To set up a virtual machine on your PC, turn on hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) in the firmware, install one hypervisor such as Hyper-V, VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Pro, create a VM with enough processors, memory and disk, boot it from an operating system ISO, install the OS, then add the guest tools and take a snapshot.
The same steps work on a Mac and on Linux, with one important catch on Apple silicon. This guide covers what a hypervisor is, which tool to pick on Windows 11, macOS and Linux as of September 2026, a worked example with sizing, networking and snapshots, guest licences, and when a cloud VM is the better answer. Installing Windows inside the VM works as it does on new hardware, which our guide to setting up Windows 11 on a new computer covers screen by screen.
What a virtual machine is, and what a hypervisor does
A virtual machine (VM) is a computer made of software. It has virtual processors, a fixed amount of memory, a disk that is really a file on your drive (a VDI file in VirtualBox, a VHDX file in Hyper-V) and a virtual network card. The operating system inside it, the guest, installs and runs as it would on real hardware, while the physical computer and its own operating system, the host, carry on as normal. Because the guest is isolated, you can test software, open a file you do not trust, keep an old operating system alive for one application, or learn Linux without touching the system you work on.
The hypervisor is the software that makes this possible: it hands the real processor, memory and devices to each VM in turn and keeps the VMs apart. There are two designs, and Oracle's VirtualBox manual defines both:
- Type 1 (bare-metal) hypervisors run directly on the hardware. Hyper-V is one. Once it is enabled, the hypervisor sits on the hardware and your own Windows desktop runs on top of it, in what Microsoft calls the root partition, beside the VMs rather than underneath them.
- Type 2 (hosted) hypervisors are applications that need an existing operating system. VirtualBox describes itself this way, and VMware Workstation Pro is likewise installed as an application on Windows or Linux.
Both kinds rely on the processor's virtualization extensions, Intel VT-x or AMD-V, and only one piece of software can use them at a time. That one fact explains most of the setup problems people hit on Windows, which are covered below.
Check that your PC can run a virtual machine
For Hyper-V, Microsoft lists a 64-bit processor with second-level address translation (SLAT), the VM Monitor Mode extensions, hardware-enforced Data Execution Prevention, virtualization switched on in the firmware and at least 4 GB of RAM, adding that you need enough memory for the host and every VM that runs at the same time. The other hypervisors depend on the same processor features. Check free disk space too: a VM's disk file grows as the guest writes to it, and snapshots add more.
To check a Windows PC, open PowerShell or a command prompt and run:
systeminfo
Scroll to Hyper-V Requirements at the end of the output. If every line reads Yes, the PC is ready. If it says a hypervisor has been detected, virtualization is already on and a hypervisor (Hyper-V, or a Windows feature built on it) is already running. On Ubuntu, the kvm-ok command from the cpu-checker package answers the same question.
Turn on Intel VT-x or AMD-V in the firmware
Many PCs ship with virtualization already enabled, and Microsoft notes that Surface devices do. If systeminfo says virtualization is off, turn it on in the UEFI, the firmware many people still call the BIOS:
- In Windows, open Settings > System > Recovery.
- Next to Advanced startup, select Restart now.
- Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Settings, then Restart.
- Find the virtualization option, often under Advanced or CPU Configuration, and set it to Enabled. On Intel systems it is called Intel Virtualization Technology, VT-x or Intel (VMX) Virtualization Technology; on AMD systems, AMD-V or SVM mode.
- Save the change and exit. The PC restarts.
Warning
Change only the virtualization setting. Microsoft warns that adjusting other firmware settings can stop Windows from starting. On a work laptop, ask your IT team before you change anything in the firmware.
Choose virtualization software on Windows 11
On Windows 11, the right tool depends on your edition and on what the VM is for. As of September 2026:
| Option | Windows 11 editions | Cost and licence | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyper-V | Pro, Enterprise, Education | Included with Windows | Windows and Linux VMs, built into the operating system |
| Oracle VirtualBox 7.2 | Any edition on an x64 PC | Free and open source (GPLv3); the optional Extension Pack is free for personal and educational use only | The same VMs on Windows, Linux and Intel Macs |
| VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 | Any edition on an x64 PC | Free for commercial, educational and personal use since November 11, 2024 | Teams that already use VMware; advanced virtual networks |
| Windows Sandbox | Pro, Enterprise, Education | Included with Windows | A throwaway Windows desktop for one untrusted file or installer |
| WSL 2 | All, including Home | Included with Windows | Linux tools and development, without installing or managing a VM |
Hyper-V is built in, with no download: open PowerShell as administrator and run the command below, then restart. You can also tick Hyper-V under Turn Windows features on or off. It cannot be installed on Windows 11 Home.
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
VirtualBox is on version 7.2.20, released September 22, 2026. The base package is GPLv3 open source. The optional Extension Pack is a separate download under Oracle's Personal Use and Educational License, which excludes commercial use and use for the benefit of a business; companies that need it must license it on Oracle's commercial terms.
VMware Workstation Pro became free for commercial, educational and personal use on November 11, 2024, when Broadcom stopped selling the paid version. The current release is 26H1u1 (September 3, 2026); you download it from the Broadcom Support Portal after signing in, and it needs no licence key.
When Hyper-V and VirtualBox or VMware meet
Only one component can own the processor's virtualization extensions, and when the Hyper-V hypervisor runs, Microsoft says other hypervisors may fail to start VMs or fall back to a slower mode. It may be running even if you never installed Hyper-V: memory integrity and Credential Guard are built on it (Credential Guard is on by default on eligible devices since Windows 11 version 22H2), and WSL 2 uses the Virtual Machine Platform, a subset of Hyper-V.
VMware Workstation Pro, since version 15.5.5, detects this and runs its VMs through the Windows Hypervisor Platform. VirtualBox also runs on top of Hyper-V, more slowly, and shows a green turtle icon in the VM's status bar when it does. You can switch the hypervisor off with Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V-Hypervisor, but Microsoft says the security features that depend on it have to be turned off as well, so on a managed PC it is not a decision to make alone.
Windows Sandbox and WSL 2: related, but not the same thing
Windows Sandbox is a disposable VM: a clean Windows desktop that starts in seconds, and closing it deletes all software, files and state (since version 22H2, data survives only a restart started inside it). It needs at least 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended), 1 GB of free disk and two processor cores; enable it under Turn Windows features on or off. Networking is on by default, so for a suspicious attachment Microsoft suggests a configuration file that turns networking off and maps the file's folder read-only.
WSL 2 runs a real Linux kernel inside a lightweight utility VM that Windows manages, with your distributions as isolated containers inside it. It works on every desktop edition, Home included, and installs with a single command, as Microsoft's install guide shows. Use it for Linux tools and development; use a full VM when you need a complete, separate machine.
Virtual machines on a Mac: Apple silicon and the x86 catch
On a Mac with Apple silicon, the rule is simple: guests must be Arm operating systems. Oracle states that VirtualBox VMs on an Arm host must use an Arm-based guest, and Apple's Virtualization framework does not support installing Intel Linux distributions on Apple silicon. What it does support is running x86_64 Linux programs inside an Arm Linux VM: through Rosetta up to macOS 26, and built into macOS itself from macOS 27.
Apple's Virtualization framework, which runs macOS and Linux guests, is an API that apps build on. Your practical options:
- Parallels Desktop. Microsoft's support page names Parallels Desktop as an authorized solution for running the Arm versions of Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise on Macs with M1, M2 and M3 chips. Parallels can download and install Windows 11 for you.
- UTM, free and open source, built on QEMU and optionally on Apple's framework. It runs Arm64 systems at near-native speed and x86 or x64 systems through slower emulation, without GPU acceleration for Windows guests.
- VirtualBox 7.2 has a package for Apple silicon hosts, with Windows 11 on Arm and several Arm Linux distributions as guests.
- VMware Fusion, Workstation's Mac sibling, has been free on the same terms since November 2024.
For Windows, use the Arm64 ISO that Microsoft publishes for Windows 11 on Arm virtual machines. Windows on Arm then runs x64 and x86 apps through emulation. Microsoft's page on the Parallels setup lists what does not work: features that need nested virtualization (WSL, Windows Sandbox, virtualization-based security), and apps that rely on DirectX 12 may be limited. On an Intel Mac none of this applies: UTM and VirtualBox virtualize ordinary x86 guests.
Virtual machines on Linux: KVM, QEMU and virt-manager
Linux has its hypervisor built in. KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a kernel module, kvm.ko, plus kvm-intel.ko or kvm-amd.ko for the processor, and it has been in the mainline kernel since version 2.6.20. QEMU supplies the virtual hardware, libvirt manages the VMs, and virt-manager gives you a desktop window to do it all. On Ubuntu:
sudo apt install cpu-checker && kvm-ok
sudo apt install qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system virt-manager
sudo adduser $USER libvirt
Log out and back in so the new group membership applies, then open Virtual Machine Manager, create a new VM and point it at your ISO. The package also brings virt-install, virt-clone and virt-viewer for scripting and remote consoles. The default virtual network sends VM traffic through the host with NAT; to make VMs reachable from other machines, connect them to a bridge instead. VirtualBox and VMware Workstation Pro also run on Linux if you would rather use the same tool on every platform.
Set up a virtual machine step by step
This worked example builds a Windows 11 guest in VirtualBox on a Windows PC, which works on any edition including Home, with the Hyper-V differences noted. The same stages apply to a Linux guest and to the other tools.
Download the installer ISO
- Windows 11: on Microsoft's download page, choose Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices. It is a multi-edition ISO intended, among other things, for creating a virtual machine. Use the Arm64 ISO only on an Arm host.
- Ubuntu: download Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS from ubuntu.com, in the Intel or AMD 64-bit version or the ARM 64-bit version to match your host.
Create the VM and size it
Size the VM for the guest, and leave the host enough to keep working. A Windows 11 guest also needs UEFI firmware with Secure Boot and a TPM 2.0, which on Hyper-V means a generation 2 VM:
| Setting | Windows 11 guest | Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 guest | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual CPUs | 2 or more | 2 minimum; Canonical suggests 4 for good performance | Oracle: no more than half of the host's processor threads |
| Memory | 4 GB or more | 6 GB listed; Canonical suggests about 8 GB in a VM | Taken away from the host while the VM runs |
| Disk | 64 GB or more | 25 GB or more | A dynamically allocated disk grows only as the guest writes |
In VirtualBox:
- Select New. Give the VM a name, choose the folder for its files (with room for snapshots) and select the ISO. VirtualBox detects the operating system and applies the settings it needs.
- Decide on unattended installation. If you leave it on, VirtualBox asks for a user name, password and, for Windows, a product key, and can install the Guest Additions afterwards. Turn it off to run the installer yourself.
- Set Base Memory, Processors and Disk Size from the table, and make sure Use EFI is selected for Windows 11.
- Before the first start, open Settings > System > Motherboard and confirm that TPM Version is 2.0 and Secure Boot is on.
- Select Start.
In Hyper-V, Quick Create builds a VM from a local ISO, or use Hyper-V Manager > New > Virtual Machine: choose Generation 2 (Microsoft's advice unless you have a reason not to), set the memory (Dynamic Memory lets Hyper-V adjust it), pick a virtual switch, create a virtual hard disk and choose Install an operating system from a bootable image file. Then give the VM at least two virtual processors in its settings and turn on its virtual TPM, which you can also do from PowerShell, starting with the Set-VMKeyProtector cmdlet:
Set-VMKeyProtector -VMName "Win11 lab" -NewLocalKeyProtector
Enable-VMTPM -VMName "Win11 lab"
Secure Boot is on by default in generation 2 VMs. For a Linux guest with Secure Boot, Microsoft says to choose the UEFI CA Secure Boot template when you create the VM.
Install the guest operating system
The VM starts from the ISO and the installer runs as on a physical PC. Windows 11 Home needs an internet connection and a Microsoft account to finish setup, so give the VM a network connection first (the default NAT mode is enough). Until the guest tools are installed, VirtualBox may capture your mouse and keyboard inside the VM window: press the Host key, the right Ctrl key on Windows or the left Command key on a Mac, to release them. Host key + Del sends Ctrl+Alt+Del to the guest.
Install the guest tools
The guest tools are drivers that make the VM pleasant to use: the mouse moves freely between host and guest, the display resizes with the window, the clock stays in sync, and shared folders and a shared clipboard become possible. In VirtualBox, choose Devices > Insert Guest Additions CD Image and run the installer inside the guest. VMware Workstation Pro uses VMware Tools, which Broadcom recommends keeping at the version that matches the product; Hyper-V has integration services; UTM's Windows wizard installs its SPICE tools when you tick the option. Then shut the guest down and take your first snapshot. To give the VM window a screen of its own, see how to set up dual monitors.
How to use a virtual machine day to day
Running a VM is mostly like running any other computer, with a few habits worth learning:
- Close it properly. VirtualBox offers three ways to stop a VM. Save State freezes it to disk so it resumes exactly where you left off, like closing a laptop lid. Shut Down sends the guest the equivalent of pressing the power button. Power Off is pulling the plug, which can leave the guest's disk inconsistent, so keep it for emergencies.
- Move files deliberately. Shared folders, provided by the guest tools, expose a host folder to the guest as a network share. That is convenient for everyday work, but it is also a hole in the isolation, so do not share folders with a VM you use to open untrusted files.
- Keep the guest patched. A VM is a full computer with its own updates and accounts, and an unpatched one on your network is as exposed as an unpatched laptop.
- Expect Windows to ask for activation again after you change the VM's virtual hardware. Oracle notes that Windows activation is sensitive to hardware changes.
Choose a network mode: NAT, bridged or host-only
Every hypervisor offers the same few ways to connect a VM, under slightly different names. VirtualBox's defaults are a good reference:
| Mode | What the VM gets | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| NAT (the VirtualBox default) | A private address behind the host; outbound traffic works, inbound needs port forwarding | Browsing, updates, most everyday use |
| Bridged | Its own presence on your physical network, like another PC plugged into it | Running a server in the VM, testing network services |
| Host-only | A private network with the host and other VMs, no outside access | Labs where VMs must talk to each other but not the internet |
| Internal | A network between selected VMs only, invisible to the host | Isolated multi-VM test setups |
In NAT mode, VirtualBox acts as a router between the VM and the host: other computers see the traffic as coming from the host's address, and by default VMs cannot even talk to each other. In bridged mode, the VM exchanges packets directly with a physical network card, so your router and other devices see it as a separate machine.
Hyper-V uses virtual switches instead: an external switch bridges VMs to a physical network adapter, an internal switch connects VMs and the host, a private switch connects VMs only, and NAT is built on an internal switch. VMware Workstation Pro offers bridged, NAT, host-only and custom networks, and WSL 2 uses NAT by default. When in doubt, stay on NAT: bridging exposes the VM to your network, and your network to the VM.
Use snapshots, and know what they are not
A snapshot saves a point in the VM's life that you can go back to: the VM's settings, the full state of its disks and, if you took it while the VM was running, its memory. VirtualBox does not copy the disk to do this. It freezes the disk and sends every later write into a new differencing image; restoring the snapshot throws that image away, which is why it is fast.
Hyper-V calls snapshots checkpoints and offers two kinds. Standard checkpoints include the memory state. Production checkpoints, the default, use Volume Shadow Copy in Windows guests (or a file system freeze in Linux guests) to capture a data-consistent state without memory. Hyper-V stores checkpoints as .avhdx files next to the VM's .vhdx; delete them from Hyper-V Manager, never by hand, so the files are merged correctly.
Tip
Take a snapshot after a clean install with the guest tools, and another before any risky change. Delete the ones you no longer need: each snapshot grows as the VM runs, a memory snapshot can be as large as the VM's RAM, and deleting a long chain can take time and temporary disk space. Back the VM up separately, for example by exporting it.
Licences for the guest operating system
A hypervisor does not come with the operating systems you run in it. Oracle says as much: VirtualBox supplies neither the OS nor any licence to use it.
- Windows. Microsoft states that each instance of Windows 11 Pro needs its own licence, whether it runs on hardware or in a virtual machine, and that Windows 11 Pro product keys work for both x64 and Arm installs. The host's licence does not cover the guest.
- Windows for a short test. The Microsoft Evaluation Center offers Windows 11 Enterprise, version 25H2, as a 90-day evaluation with x64 and Arm64 ISOs, aimed at IT professionals. If it is not activated or the period ends, the desktop turns black, a not-genuine notice stays on screen, and the PC shuts down every hour.
- Linux. Ubuntu is free to use; an LTS release such as 26.04 gets five years of free security and maintenance updates.
- VirtualBox Extension Pack. If your business uses its features, it needs Oracle's commercial licence, as covered above.
In an organization, check with whoever manages your Microsoft agreements before building VMs at scale: volume licensing has its own terms.
When a cloud VM is the better answer
A VM on your own PC is ideal for testing, learning and isolated one-off tasks. A VM in the cloud, such as Azure Virtual Machines, Amazon EC2 or Google Compute Engine, is the better answer when:
- You need x64 Windows on an Apple silicon Mac. Microsoft's Windows 365 streams a full Windows 11 Cloud PC to Macs with M-series chips, sold per user per month, and it supports nested virtualization.
- The VM needs more than your PC has, in processors, memory, storage or graphics.
- It must stay on or be shared. A VM on a laptop sleeps when the laptop does; a server, or identical environments for a team, belong somewhere that stays up.
Mind the billing model. On Azure, shutting a VM down from inside the guest leaves it in the Stopped (allocated) state, which is still billed; only a deallocated VM stops compute charges, and its disks and networking still cost money.
If the VMs you are thinking about are servers rather than a test box on a desk, that is a migration question: our cloud transformation service moves applications from ageing servers to containers and cloud platforms one rehearsed wave at a time, with a way back at every stage. If your team's laptops need to run VMs and stay managed and secure, our IT support service covers help desk, device management, identities and Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administration for small and growing teams.
Fix common virtual machine problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The VM will not start and mentions VT-x or AMD-V | Virtualization is off in the firmware | Turn on Intel VT-x or AMD-V (SVM mode) in the UEFI |
| Hyper-V is missing from Windows features | Windows 11 Home, or a processor without SLAT or virtualization support | Use VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Pro; check systeminfo |
| A VirtualBox VM is slow and shows a green turtle | Hyper-V, or a security feature built on it, is running | Accept the slower mode, or disable the Hyper-V hypervisor if your policy allows it |
| Setup says "This PC can't run Windows 11" | No TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot, too little memory or disk, or a generation 1 VM | Use a generation 2 or UEFI VM with a virtual TPM, 2 vCPUs, 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of disk |
| The installer will not start on an Apple silicon Mac | An x64 ISO on an Arm host | Use the Arm64 ISO, or run x64 Windows in the cloud |
| Other computers cannot reach a service in the VM | The VM is behind NAT | Add a port-forwarding rule, or switch the adapter to bridged |
Once the VM runs, treat it like any other computer you are responsible for: patch it, back it up and delete it when the job is done.
