How to Install Windows 10 on VirtualBox/VMware
Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft’s Windows NT operating system released in 2015. Since 2018, Windows 10 has become the most popular version of Windows worldwide. Currently, Windows 10 still holds the most market share, but its share has been declining since the introduction of its successor Windows 11.
Some people may want to install Windows 10 on VirtualBox or VMware. In general, they can take the following 2 measures:
- Use the Windows 10 media creation tool to create the Windows ISO file. Then, use the ISO file to create a Windows 10 virtual machine on VirtualBox or VMware.
- Get the Windows 10 ISO download for VirtualBox or VMware. Then, import the file into the VirtualBox or VMware.
If you choose the first way, you need to create a Windows 10 VM from scratch. The brief process is as follows:
- Go to the Microsoft Windows 10 page to download the Windows 10 media creation tool.
- Run this tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC.
- When it asks you to choose which media to use, you should choose the ISO file In this way, you can get the Windows 10 ISO file.
- Then, you can use the ISO file to create a Windows 10 VM on VirtualBox or VMware. As for the detailed steps, please follow this post: How to Use Windows 10 as a Virtual Machine – A Step-by-Step Guide.
If you choose the second way, you can get a Windows 10 VM more easily. You just need to:
- Download the Windows 10 ISO for VirtualBox/VMware from a reliable website.
- The file should be enclosed in a zip file. Extract the zip file.
- Import the image file into VirtualBox or VMware. In VMware, you should click File > Open, and select the image file. In VirtualBox, you just need to click the Import button, click the folder icon behind the File box, and select the image file.
Get the Windows 10 ISO Download for VirtualBox and VMware
In this part, I will show you where to get the Windows 10 ISO for VMware and VirtualBox, and how to get them for free.
Microsoft offers the official Windows 10 ISO for VirtualBox, VMware, Hyper-V, Parallels, and Vagrant. This VM runs the Windows 10 x64 1809 system and has MSEdge installed. To get the Windows 10 ISO for VMware/VirtualBox, you should:
- Go to this Microsoft Edge Developer page.
- Under the Virtual Machines section, select the Windows 10 option.
- Under the VM platform section, select VirtualBox or VMware.
- Click the Download .zip button to get the Windows 10 ISO for VMware or VirtualBox.
Please note that these virtual machines expire after 90 days. If you want to continue to try the Pro and higher editions, you should enter the product key.