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How to install a virtual machine on Windows 10 using Hyper V, now even easier with Quick Create
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Published onOctober 16, 2018
published onOctober 16, 2018
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Currently, it’s possible to run a number of Linux distros natively on Windows 10. However, these Linux environments are limited in the features and tools that you can use.
In Windows 10, there are only three distros to choose from: Ubuntu, SUSE Linux Enterprise, and OpenSUSE Leap. All three distros rely on a command-line interface, so you’ll miss out on running any of the graphical experiences (GNOME, KDE, XFCE, or other Linux-based graphical applications).
To get a full-featured version of Linux on Windows 10, installing your favorite distro (Linux-speak for “a distributor or distributed version”) on a second PC is always an option if you are fortunate to have one, but not everyone has one to spare.
Luckily, you can just use your Windows 10 PC, it’s still possible to run a full-blown version of Linux by using a virtual machine (VM) using Hyper-V. Here’s what you need to do on Windows 10 to create a virtual machine using Hyper-V.
Enable Hyper-V on Windows 10
Hyper-V is a virtualization technology tool from Microsoft that is available on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. Hyper-V allows you to create one or multiple virtual machines to install and run different OSes on one Windows 10 PC.
Having the correct Windows 10 version is not the only thing your PC needs; there are also hardware requirements:
Here’s what you need to do to verify that your Windows 10 PC has Hyper-V support.
If the command displays “No” underHyper-V Requirements, then your Windows 10 PC hardware doesn’t support this feature or you may have to enable these features manually in your system.
Now that you know your machine is Hyper-V capable, you need toenable Hyper-V. Here’s what you need to do:
After Hyper-V is enabled, you will be prompted to restart your Windows 10 PC to finish installing the requested changes. Restart your computer. Hyper-V is now enabled. The next step will be to create a virtual machine using Hyper-V.
Now that Hyper-V is enabled and you’ve successfully added a virtualization layer to Windows 10, you’ll need to create a virtual machine (VM) for the Linux distro you want to use. In order to do that, you’ll need to create a virtual switch to connect the VM to the Internet. Here’s what you need to do next.
Creating a virtual switch
Use the following steps to configure a virtual switch on Hyper-V:
Next, you need to follow the highlighted items in the menu, as seen in the picture below. This will create a virtual switch. A virtual switch acts like an extra layer of security between your virtual machine and your Windows 10 PC.
Now, you need to customize your virtual switch. In this example, I used “Windows 10 Virtual Switch.” However, you can name your switch anything you want.
Now that you’ve successfully created a virtual switch, you can create a virtual machine. The purpose of a virtual switch is to provide protection by using security measures to provide an extra level of protection between virtual machines.
The virtual switch is an added safeguard in case anything goes wrong. Let’s walk through what you need to do to create a virtual machine.
Creating a Virtual Machine
Next, you will be taken toNew Virtual Machine Wizard, which will walk you through the steps needed to set up a virtual machine in Windows 10 using Hyper-V.
The New Virtual Machine Wizard is pretty straightforward and Windows 10 handles all the default virtual machine settings. All you need to do in New Virtual Machine Wizard is to follow the prompts.
TheNew Virtual Machine Wizardtakes the guesswork out of any questions you may have while setting up a virtual machine. Setting up a virtual machine is a breeze using theNew Virtual Machine Wizard. Windows 10 makes setting up a virtual machine fast and easy. Here’s all you need to do to set up the virtual machine:
Depending on how you want to set up your VM, theNew Virtual Machine Wizardwill walk you step-by-step and let you customize your VM on Windows 10 using Hyper-V. In the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft made it even easier to create a VM with Hyper-V Quick Create.
Now, you can create a VM using Windows 10 dev environment or Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS. Quick Create can be launched independently of Hyper-V Manager and is a quick tool to use to create a VM in Windows 10.
Running#Linuxon#Windows10just got easier. The Hyper-V Quick Create feature lets you run@Ubuntuvirtual machines so that you can start developing in minutes.
— Windows Developer (@windowsdev)October 9, 2018
Microsoft has a quick guide on how to useHyper-V Quick Create available on the Windows blog. The only prerequisite for being able to use Hyper-V Quick Create is that you are running at least theWindows 10 Fall Creators Update.
With Hyper-V Quick Create,Microsoft shows that you can create a VM in Windows 10in as little as three steps:
From there, Hyper-V Quick Create will create a VM for you without you needing to worry about it. Be aware that if you don’t have the OS already installed on your Windows PC, you will be required to download your preferred OS from within the Windows 10 app. You can also access Hyper-V Quick Create from the right pane within Hyper-V Manager.
Once you’ve created a virtual machine, you should see a screen like this (if you used Windows 10 dev environment).
Obviously, Ubuntu and other OS welcome screens will have different welcome screens, but you will be able to successfully create a VM using Hyper-V Manager or Hyper-V Quick Create. Windows 10 is making creating virtual machines (VM) easier and faster than ever.
Hopefully, the tips listed above helped you install a virtual machine on Windows 10 using Huper-V. We’d also like to invite you to check out our separate guide where we’ll show youhow to install Windows 11 on a virtual machine without TPM. Be sure to also share your experience with us in the comments.
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