How To Run Windows 11 in Virtual Machines – Guide
If you’re interested in trying out Windows 11 Insiders Preview Edition, you have several options for installation. You can install it on a separate computer, set up a dual-boot system with another version of Windows, or run it as a virtual machine.
A virtual machine can be a great choice for those looking to control their computer’s resources, as it allows users to allocate disk space, memory and other resources. Though it may not be as fast as a regular operating system due to its limited access to the PC’s power, if there is enough free space and memory available, performance should not be an issue.
Download the Windows 11 ISO file
To set up a virtual machine (VM) with Windows 11, join Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program. Sign in with your Microsoft account on the registration page, accept the terms of agreement and click register to download the ISO file.
Navigate to the Windows Insider Preview Downloads page, sign in with your Microsoft account, and select either Windows 11 Insider Preview (Channel Dev) or (Channel Beta) from the drop-down menu in the Select Edition section to download the ISO file.
Users can choose between two channels for Windows 11: Beta, which is more stable and contains only the features expected in the official release this year, or Dev, which is less stable but includes the latest updates and features. To select a channel, click Confirm.
Select the product language, click Confirm, then click Download and save the file to your PC.
VMware Workstation Player
Non-commercial, personal and home users, students and non-profit organizations can get VMware Workstation Player for free. Commercial organizations must purchase a license for $149. To download the program, click the Download Now link on its download page. Then double-click the downloaded file and follow the instructions to install it. Once installed, open the program and click Create a New Virtual Machine button to get started.
Select the Installer Disk Image File (iso) option in the New Virtual Machine Wizard, then browse to and select the Windows 11 ISO file you’ve downloaded. Click Next to continue.
Select Microsoft Windows 10 x64 as your guest operating system and click ‘Next’.
Name your virtual machine something easy to identify, like “Windows 11 Preview,” and select a location to store its files before clicking Next.
Accept the recommended disk size for Windows 11 and check the “Store virtual disk as a single file” option in the next window. Click “Advance” if you plan to keep the VM on your current computer.
If you need to make changes to your virtual machine settings, click ‘Customize Hardware’ and adjust the memory as desired. Once finished, click ‘Close’ on the Hardware window and ‘Finish’ on the main wizard window.
To begin the Windows setup process, select the new virtual machine at the home screen and click on the ‘Play Virtual Machine’ link.
To begin the Windows 11 installation process, confirm the language and other defaults on the first screen, then click Next. On the Activate Windows screen, select “I don’t have a product key” if you don’t have one available. You can enter a key later to activate Windows. Finally, choose your desired version of Windows 11 (e.g., Pro) and click Next to complete the installation.
Agree to the license agreement and choose the “Custom” installation option when prompted, selecting “Install Windows only (advanced)” for your setup.
Click ‘Drive 0 Unallocated Space’ on the Windows 11 installation screen to begin setup. After installation, you can experience the full features of the operating system.
To receive the latest internal builds of Windows, enroll your VM in the Windows Insider Program. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program, click ‘Open diagnostics and feedback’ and enable ‘Send optional diagnostics data’. Then hit ‘Start’ to complete enrollment.
To join the Windows Insider Program, click Link an Account and select the Microsoft account you use for the program. Choose your preferred channel – Dev or Beta – then read and accept the contract before restarting Windows to complete enrollment.
To complete the setup of your virtual machine, install VMware Tools. A prompt will appear at the bottom of the screen; click “Install Tools” to begin. If not, open File Explorer, select the DVD drive (D 🙂 and double-click setup.exe to start installation.
Oracle VM VirtualBox
Oracle VM VirtualBox is a free, open source program that anyone can download and use. To get started, simply go to the program’s download page, select the link for your host operating system (e.g. Windows), run the downloaded file, install the tool and launch it. Once open, click on the New icon in home screen to begin using it.
Create a Windows 10 virtual machine by typing the desired name in the first Name and OS window, selecting a folder to store associated files, and confirming or changing the version to 64-bit.
Choose the amount of memory for your Windows 11 VM, with 4GB minimum and more available if desired. Click Next.
Click ‘Create’ after selecting the recommended hard disk size and opting to create a virtual hard disk.
Select VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) from the Hard Disk File Type menu and click Next.
Choose the Fixed Size option if you have enough disk space and want faster VM performance, then click Next.
Confirm the VM path and name, as well as the allocated disk space, then click Create to create the VM.
To ensure Oracle VM VirtualBox is compatible with Windows 11, users should click the Settings icon and adjust the System tab’s Motherboard and Processor sections. Specifically, they should uncheck Floppy in the Motherboard section and increase CPUs to at least four in the Processor section.
To configure your virtual machine, click the View tab in the Settings window and increase the video memory to 128GB and change the graphics controller to VBoxSVGA. Then, select the Storage tab and click on Empty. Finally, choose a disk file by clicking on the blue disk icon in the upper-right corner of the window and selecting your Windows 11 ISO file.
Start the Windows 11 installation process by selecting your virtual machine and clicking Start. Follow the prompts to confirm language and other defaults, then click Install Now to complete the setup.
To install Windows 11, users must enter a product key if they have one. If not, they should click “I don’t have a product key.” They must then select the version of Windows 11 they want to install and accept the license terms. Finally, they should select “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” and choose “Drive 0 Unallocated Space.”
Once the Windows 11 installation is complete, users can begin the setup process and gain access to the operating system.
Enroll your VM in the Windows Insider Program by heading to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program. Allow diagnostic data collection, then click Get Started, Link an Account and select the Microsoft account associated with the Insiders program. Click Continue to complete enrollment.
To restart your VM, select the Restart Now button after reviewing the contract and choosing either Channel Dev or Channel Beta.
To improve the performance of Oracle VM VirtualBox, log back into Windows 11 and install Guest Additions. Click on the Devices menu, select Insert Guest Additions CD Image and wait for the installation to start. If nothing happens, open File Explorer, select CD Drive (D 🙂 and double-click VBoxWindowsAdditions.exe.
Final note
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