Web User - UK (2019-12-11)

Weekend Project

Subscribe toWebUser atsubscribe.webuser.co.uk 11 -26December 2019 59

In addition toVirtualBox, you need an
ISO file ofWindows.You can download
afresh copyofWindows10 using
Microsoft’sMediaCreation Tool (bit.ly/
mmct4 90 ).Run the program and wait
while it prepares everything, thenaccept
the licenceterms andwaitalittle longer.
When it’sready,select theoption to
createinstallation media for anotherPC.
Click Next and thetool fillsin all the
details tomatchyour current installation.
If you want tochange this, untick the
‘Use the recommended optionsforthis
PC’ boxand select the language,edition
and architecture(32-bit, 64-bitor both).
It’sworth noting thattheedition needs to
matchyour Windowslicenceifyou plan
tolicense thevirtualmachine.However,
sincewewillonly be usingthe OSin
VirtualBoxtoinstall andrun software,
wedon’t needtobotherlicensing it.
An unlicensed copyofWindowsshows
awatermark in the bottom-right corner
and some settingswill bedisabled,

1

RunVirtualBoxand click the New

button in theManager.^1 In the

Create Virtual Machine windowthat

opens, enterWindows 10^2 as the

name of the operatingsystem.The

Type (MicrosoftWindows)^3 and

Version(Windows10 (64-bit)^4

should be filled automatically.Click

Next^5 to start the creation process.

2

Accept the defaultMemory Size,

click Next, chooseto ‘Createavirtual

harddisk now’ and click the Create

button.Accept VDI (VirtualBoxDisk

Image)asthe drivetype,createa

dynamically allocateddisk and select

the default size. Click Create.When

done,select the entry in the Manager^1

and click theStart button.^2

3

In the newwind ow,click thefolder

icon^1 and navigate tothe saved

Windows10 ISO.Itappears in the

drop-down menu.^2 ClickStart^3

and theoperatingsystem installs.

Youcan skip the productkey.Select

theversionofWindowsyourequire,

accept thetermsand chooseto Install

WindowsOnly.

snapshotonceyou’vefinished usingthe

newprogram –so you can avoid the

botherof uninstalling it. You should

createasnapshot when you firstinstall

Windowsin VirtualBoxso you can

instantlyjump back toacleaninstall at

anytime.Thisis worthredoing when

Windowsupdates, so yourcleaninstall

has allthe latestWindowsupdates.

Tocreateasnapshot,gointoMachine

in theVirtualBoxmenu andselectTake

Snapshot. Alternatively,you canpress

Host+T todothis(bydefault,the Host

Microsof t’sMediaCreationToolcan save acopyofWind ows10
in ISOformatfor usein VirtualBox

Go to File,Preferences,Inputtoviewall theavailable keyboard

shortcuts in both the Manager andVirtual Machine

MINIWORKSHOP|InstallWindows 10inVirtualBox

but this is nothing toworry about.

Click Next intheMedia Creation Tool

and select ISO fileastheinstallation

media, then clickNext again todownload

the file.This isseveralgigabytes in size,

so it will takeawhile todownload,

dependingonthe speed of yourinternet

connection.

Onceyou’vecreatedyour installation

media, you caninstall it inVirtualBox.

Weshowyou howinourMini Workshop,

below.We’ll thenlookatsettingitup in

our MiniWorkshop onpage 61.

SaveSnapshots

VirtualBoxcan createsnapshots that

recordavirtual machine’scurrent state,

so you canrevert back atanytime.It’s

similartosavingthemachinestatewhen

youclicktheXinthe program window,

except thatyou cancarry onworking.

Forexample,you mightcreatea

snapshotpriortoinstallingapieceof

software,and thenrevert back tothat

Saveasnapshotwhenyou installWindows

toloadafreshcopywhenyou needit

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