How to Install Operating System in Virtual Machine

Installing an operating system is hectic process that needs about a one & half hours for its installation & installing software. When we need more than one operating system (os) for our use then, we can use two option, 1) installing other os in another drive or 2) installing other os in a virtual machine.
Drawback of installing in another drive is it needs a whole partition as an os partition and holds more space.
In creating virtual machine it, need virtual disk, which is created in the installation drive in documents, which needs less space & possible to expand virtual disk after installation.
Now, coming to topic, first you need software that can create virtual conditions to run os on your already installed operating system. Top most popular software is Vmware Workstation and Oracle Virtual Box. I recommend you to install Oracle Virtual Box because it is a lightweight and freeware software. You should follow following steps to install Virtual System:-

1. Download Oracle Virtual Box & install it on your current operating system.

2. Open Virtual Box, click on ‘New’ button, select your relevant operating system specification & type easy understandable ‘Name’. For example, if you want to install Windows 8 in virtual machine, select Microsoft & select Windows 8 in second option.

3. After it selects RAM size for that os, it is by default on recommended memory size, keep it as it & click on next.

Backtrack R5 Virtual Machine Installed on a Windows pc

4. Click on Create Virtual Disk, click on Next, now, it ask for Hard drive file type, leave it as it & click on next.

5. If your system has less free space on your Hard disk select Fixed Space or select dynamically allocated size & click on next.

6. Next option asks you to select your virtual hard disk size, select it & click on Create.

Windows older version virtual machine on a windows pc

7. Now, a virtual machine is shown in your VirtualBox Manager, select that machine & click on start.

8. At first installation it asks you to Operating System file, click on a option ‘Choose a Virtual Optical disk file’(small icon near dropdown option), select your .iso, .dmg or .cdr os image to install particular os virtual machine.

9. Now install same as installing a new os on your computer in actual hard disk drive.