What Is a Windows Virtual Machine? A Complete Guide (2025)

Learn everything you need to know about Windows virtual machines. Discover their uses, benefits, setup process, and how they can enhance your system's performance and security.

Updated: 02 Feb, 25 by jean lou 16 Min

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A virtual machine lets you simultaneously have one or more operating systems on your computer. This is one of the main advantages of a virtual machine, and we will talk more about it in this article from the MonoVM blog.

You have probably been in a situation where you wanted to install new and unknown software on your computer, but concerns about malware made you regret it. That is precisely why you should know what a virtual machine is and how it can help you. Next, we will explore a virtual machine's types, advantages, and uses in more detail and explain what a VMware machine is and how it differs from other virtual machines.

A Windows virtual machine (VM) is a type of VM running a Windows operating system. This allows users to run Windows programs on non-Windows systems (such as Macs or Linux). It also allows you to run many versions of Windows on the same computer without issues. Windows VM is a computing resource that uses virtual software instead of physical computers to run programs. 

A VM cannot directly interact with the physical computer and requires a lightweight software layer called a hypervisor to coordinate with the hardware. The hypervisor allocates physical computing resources such as processors, memory, and storage to each VM. It also isolates each VM from the others and prevents them from interfering with each other. 

You also may want to know what is Software Virtualization.

Before virtual machine technology, data centers were full of multiple servers, each of which could run only one operating system. However, virtualization has allowed each server to be divided into various parts, each functioning exactly like a single system. One of the essential applications of Windows virtual machines is the production of virtual servers, but this technology is not limited to virtual machine hosting companies. Below, we will mention some of the essential applications of Windows virtual machines.

1- Using a Different Operating System

One of the critical uses of a virtual machine is that it allows users to run an operating system other than the one installed on their device. For example, suppose you are a professional web developer using the Linux operating system for your work. Suppose you want to use software like AutoCAD and Photoshop, only available on Windows operating systems. In that case, you can easily create a virtual machine on your system and install the Windows operating system. In this way, you will have both the Linux operating system and the Windows operating system on your laptop at the same time. In the opposite situation, you’ll need a Linux Virtual Machine.

2- Running Old Software

One of the critical uses of virtual machines is the ability to run older software that may not be compatible with newer operating system versions. For example, software designed for Windows XP may not work correctly on Windows 10.

In such cases, you can create a virtual machine with Windows XP and install and run the older software. This allows you to continue using the older software you need without changing your primary operating system or looking for new alternatives.

3- Test Malware

You will probably need a virtual machine if you are a web security expert. One of the features that you can access using VMs is sandboxing. Sandboxing is an isolated environment that allows you to test malicious software on only a part of your computer so you can find a way to deal with it.

For example, suppose you want to visit a website that installs malware on your system. If you do this through a virtual machine, you can be sure that the virus or malware will only be installed on your VM, which is isolated from the rest of your system. In other words, it cannot infect your entire computer.

4- Develop and Test Windows Software on Other Operating Systems

If you are a software developer who primarily uses a macOS or Linux operating system but needs to develop software for Windows, you can create a Windows virtual machine. Doing this lets you install and test your software on a Windows VM without setting up a physical Windows computer. This allows for a seamless development process without switching between operating systems.

So far, you have understood how virtual machines work and their uses. Now, we will examine the advantages of a virtual machine and how it can benefit businesses. Of course, with these advantages, virtual machines may also have weaknesses and disadvantages, which we will briefly mention.

Advantages of Virtual Machines

One of the key benefits is that maintaining and managing a virtual machine is more straightforward than using physical machines. Other advantages of virtual machines include:

  • Optimal Use of Resources and Increased Return on Investment: You can run multiple virtual machines on a single computer without buying a new server or computer to install each operating system. 
  • Scalability: With cloud computing, you can quickly deploy multiple virtual machine instances to improve performance and handle an increased workload simultaneously.
  • Portability: If needed, you can move the management of a virtual machine between physical computers on the network. This helps you with additional computing power, improving efficiency.
  • Speed: Since you can integrate a virtual machine with a pre-installed operating system, creating a VM is quicker and easier than installing an operating system on a physical server. 
  • Security: VM files are typically scanned for malware. Therefore, you can create a complete virtual machine copy anytime and restore a healthy copy if the original becomes infected with malware.

Disadvantages of Virtual Machines 

Although the benefits of using a virtual machine for individuals and businesses that need it are numerous, there are also some weaknesses to consider. Below, we will mention some crucial disadvantages of Windows VMs.

  • Host Instability with Multiple Windows VMs: Running multiple Windows VMs can load the host's resources heavily. Therefore, if you plan to run various Windows VMs, ensure the host system has sufficient performance capabilities.
  • Limited Hardware Power of Windows VMs: A Windows virtual machine shares the hardware resources, meaning its hardware power will not match that of a dedicated physical machine. This limitation can impact performance. 
  • Training Required for Windows VM Usage: If you plan to implement Windows VMs across an organization, you may need to invest time and money in training employees. 
  • Compatibility Issues with Certain Programs on Windows VMs: While many applications run smoothly on Windows VMs, some software—particularly older or specialized programs—may not function correctly due to hardware compatibility issues or system-level restrictions.

Now that we understand what a Windows virtual machine is and what it does, it's best to learn how to create one. Below, we've shown you how to do this visually. In this tutorial, we've used Oracle VM VirtualBox software to create a virtual machine. This software is free, open source, and multi-platform, and you can easily use it by following the tutorial below:

Step 1: Download and install Oracle VM VirtualBox

To download the software, visit its website address and install it after downloading the appropriate version based on your operating system. Don't forget that it is better to leave all the default settings for the software as they are during the installation. Also, you may be asked to install other Oracle components during installation. If you see such a request, agree that everything needed to create a virtual machine is installed on your system.

After successful installation, you will see a window similar to the following image:

Download and install Oracle VM VirtualBOX

Step 2: Create a virtual machine

To create a virtual machine, select File > New in the Oracle VM VirtualBox software and then enter the name of your virtual machine. We recommend that you choose a meaningful name for your virtual machine. After entering the name, select the Type and Version options based on your operating system type.

Create a virtual machine

Step 3: Allocate memory to the virtual machine

The memory you allocate for your virtual machine depends entirely on the memory available on your host system. We recommend you never allocate more than half of the host system's RAM to the virtual machine.

For example, if you want to create a virtual machine with a Windows operating system, allocate at least one or two gigabytes of memory. If you plan to build a VM based on the Linux operating system, allocate at least 513 megabytes of memory.

Allocate memory to the virtual machine

Step 4: Initialize the virtual machine's hard drive

After you click the Next button in the previous step, a window will open where you can initialize the virtual machine's hard drive. An example of this window is shown in the image below:

Initialize the virtual machine's hard drive

If you already have a virtual machine and want to add it, use the Use an existing virtual hard drive file option; otherwise, enable the Create a virtual hard drive now option and click Create.

Step 5: Select the complex drive file type

In the following window, select the VDI option. This option will usually give you the best performance. The virtual machine will be saved on your system in a file with the .vdi extension.

Select the complex drive file type

Step 6: Select Storage on the physical hard drive

After completing the previous window and clicking the Next option, a window similar to the following image will be displayed:

Although the Fixed Size option can slightly increase performance, it will also take up more space on your system; therefore, our recommendation in this section is to use the Dynamically Allocated option.

Select Storage on the physical hard drive

Step 7: Configure the file storage location and size

By default, VirtualBox considers the minimum possible size as the file size limit in the virtual machine; however, depending on your needs, you may want to increase this limit. In the upper part of this window, you can also introduce the file storage location to the software. After completing this step, you can install the virtual machine on your system. Now, you need to install the operating system on it.

Step 8: Install the operating system on the virtual machine

Double-click on the newly created virtual machine. The name of this machine is the same as the one you chose in step 2.

Now, you need to introduce the ISO file of your desired operating system installation to the virtual machine and click on the Start button. This way, the virtual machine will complete the operating system installation process. The length of this process depends on various criteria, such as the type of operating system you want, the hardware power, etc. Now, your virtual machine with your chosen operating system is ready, and you can use it.

Install the operating system on the virtual machine

Hypervisor software can be considered a virtual machine monitor. A hypervisor is software that creates and runs a VM. In the previous section, we taught how to use Oracle VM VirtualBox software to create VMs, but now we want to provide more details about hypervisor software and its types. In general, two types of hypervisors are used for virtualization:

Type 1: hypervisor (Bare Metal Hypervisor)

Virtual machines that use this hypervisor interact directly with the Host to allocate hardware resources without needing other peripheral software. Type 1 hypervisors use virtual machines configured only for virtualization and are often found in enterprise data centers. Popular examples of this type of hypervisor include Citrix Hypervisor and Microsoft Hyper-V.

Type 2: hypervisor (Hosted Hypervisor)

This type of hypervisor is installed on the host operating system and then sends VM requests to these operating systems to provide the necessary physical resources to each guest. Although Type 2 hypervisors are slower than Type 1 in terms of performance, they are considered a more optimal option for creating virtual machines for small-scale companies and personal users who do not use dedicated servers for virtualization.

Popular hypervisors are software that has been designed and developed for this purpose. In the following table, we will introduce some of the best hypervisor software for Windows VMs:

Platform

Description

Supported OS

Advantages

Free

Virtual Box

Popular free software for creating virtual machines. 

Supports Windows, Linux, and Mac.

Cross-platform, free, and easy to use.

Yes 

VMWare Workstation

Widely used free software for creating virtual machines.

Windows, Linux, and Mac.

Supports multiple OSes, high performance.

Yes 

Hyper-V

Microsoft’s native virtualization platform for Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise and Server editions.

Windows

Strong performance and seamless integration with Microsoft products.

Yes 

KVM

Full virtualization solution.

Linux and Windows VMs.

Open-source, high-performance, flexible, and scalable.

Yes 

Citrix Hypervisor

Open-source virtualization for enterprise environments

Windows

Optimized for VDI, cloud computing, and desktop virtualization.

Yes (Community)

In addition to being categorized by hypervisor management, virtual machines are divided into two main categories: system virtual machines (also called complete virtualization machines) and process virtual machines. These virtual machines allow users to run specific processes or multiple complete operating systems, depending on their needs.

1. System VM

A system virtual machine called a hardware virtual machine, emulates a complete operating system and allows multiple operating system environments to run simultaneously on a single machine. In other words, these machines enable the sharing of the underlying physical machine resources between different virtual machines, each running its operating system.

2. Process VM

Process virtual machines (also called application virtual machines) run a single application within an operating system and support a single process. This virtual machine creates a virtual environment of the operating system while an application or process is running and destroys it when the application exits. Process virtual machines provide a platform-independent environment that allows applications or processes to run the same way on any platform. 

3. Cloud Virtual Machine

Cloud virtual machines are virtual machines that run on virtual servers in the cloud. Many cloud service providers allow you to create and run these VMs on their infrastructure. This will enable you to leverage the provider's powerful servers as host machines and use other software-defined services like memory and network storage.

Conclusion

In general, we can say that a virtual machine (VM) is a powerful technology that allows you to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a physical computer. By creating a virtual environment, this technology isolates each operating system from the others and gives it dedicated hardware resources. Virtual machines have many uses, including software testing, training, development, website hosting, etc.

A Windows virtual machine enables users to test software, execute applications, and perform other tasks without affecting their core system. Different business owners or developers can use virtual machines if they need different levels of processing, running different software, or testing new programs without worrying about malware.

A Windows virtual machine allows for optimal use of resources, increased return on investment, scalability, portability, flexibility, and optimal security.

VMware is a virtualization platform provided by the company of the same name. VMware is one of the leading providers of virtualization software and is a subsidiary of Dell Technologies.

Yes, if they are configured with updated antivirus software and other security measures, they are secure.

No, using hypervisor software like VirtualBox or VMware, you can use a Windows virtual machine on most systems.