How To Guides
Installing Windows XP / Windows 7 onto a Virtual Computer.
Need To Know.
1. First, you have to know what a virtual compter can do for you. A virtual computer is a program that you can use to run other operating system on a virtual drive. The advantage to running an operating system on a virtual drive, is that you can see different operating systems and do other work with out worrying about crashing your own computer.
2.Secondly, you need to know what exactly is an ISO file. An ISO file is an image that can be extracted from the Windows XP cd that was provided by Windows vendor.
3. Also Windows XP is the operating system that runs your computer.
Steps to installing.
1. First there is a few things you will need to do this. You need a copy of the iso file from the disc. You will also need the software to run the virtual computer. You can get the virtual computer from (https://www.virtualbox.org/), the website should look like this.
Installing Windows XP / Windows 7 onto a Virtual Computer.
Need To Know.
1. First, you have to know what a virtual compter can do for you. A virtual computer is a program that you can use to run other operating system on a virtual drive. The advantage to running an operating system on a virtual drive, is that you can see different operating systems and do other work with out worrying about crashing your own computer.
2.Secondly, you need to know what exactly is an ISO file. An ISO file is an image that can be extracted from the Windows XP cd that was provided by Windows vendor.
3. Also Windows XP is the operating system that runs your computer.
Steps to installing.
1. First there is a few things you will need to do this. You need a copy of the iso file from the disc. You will also need the software to run the virtual computer. You can get the virtual computer from (https://www.virtualbox.org/), the website should look like this.
2. AFTER LOOKING THE WEBSITE YOU WILL NEED TO DOWNLOAD THE SOFTWARE. WITH GOING IN GO TO DOWNLOADS AND THEN UNDER VIRTUAL BOX PLATFORM PACKAGES, THEN VIRTUAL BOX 4.2.16 FOR WINDOWS HOSTS NEXT TO THAT CLICK ON X86/AMD64 AND IT WILL START TO DOWNLOAD.
3. AFTER VIRTUAL BOX HAS DOWNLOAD, RUN THE PROGRAM VIRTUAL BOX AND INSTALL THE SOFTWARE AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTION ON THE SCREEN.
4. After installing you should have an icon of Virtual Box on the desktop, double click and open application.
5.After you have installed the software and you can run the program Virtual Box we can now load the operating system on to the virtual drive. With Virtual Box open click the new button in the top right hand corner. After clicking the new button you should have a window like this on the screen. Fill out the Name ( can put anything you want), Type ( with having Windows XP as the software we want to install you will want Type to be on Microsoft Windows), Verison ( you will want it to be on Windows XP as the system we are loading).
6. After this you should have a screen that shows how much ram you want to allow the virtual drive to use. With Windows XP the minimum amount hardware requirements for Windows XP for ram (64MB), Disk space (1.5GB). You can use the recommend for your system if you don't know the specs of the machine.
7. The next window should have an option on the size of the hard drive you want to use for the virtual system. You should also do the recommend here also with it recommending 10GB of hard drive space. You will want to click on Create a virtual hard drive now in the middle of screen. Next after clicking create on the bottom, you have to option on what kind of hard drive file type ( you will want to select the first option VDI).
8. You will click the option dynamically allocated and continue. You have now completed the system specs that will be used for the virtual operating system and then click create.
9. Now that you have made the system will now go ahead and install Windows XP onto the virtual drive. You should have the name of the system you just created in the left hand corner. Now you will want to right click on the system, and click on settings. Once settings is open go down to and click on storage. You should have a screen that show storage, with this you will select the empty option on the screen. Then you will want to click on the drop down button and select IDE Primary slave under attributes.
10. You will now want to click on the little cd button and a window will drop down and you will want to select choose a virtual CD/DVD disk file. You will use this to find the ISO of the operating system. With it being put onto the desktop you can easily find and select it.
11. After select the install operating system it will take you back to the main page and you will now be ready to install Windows XP onto the virtual drive. You will click the start button and run the virtual drive. After turning on the system is should automatically run the ISO and you should end up with a screen where it has the option to install the ISO onto the hard drive.
12. Now you should hit the enter button on the keyboard and then will be taken to a screen that has the option on what kind of hard drive you have to be or what format it is in. You will want to select the first one which is NFTS file system.
13. Now it will start installing the operating system and go through the processes of installing. After following on the step of the screen, it will finish installing and should see the home screen. With having the screen of the home page of Windows XP on the virtual machine you have completed downloading Virtual Box and installing ISO of Windows XP onto Virtual Box you can now use the virtual system and run it as your own.
14. Now with Windows 7 there is not much difference when installing it onto the virtual drive. After following the previous steps to setting up Windows 7 on the the virtual drive you should starting install Windows 7 onto the computer.
15. You will want to follow the steps on the screen and fill out the information. The next screen will ask you what you want to do for the hard drive, there should be two option, Upgrade and Custom (advance). You will want to select custom and edit the information.
16. After selecting Custom you should have a screen where you can edit the hard drive in if you want to have partitions and where you want to install Windows. You will want to click on Drive options, then new and accept the size of the new drive.
17. You will click next and load the operating system onto the computer and should have a screen with it copying and installing Windows 7
18. Now after install Windows will restart a couple of times and start loading Windows 7
19. You will follow the step and personalize your computer and should end up at the home screen of Windows 7.
Now you have should installed Windows XP and Windows 7 successfully and can now run them both in your virtual machine. There are some differences in the two operating systems with Windows XP having search to find things and with Windows 7 having the search bar in the home button. Another difference is that Windows XP has the system information more easily available with in being on the side panel when open my computer vs Windows 7 where it is more hidden in the files with you having to go to Control panel > System and Security > System.