Here's how to install Sun Microsystems' version of VirtualBox on a Windows XP PC.
But first, let's make something clear: Do not mistake virtual machines with virtual desktops. They are completely different. Virtual desktops do not give you much security and peace of mind. Virtual desktops are only an extension of your current desktop, basically, making your desktop bigger.
I use Sun Microsystems' VirtualBox that is released under the personal use and evaluation licence (PUEL). There are different versions for different host OS (operating system) like Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Solaris, depending on which OS you have installed on the main PC. These can be downloaded from www.virtualbox.org.
Microsoft has its own version called Virtual PC, available from its portal. Naturally, this version runs only on a host running Microsoft operating systems - no surprise there!
For Mac users, you can get a version for Mac OS 10.2.8 and later models from the Apple website.
Yet another version is called VMWare. You can download this from www.vmware.com at a charge.
Before we start installing, Sun Microsystems recommends that the machine (host) we will be installing this application on is a reasonably powerful x86 PC (any recent P4 Intel or AMD processor should do).
Depending on which guest operating systems you want to run, you will need at least 512 MB of RAM (but probably more, and the more the better). Basically, you will need whatever your host operating system needs to run comfortably, plus the amount that the guest operating system needs. So, if you want to run Windows XP on Windows XP, you probably won't enjoy the experience much with less than 1 GB of RAM.
If you want to try out Windows Vista as a guest, it will refuse to install if it is given less than 512 MB RAM. So you'll need that for the guest alone, plus the memory your operating system normally needs.
While VirtualBox itself is very lean (a typical installation will only need about 30 MB of hard disk space), the virtual machines will require fairly huge files on disk to represent their own hard disk storage. So, to install a guest Windows XP, for example, you will need a space for a file that will easily grow to several GB in size.
Note that once you install a guest OS, VirtualBox will create a single, self-contained file that will store your guest OS with any other files/programmes you decide to install on this guest OS.
So let's start by visiting: www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads.
Click on the VirtualBox 2.2.2 for Windows hosts x86/amd64 link and go make yourself a coffee while it downloads. It should not take long if you are using broadband - the size of the executable file (VirtualBox-2.2.2-46594-Win.exe) is 62.95MB.
You can also download the manual for this application by clicking the User Manual (version 2.2.2, updated 2009-04-27) link further down on the same page.
Once it's downloaded, execute it by double clicking the file. Click "next" on the welcome screen. Agree to the End-User Licence Agreement and click "next". You can safely click "next" on the first custom set-up screen and "next" again on the second set-up screen. The next screen shows a warning explaining that while installing the network card will be reset so we will lose internet/network connectivity for a few moments. Click "yes" to continue and click "install" to start your installation. You might get a Windows Security window pop-up: continue by choosing to "Always trust software from Sun Microsystems..." and click "install" to continue. It should not take your PC longer than four minutes to "install". Enter your name and e-mail address and then you can choose not to be contacted if you so desire. Click on the "confirm" button and that's it. You should have your VirtualBox installed.
Let the games begin!
Next time I will look at the installation of a guest OS so get yourself an OS. These guest OSs can either be an original CD or an ISO file. These ISO files are popular with Linux distributions.
Mr Marshall, a certified computer programmer and technician, is giving regular tips in i-Tech on how to make the best and safest use of computers. He can be contacted at noelmarshall.itech@gmail.com.