Last year, Microsoft released a Windows 8 Development preview version. Many of our friends wanted to learn about it and feared that the installation would affect their original systems and applications, using a virtual machine to try a new system is a good method. Let's try it together.Use Virtual Machine Software Vitralbox to install Win8 Preview.
Software preparation
We need to prepare the Virtual Machine Software Oracle VirtualBox (officially downloaded ). Currently, the new version of VirtualBox4.1.8 is released, supporting the Win8 system. After trial, VirtualBox 4.06 and 4.012 versions can also be installed with the Win8 preview version.
Apart from virtual machines, Windows 8 Developer Preview installation files are essential.
Install VirtualBox to create and set virtual machines
The installation of VirtualBox software is very simple. You will be asked whether to install the Universal Serial Bus Controller and Oracle Corporation Network Service.
Figure: Install Virtualbox
After the installation is complete, run VirtualBox. In the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager window, click "new.
Figure: Create a VM
In the new virtual computer wizard, enter the Virtual Machine name in the "virtual computer name and system type" window, and select Microsoft Windows as the operating system. If you want to virtualize Windows 8 of the 32-bit version, select Windows 7 in the drop-down box. If the 64-bit version of Windows 8 is installed, select Windows 7 64-bit.
Figure: create a virtual computer
Next, set the virtual machine memory settings. If the memory is 2 GB or above, we recommend that you select 1024 MB. If the memory size is not large enough, set it to the default MB memory. Then click Next.
Figure: create a virtual computer
Create a bootable hard disk for the Virtual Computer and select "create new virtual hard disk ". Click Next.
Figure: create a virtual computer
In the virtual hard disk type step, there are two options: dynamic expansion and fixed size, choose dynamic expansion, so that the system will order the configuration according to actual needs.
Figure: create a virtual computer
Specify the location and space of the virtual hard disk. Click the resource manager icon on the right of "location" to specify the path for storing the Virtual Machine hard disk files. After Win8 is installed, the virtual machine file may be larger than 10 Gb. Select a proper size based on your hard disk space. We recommend that you set the size to greater than 20 GB.
Figure: create a virtual computer
Finally, the software will provide all the information about the VM to be created. After confirming the information is correct, click Creat (create.
Figure: create a virtual computer
After completing the preceding steps, the virtual machine with the specified name will appear in the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager window. Next we will make some settings for it to install the Win8 system.
Settings of VirtualBox
On the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager page, click the virtual machine created just now and click the "set" button (yellow gear ). Pay special attention to two design items: System and display.
There are three tags in the system: motherboard, processor, and hardware acceleration. Remember to enable io apic in the "motherboard" tab. You do not need to use a soft drive to enable it. Memory Allocation can also be adjusted here,
Figure: Virtual Computer settings
In the "processor" tab, you can select the number of CPUs based on your computer configuration (for example, you can select the number of CPUs greater than 1 for multi-core CPUs), and select enable PAE/NX in extended properties.
Figure: Virtual Computer settings
Enable VT-x/AMD-V and enable Nested Paging selected in the hardware acceleration tab ".
Figure: Virtual Computer settings
Click the "show" button on the left. If conditions permit, we recommend that you set the memory size to 128 MB. You can also select "enable 3D acceleration ".
Figure: Virtual Computer settings
In this way, we have completed the Virtual Machine installation and setup before installing the Win8 system. The next step is to install the Win8 preview version!
Click "Next page". Let's take a look at the next step.Install Windows 8 using an ISO image file of Win8
In Oracle VMVirtualBox Manager, click the virtual machine we just created and set, and click the "Start" button (Green Arrow ).
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
During the first running, there will be a "first running wizard". On the "Select installation media" page, you can use the optical drive path with a burning disc or click the "Browse" button on the right, select the ISO file downloaded from the local machine.
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
If this option is not selected for the first run, the "first run wizard" will not appear for the subsequent run. In this case, select "device-assign optical drive-select virtual disc file" from the menu ", select the iso file location.
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
After confirmation, the VirtualBox virtual machine starts to enter the installation interface. After loading the DOS interface with a black background, we will see the Win8 installation interface.
The language can only be English, and the time zone can be Chinese [Simplified, PRC]. The keyboard settings will automatically match.
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
Note: If you want to switch the mouse between the VM and the current system, press the Ctrl key on the right.
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
After you click "Install Now", an installation protocol will be displayed. Select "agree" in the lower-left corner and click "Next". A selection window will pop up asking you how to choose an installation method, do not select upgrade or Custom installation (Custom ).
Select the drive to copy the file and install it. On the copyright page, select "I accept the license terms ".
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
Wait patiently.
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
On the computer naming page, you can give your computer a name you like.
The logon interface is as follows. We recommend that you use a Windows Live ID, that is, an MSN account.
Success! Finally, we can see the Win8 system's Metro interface!
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
Figure: Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on a virtual machine
Figure: Virtual Machine installation Win8 Developer Preview personalized settings
Figure: Virtual Machine installation of Win8 Developer Preview version IE10 Browser
In this way, we have installed the Win8 preview version in the Virtual Machine Vitralbox. Please try this new system.
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