native machine or if it’s on the exception list will also help speed up the work antivirus program add virtual directory.

Video on the topic

Let's take a closer look at what virtual machines for Windows are and what they are needed for. Learn all about the best OS simulators and how to get started using them.

A virtual machine (VM) is a computer application that allows a user to simulate an operating system. An OS image is installed on the machine for use internally existing system. Very convenient, isn't it? But there are also pitfalls. Read what you will encounter during installation and which virtual machine for Windows versions 7,8 and 10 are better to choose.

Why do we need virtual machines for PCs?

In most cases, VMs are used for testing software in . To work with multiple operating systems, you only need one computer, which significantly speeds up your work.

You can run multiple virtual machines on one computer at the same time. Their number depends on the available RAM and space on the child’s disk, since the virtual OS consumes exactly the same memory resource as a regular copy installed on the computer.

Using virtual machines, you can work with programs and functions that are not available in the main OS. It is also possible to create backup copies VMs, with their subsequent movement and use on other computers.

Viruses, errors and other failures of the virtual OS do not affect the operation of the main system. After closing the machine, the operation of the additional OS stops and the RAM is freed.

During VM operation, the device may slow down, because increased consumption of storage resources leads to increased request processing time.

Reasons for installing a VM:

  • You want to get acquainted with the work of other operating systems without fully installing them. If you need to replace your existing OS, first use a virtual simulator to test other software options. This will save you from possible bugs and incompatibility with hardware;
  • You are a developer and want to create a comprehensive system for testing the applications you create.

VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a virtual machine for Windows 7,8,10. The virtualization environment is distributed free of charge and can be installed both for working with operating systems and for deploying network infrastructure and website hosting.

VirtualBox main window:

The main feature of this virtual machine is cross-platform. It works great on all versions of Windows. You can also download installers for Mac OS and Debian from the developer’s website. In the virtualization environment itself, you can install any desktop OS.

Using VirtualBox you can get acquainted with the functionality of the OS or in safe mode test the program without harming the main system. Often users prefer to install old games on virtual machines that are incompatible with modern operating systems.

After finishing the simulator, all data and changes will be saved. The next time you turn on, you will be returned to the desktop and can continue performing tasks.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of VirtualBox:

  • Free distribution. 90% of similar software is paid, while VirtualBox can be obtained completely free of charge. The functions and capabilities of the program are not limited to the developer;
  • Ability to create screenshots – screenshots of a virtual system. The resulting image will only display the secondary OS window. Creating screenshots using the main OS degrades the resolution and also captures your regular desktop;
  • Creating an exact copy of an existing virtual machine;
  • Ability to drag folders, shortcuts and other objects inside the simulator;
  • Unified file system – from a virtual machine you can access directories that are stored on a PC, and vice versa;
  • Simultaneous work with several machines.

Also, distinctive feature The new VirtualBox 4 is a convenient virtualization management system and intuitive Workspace programs. Also, the new build offers the ability to capture video from the screen of an additional OS.

VirtualBox supports working with USB drives connected to the computer.

Disadvantages of the program:

  • Slowdown of the computer. Even if your PC has good technical specifications, sufficient RAM and storage space, when using a virtual machine, you will experience slower performance of all functions. If during the creation of a VM you allocated too much memory to it, the computer will freeze or shut down severely;
  • Insufficient video memory. If you need to achieve the maximum high-quality image, this will be difficult to do using VirtualBox. The program allows you to configure the settings for using the video card only at a basic level.
How to install

For installation VirtualBox programs download the installer from the official website of the developer - Oracle. The installation process is standard and does not require additional settings:

  • Run the EXE file;
  • Select the Hard drive on which the root folder with the program will be located;
  • Wait for the installation to complete. If necessary, the user can view statistics on hard disk usage during the installation process.

In the “Custom Setup” field there is an option to disable USB support, network services. This allows you to reduce the final size of the application.

Video instructions on how to install two OS using VirtualBox

Once the program is installed, you can begin creating your first virtual machine. Click on the “Create” button in the upper left corner of the window. The VM settings tab will open:

In the setup wizard window, select the type of virtual OS (Windows, Linux, Debian, MacOS) and its version. Set a name for the simulator to be created and click on the “Next” button.

Then, the program will give you the opportunity to independently specify the size of RAM that will be allocated for the additional OS. For novice users, we recommend setting the value indicated in the “Recommended main memory size” field.

The size of RAM for a VM should be determined depending on technical characteristics your PC. If your computer has 4 GB of RAM available, 512 MB-1 GB will be enough for the simulator to run normally.

Next, the program will ask you to select file system OS image (which corresponds to the previously specified family and version). After completing the setup, a window will appear with a brief listing of all parameters. Click on "Finish".

After the installation of virtual Windows is completed, an icon for launching the OS will appear in the main VirtualBox window. Click on it and wait for the desktop to load. If necessary, install drivers.

For automatic update drivers, open the “devices” tab on the virtual machine toolbar. Then click on desired type media and in a new window follow the instructions to obtain the new software.

Ready. Now you can start working with the virtual operating system. To exit the program, first turn off the OS and then close VirtualBox.

VMware

VMWare Workstation is the best virtual machine for Windows 10. The developer positions the program as a convenient platform for creating . Compared to other popular analogues, VMWare supports more features for customizing a virtual machine and allows you to synchronize the simulator with software development tools.

This virtualization environment is popular among programmers, web designers and other specialists who often have to test their projects for cross-platform functionality.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages of VMWare are:

  • Convenient toolbar;
  • Synchronization with Microsoft development tools, in particular the .NET platform and software environment Visual Studio;
  • Safety system. Built-in VMWare tools provide a high level of protection for your files in the secondary OS. The simulator can detect attempts by malicious activity to eliminate them;
  • Operation of encryption services for created virtual machines.

Disadvantages of the application:

  • Paid distribution. The user can download a free trial version utilities, but to obtain full version applications with all available functions will require an annual or monthly subscription;
  • Not suitable for beginners. If you have not used operating system simulators before, we recommend starting with simpler options. For example, VirtualBox and the standard Hyper V for Windows. VMWare is suitable for advanced users who prefer to configure the system manually.
How to install

You can download the virtual machine for Windows from the official website of the developer VMWare.com.

During the installation process, it is recommended to turn off Windows Defender or another working antivirus. This is only necessary for the correct installation of all files and encryption algorithms that the program uses for virtual machines. No harm will be done to your main OS, since the product was downloaded from an official source.

Overview of functionality and first setup of the program

To create your first virtual machine in VMWare, you will need to download the OS distribution kit that you want to use in the emulator to your computer. Then open the window installed application and click on the “Create a new virtual machine” field

Note! The user can create a group of virtual machines, instead of several simulators. This allows you to reduce the resource of consumed RAM and speed up the operation of the computer and the OS simulator.

In the VM Setup Wizard window, specify the path to the operating system image (this can be a file in the computer’s memory or boot disk). It is also possible to configure a virtual machine without installing the OS (it can be installed later).

  • In the window that appears, specify the OS name, user name and account access password;
  • Specify on which disk of your computer the virtual machine will be stored;
  • Select the amount of RAM you need to run the VM;
  • Configure the equipment (automatically or manually).

After completing the setup of the virtual machine, wait for the OS image to install and start working:

Microsoft Virtual PC

Microsoft Virtual PC is another popular virtual machine emulator. The program is well compatible with all versions of OS Windows. If you use a Microsoft product as your main OS, we recommend choosing Microsoft Virtual PC for emulation.

Advantages and disadvantages

Emulator advantages:

  • Excellent compatibility with all versions of Windows OS. In most cases, the user does not need to install any additional drivers for the virtual OS. All of them are synchronized with the main system;
  • File system sharing. Access files stored on your PC hard drive through a VM window;
  • Support for 64-bit Windows OS in “Guest Host” and “Guest Environment” operating modes;
  • Support for hardware virtualization.

Flaws:

  • There are paid features. The program is distributed free of charge, but to support setting up a group of virtual OSes you will have to buy a subscription;
  • There is no support for Linux-like systems.
Overview of functionality and first setup of the program

To install a virtual OS, first download its image into the computer's memory, and then open Microsoft application Virtual PC. Click on the “Create virtual machine” button and configure the following parameters in the new window:

  • Set the name of the new OS;
  • Make a place for her hard drive and the size of RAM;
  • Select what devices the VM will support (network environment, flash drives, etc.).
Bottom line

We told you about the best virtual machines for Windows, but not all of them. If you think that these are not the best, write in the comments! Help new readers decide which emulator to start with.


Good afternoon.

Why might you need a virtual machine (a program for running virtual operating systems)? Well, for example, if you want to try out some program so that if something happens, you don’t harm your main operating system; or planning to install some other OS that you don't have on your actual hard drive.

In this article I would like to dwell on the key points when installing Windows 7 on a VM Virtual Box virtual machine.

1. What will be needed for installation?

1) A program that will allow you to create a virtual machine on your computer. In my example, I will show work in VM Virtual Box (more about it). In short, the program: free, Russian, can work in both 32 and 64 bit OS, many settings, etc.

2) An image with the Windows 7 operating system. Here you choose yourself: download it, find it in your bins required disk(when you buy a new computer, the OS is often included on a disk).

3) 20-30 minutes of free time...

2. Setting up a virtual machine (VM Virtual Box)

After launching the Virtual Box program, you can immediately click the “create” button; the settings of the program itself are of little interest.

If you have previously had a virtual HDD- you can select it, if not, create a new one.

A dynamic hard drive is preferable. Because its occupied space on a real hard drive will increase in direct proportion to its fullness (i.e. if you copy a 100 MB file onto it, it will take up 100 MB; copy another 100 MB file, it will take up 200 MB).

In this step, the program asks you to specify the final size of the hard drive. Here you indicate how much you need. It is not recommended to specify less than 15 GB for Windows 7 OS.

This completes the setup of the virtual machine. Now you can launch it and begin the installation process...

3. Installing Windows 7. What to do if an error occurs?

Everything is as usual, if not one thing...

Installing an OS on a virtual machine is, in principle, not much different from installing it on a real computer. First, select the desired machine for installation, in our case it is called “Win7”. You launch it.

If we have not yet specified the boot device in the program, then it will ask us to indicate what to boot from. I recommend that you immediately specify the bootloader 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 the OS installation window appears in front of you. Next, proceed as if installing the OS on a regular real computer, for more details about this, for example,.

If during installation an error came out with a blue (blue) screen, there are two important points who could have caused her.

1) Go to the virtual machine RAM settings and move the slider from 512 MB to 1-2 GB. It is possible that the OS does not have enough 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, it usually installs without any questions or problems...

4. How to open a VHD disk of a virtual machine?

A little higher in the article I promised to show how to do this... By the way, the ability to open virtual hard disks appeared in Windows 7 (Windows 8 also has this feature).

To get started, go to the OS control panel and go to the section administration(you can use the search).

In the right column there is the option to connect a virtual hard disk. We only need to indicate it location. By default, VHD disks in Virtual Box are located at the following address: C:\Users\alex\VirtualBox VMs\(where alex is your account name).

More similar about all this - .

That's all, successful installations! 😛

VirtualBox (Russian: Virtual Box) is a virtual machine from Oracle Corporation. Free program, designed for virtualization of operating systems Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris/OpenSolaris, other platforms are supported.

Benefits of a virtual machine

Using a virtual machine (VM) on a home PC, first of all, will allow you to simultaneously run several operating systems (guest OS).

For example, in this moment one of the operating system editions is installed on the computer or laptop Microsoft Windows(host OS). Installing a virtual machine, in this case VirtualBox, allows you to use any other systems (guests) in the host OS environment, including macOS, Linux, Android, Windows, and so on; there can be a lot of options here.

Some features and capabilities of VirtualBox

  • Image support hard drives VMDK () and VHD (Microsoft Virtual PC);
  • Audio device virtualization (optional AC97 / SoundBlaster 16 / Intel HD Audio emulation);
  • Creating, deleting, restoring VM snapshots;
  • Shared Folders – creating shared file exchange directories between host and guest systems;
  • OVF/OVA format support;
  • Creating secure environments for accessing the Internet;
  • Supports various connection options: NAT, network bridge, virtual adapter host, etc.;
  • Experimental support for hardware 3D acceleration;
  • Cross-platform (Virtual Box, );
  • Convenient navigation and user-friendly interface;
  • Multilingual localization – Russian, Ukrainian and other languages;
  • The program is distributed under the GNU GPL 2 license - free software (no restrictions on use).

Download VirtualBox for Windows

The latest version of Oracle VM VirtualBox for Windows 7, 8.x, 10 is available for download on our website (starting from version 5, Virtual Box does not support Windows XP).

Download VirtualBox for free, without registration.

Spoiler (Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack)

Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack – components that expand the capabilities of the virtual machine (RDP server, support for USB, NVMe, PXE and other capabilities).
Download and install Extension Pack only of the same version as VirtualBox.
Download the latest version of Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack

[collapse]

VirtualBox is a virtual machine from Oracle Corporation. A free program designed for virtualizing operating systems Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, etc.

Version: VirtualBox 6.0.6

Size: 166 MB

Operating system: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7

Russian language

Program status: Free

Developer: Oracle

Official site:

What's new in version: List of changes