How to Install Windows 11 on a Virtual Machine

Windows 11 is without a doubt Microsoft's newest and best operating system. But whether it's TPM 2.0 or CPU restrictions, not everyone can run the new operating system on their computer. Still, if you want to try Windows 11, you can install it on a virtual machine. This lets you virtualize Windows separately from your existing setup without posing any risk to your PC. Here's how to do it on Windows.

How Do You Set Up a Windows 11 Virtual Machine?

The easiest way to install Windows 11 on a virtual machine on Windows is Oracle VirtualBox. It's a free, purpose-built virtualizer for x86 hardware aimed at server, desktop, and embedded use. It's quite popular among Windows enthusiasts and easy to use.

Download and Set Up VirtualBox

To get started, visit the Oracle VirtualBox website and download the app. Oracle VirtualBox is free, and no charge is taken. Just click the Windows hosts option and let your computer download the program. Once it's finished, go to the file and launch it. If you're on a Mac or Linux machine, make sure to select the macOS or Linux downloads instead. The steps for installing Windows on a virtual machine are the same.

• Next, you'll want to download Windows 11. You'll need an ISO file from Microsoft. To do this, visit the Download Windows 11 web page. Go to the Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) option. Then select Windows 11, followed by Download. Choose English as the Product Language and click Confirm. Note where you saved the ISO, since you'll need it later.
• Once Windows 11 has downloaded, it's time to install Oracle VirtualBox. Find where the file was saved and double-click to launch it. Follow the prompts on your screen by clicking Next. If you want quick access, you can create Start Menu, Shortcut, and Quick Launch entries. You'll also need to install a network interface, so make sure to click Yes. This will temporarily disconnect your network connection. Keep clicking Next and accept the install prompts on your screen. It may take a couple of minutes.
• Once installation is complete, you can set up your virtual machine. Launch Oracle VirtualBox from your desktop or the Start Menu. Click the blue New button. Name your virtual machine; we prefer the name "Windows 11." Then under Type, you can select Microsoft Windows, and under Version, select Windows 11.
• For this step, you need to allocate resources. Under the Create Virtual Machine step, make sure to set the memory size. If your computer has a lot of RAM, make sure to give the virtual machine at least a few gigabytes of RAM. The more RAM you allocate, the faster the virtual machine will be. If your computer doesn't have enough RAM, make sure to keep it under the green zone. VirtualBox will always suggest a size for you to choose.

In addition to RAM, you'll also need to create a virtual hard disk. The virtual hard disk is where you'll store files and apps on your virtual machine. Click the Create button and select VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image), then select Next.

In the next step, it's best to use Dynamically allocated. This only uses space as your physical hard disk fills up, but it won't shrink back down once space frees up. If you want a more traditional experience, you can use Fixed size, though it may take longer to create. Drag the slider to set the VDI size and click Create.

Get Ready to Install Windows 11

Next, you'll want to install Windows 11 on your new virtual machine. Click the virtual machine's name in the sidebar and select Settings. Select Storage in the sidebar. Under where it says Controller: SATA, look for the blue icon of a CD Drive.

Click the CD icon that says Empty, and click on the right side where it says Optical Drive. Make sure to select Live CD/DVD. Then, click the blue CD icon right next to it and select Choose a disk file. Navigate to where you saved your Windows 11 ISO and open it with Open. Then you can complete the process by clicking OK. Then, closely follow the steps below.

• Now that everything is set, you can start your new virtual machine. Click the Start icon and quickly click inside the virtual machine window. Your mouse will be captured by the virtual machine, but you can exit the capture at any time by clicking the Right Ctrl key. Make sure to move quickly and press any key on your keyboard to kick off the Windows 11 install experience.

Keep in mind that Microsoft doesn't officially support running Windows 11 on a virtual machine. However, there is a workaround.

• When you reach the Windows Setup screen, press Shift + F10 on your keyboard. This will launch Command Prompt. Type Regedit and press Enter, then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > Setup on the left side. Right-click Setup and select New > Key. Name it "LabConfig" and press Enter.
• After that, right-click LabConfig and select New > Dword (32-bit) and create a new value named "BypassTPMCheck." Right-click it and select Modify to set its data to one.
• Then, follow the same steps, and this time create BypassTPMCheck and set its data to one. Also, create BypassSecureBootCheck and set its value to one as well. It should look like the image below.

Once you're done, close the registry editor, go back to Command Prompt, and type "exit." Then you can continue with the Windows 11 installation as normal. Make sure to click Custom, select Unallocated space, and then New. Click OK, then select the partition with the largest size to install Windows 11. Windows will then install, and within a few minutes depending on your computer's speed, you'll be experiencing the new operating system.

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