Virtual machines are useful in various ways, such as running legacy software, installing different operating systems, software development and testing, and more. If you’re also looking forward to installing Windows 10 on your PC without dual-booting or buying a separate Windows computer, you’ve come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the entire setup process for installing Windows 10 in VirtualBox.
Table of Contents
Minimum System Requirement to Run Windows 10
- Display: 800×600
- Processor: 1 GHz (Dual Core recommended)
- RAM: 1 GB for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit (4 GB recommended)
- Storage: 16 GB for 32-bit or 32 GB for 64-bit (50 GB recommended)
How to Download Windows 10 ISO File
Before we begin the setup and installation process, first we need to download the official version of Windows 10 from the Microsoft site. Here’s how to download it:
1. Open any browser of your choice and visit the Microsoft Software Download page.
2. Scroll down and click the Download tool now button to download Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.
3. Open the Media Creation Tool and then Accept the Microsoft Software T&C.
4. Now select the Create installation media option and hit Next.
5. Uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC option and then choose the language, edition, and architecture accordingly, and then hit Next.
6. Now choose the ISO file option and click Next.
7. Select a path where you want to download the Windows 10 ISO file. Once done, hit the Save button.
That’s it. It will start downloading Windows 10 ISO on your computer.
Do note that it might take several minutes or hours to download, depending on your internet speed.
Once the download is completed, hit the Finish button.
How to Setup Windows 10 in VirtualBox
Now that you have downloaded Windows 10, the next step would be to install and set up the VirtualBox on your PC/laptop.
1. Open the VirtualBox app on your computer or click here to download VirtualBox if haven’t already.
2. Next click on the New icon and choose a descriptive name and installation folder for the new virtual machine.
3. After that click the drop-down menu next to ISO Image and select the Other option to select the Windows 10 ISO file.
4. Now make sure to enable Skip Unattended Installation to manually install the OS and then click Next.
5. Select the amount of RAM and Processor you want to dedicate and hit Next.
Since our PC has 16 GB of RAM and 6 cores, we will opt for 4 GB of RAM and 2 cores.
6. Now select the Create a Virtual Hard Disk Now option and enter the amount of Disk size you want to allocate and then click Next.
7. Finally, review your configuration and hit the Finish button once you’re satisfied.
And don’t worry if you want to make any changes later, you can select the OS and go to Settings.
From there, you can customize things like RAM, video memory, processor, network adapter, audio, and more.
How to Install Windows 10 in VirtualBox
Now that everything is in place, it’s time to finally begin the installation process. Here’s a complete process to install Windows 10 in VirtualBox.
1. Select the Windows VM (Virtual Machine) and hit the Start button. After a few seconds, you will be greeted with the Windows Setup screen.
2. Now select the language, time zone, and keyboard layout to your liking, and then hit Next.
3. Click on the Install now button and the setup will begin.
4. On the next screen, you will be prompted to enter the Windows 10 Product Key. If you have a product key, you can enter it. Otherwise, you can click on the option that says I don’t have a product key.
5. Now choose the Windows Edition that you want to install in your VirtualBox and click Next.
6. Accept the license terms and click Next.
7. Next, select the Custom: Install Windows only option.
8. Now if your drive is showing Unallocated Space, then click the New button, choose the size, and click Apply. For reference, 1GB = 1024MB so calculate accordingly.
Quick Tip: With this method, you can create more drives in Windows.
9. Click the OK button when the pop-up appears.
10. Next, select the Drive (Primary) where you want to install Windows 10 and then click Next.
Note: Make sure you don’t select the Drive that is System Reserved.
That’s all. It will now begin installing Windows 10 on your virtual machine.
Once the installation is completed, follow the on-screen instructions to finalize the setup process.
Tip: Learn how to remove ads from everywhere on Windows 11.
How to Make Windows 10 Full Screen on VirtualBox
After you have finished setting up your Windows 10, you may observe that the screen resolution remains unchanged even when switching to full-screen mode. To fix this issue, follow the below instructions:
1. Open the File Explorer (Windows Key + E) on your Windows 10 virtual machine and navigate to This PC section and then go to VirtualBox Guest Additions.
If you couldn’t find it, simply click on the Devices tab and select the Insert Guest Additions CD image option.
2. Now run the VBoxWindowsAdditions file to install VirtualBox Guest Additions in your Windows 10.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions, and upon completion, restart your VM.
After signing in to Windows, the screen resolution will automatically adjust according to the size of the window. Here is how it looks before and after:
Limitations of Running Windows 10 in VirtualBox
- Running Windows 10 virtually on top of the host operating system can have a negative impact on your computer’s performance, especially when you’re running resource-intensive applications on the virtual machine.
- Certain drivers may not be available or supported in VirtualBox, limiting your ability to utilize specific features within the guest OS.
- File sharing between the host and VM can be difficult to set up and may not be reliable.
FAQs
1. What happens when the installation process is interrupted?
If the installation process is interrupted during the initial stage, the virtual machine may boot normally. However, if the installation is interrupted during the critical stage, such as disk partition, installing Windows, or updating Windows, the virtual machine may not boot at all. In that case, you may need to start the entire Windows setup and installation process from scratch.
2. Can I play games in VirtualBox?
While you may be able to play some older or casual games, engaging in serious gaming is generally not possible within VirtualBox.
Tip: Learn how to use your phone as a controller to play PC games.
Summoning Windows 10 Into the Virtual Realm
Installing Windows 10 in VirtualBox is a time-consuming process, but once you finish setting up the operating system, you’re just one click away from running it. This also eliminates the need for dual-booting the system, allowing you to share system resources only when you require them.
If your Windows PC is booting up slowly, you can check out our comprehensive guide to fix it.
