Summary :

Windows 7 virtual machine

Microsoft has stopped the back up for Windows 7 for a long time. Nowadays, many people are using Windows 10/eleven. However, it'due south possible that you need to use Windows seven sometimes. In this case, you can create a Windows 7 virtual machine on Windows 10/xi. This post from MiniTool Partition Magician will tell you how to do that.

Quick Navigation :

  • Preparatory Work
  • How to Create a Windows 7 Virtual Motorcar
  • Bottom Line
  • User Comments

A virtual auto (VM) is the virtualization/emulation of a computer system. Virtual machines are based on reckoner architectures and provide functionality of a physical reckoner. If yous want to run a different Os on the current operating arrangement, creating a VM is a skilful choice.

Nowadays, many PCs are running Windows 10/11. If you have the demand of running Windows 7, you can use Hyper-V, VirtualBox, or VMware to create a virtual machine Windows 7.

best virtual machine thumbnail

This post introduces 5 best virtual machine programs for Windows, Linux, and Mac Bone users.

Preparatory Work

Before you create a Windows 7 virtual car, you lot should practice some preparations.

1. Download Windows vii ISO File

To create a virtual machine, you lot need an ISO file of the operating system. Please download a Windows vii ISO file from a reliable website.

2. Install a Virtual Machine Program

I volition recommend y'all to choose a VM program from Hyper-V, VirtualBox, and VMware.

Hyper-V is a virtualization applied science tool embedded in 64-fleck Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. If y'all are using these Windows versions, you don't demand to install other VM programs.

Every bit for VirtualBox and VMware, they are famous virtual automobile programs. The former is totally open-source (complimentary) while the latter is paid software. But VMware also offers the free version (VMware Workstation Role player). You can choose a VM program co-ordinate to you lot needs.

three. Make a Partition for the Virtual Machine Windows 7

Running virtual machines will generate a lot of deejay fragmentation. Putting the VM file and other programme files in the same partition volition bear on the running speed.

In addition, some operations like disk defragmentation cannot be performed on the partition storing the virtual machine, because that may cause the virtual motorcar to fail (virtual machine files are corrupted).

Therefore, I recommend you to create a sectionalization defended to the virtual machine Windows 7. To do that, you can use MiniTool Sectionalization Magician. This software tin complete this job well. Here is the guide:

Free Download

Pace 1: Click the above button to download and install MiniTool Partition Wizard. Launch this software and go to its main interface. And so, right-click the partitioning y'all want to shrink and cull Move/Resize from the context bill of fare.

choose Move/Resize

Step two: In the pop-up window, drag the slider to cull how much size you want to shrink and click OK to continue. The number in the box post-obit Unallocated Space After is the space size you reserve for the new partition.

Tip: If you lot simply install a virtual car, 30 GB infinite is fine. Even so, equally you lot employ the guest virtual machine, the guest virtual machine file grows. Sometimes, this file tin can be up to 100 GB or fifty-fifty more. Therefore, the larger the infinite for the virtual auto, the amend.

reserve space for new partition

Step three: Right-click the gray unallocated space and choose Create from the context card.

create new partition

Step 4: In the pop-up window, choose segmentation properties like file arrangement, partition label, bulldoze alphabetic character and so on. Then, click OK to proceed.

set partition properties

Stride 5: Preview the changes and click Apply to ostend the changes.

click the Apply button

How to Create a Windows 7 Virtual Machine

In this part, I will testify y'all how to create a Windows virtual car on Windows ten/11 using Hyper-Five, VirtualBox, and VMware.

i. Create a Windows seven Virtual Automobile Using Hyper-V

Stride 1: Verify whether the PC hardware is compatible with Hyper-V.

  • Blazon "cmd" in the Windows search box. So right click the best-matched result (Command Prompt) and click Run as administrator.
  • Blazon the control "systeminfo" then press Enter. Afterwards the outcome comes out, please check the Hyper-V Requirements Only when all Hyper-Five requirements are Yes, you can run Hyper-V without problem. If y'all can't run Hyper-5, please apply VirtualBox or VMware instead.
check Hyper-V requirements

Step 2: Update Windows to the latest version. If your Windows version is too one-time, the VM creation procedure may be a picayune different.

  • Press Windows key + I to open up Settings.
  • Go to Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. PC will download and install updates automatically.
  • After Windows updates are installed, press Windows key + R to telephone call out the Run Type "winver" into the box and printing Enter. Make sure the Windows version is afterward than 1709.
check Windows version

Step 3: Enable Hyper-5.

  • Right-click on the Windows button and select Apps and Features.
  • Curl downward the right pane to find Related settings. Nether this section, click Programs and Features.
  • On the new window, select Turn Windows Features on or off.
  • On the Windows Features window, select Hyper-5and click OK. Please make sure Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-5 Platform under the Hyper-V directory are selected.
  • When the installation has completed, you are prompted to restart your computer. Do as required.

Stride iv: Open Virtual Switch Managing director and create a virtual network for the Windows seven VM.

  • Search and open Hyper-5 Manager.
  • In the Hyper-V Manager tool, in the left pane, select your PC and then click the Action menu > Virtual Switch Manager...
  • In the Virtual Switch Managerwindow, in the left pane, select New virtual network switch under the Virtual Switches
  • In the right panel, choose External. Then, click the Create Virtual Switch
  • For the new virtual switch, please type the name, ensure External network is selected, and select the physical network card to exist paired with the new virtual switch.
  • Then, click the OK button apply and save changes.

Pace 5: Create a Windows 7 virtual car.

  • In the Hyper-Five Director, click Action>New>Virtual Motorcar.
  • Follow the wizard to configure the settings of the new virtual machine. For example, the proper noun, the location, the memory, the network, the virtual hard disk. What's more, you should choose the Windows 7 ISO file as the image file.
  • Then, you can go through the Windows 7 installation procedure. Later on that, a Windows 7 virtual machined is created successfully.

Tip: Please choose the new partition created simply now equally the location of the VM.

Hyper-V Manager

If your Windows version is earlier than 1709, or y'all want to get a more detailed guide, please refer to the following post:

virtual pc windows 10 thumbnail

This post shows y'all how to create a VM with Hyper-V, which can be viewed every bit Virtual PC Windows ten.

2. Create a Windows 7 Virtual Machine Using VirtualBox

Tip: Both VirtualBox and VMware can run on most whatsoever Windows versions (no matter the Windows is 32-chip or 64-flake; and no matter the Windows is Windows seven, 8, or 10).

Step 1: Open VirtualBox and click the New icon (the gear icon).

Step 2: Blazon the proper name of the new VM, choose the location of the VM, and the blazon and version of the VM. Then, follow the wizard to configure the retentiveness size, virtual hard disk drive, etc.

Tip: You can go on the default value of these parameters.

Stride 3: After the VM is created, highlight the VM and so choose Settings icon. In the new window, you lot tin can configure more settings of the VM. But the most important matter is to load the Windows 7 ISO file. Please go to Storage, highlight Empty nether the Controller, click the drop-down menu beside the Optical Drive, and then click Choose a disk file.

VirtualBox choose a disk file

Step iv: Later on you have configured all settings, salvage changes and click the Start icon to go through the Windows 7 installation process.

If you desire to get more detailed tutorial on VirtualBox, y'all can refer to this post: How to Install Ubuntu on VirtualBox? Here'due south the Full Guide.

iii. Create a Windows 7 Virtual Machine Using VMware

Pace i: Launch VMware Workstation, click Create a New Virtual Machine, and choose Typical (if you utilise the free version, the typical is called by default).

Tip: The gratuitous version cannot run multiple VMs at the same time. If you want to run another VM, please upgrade to the paid version or delete the existing VM.

Step two: Cull Installer disc image file (iso) and click Browse to detect the Windows 7 ISO file. Then, follow the wizard to configure VM type, version, name, location, and disk size. And then, correct-click the Windows 7 VM and cull Settings, you can configure/alter network, retentiveness size, and more than parameters there.

Create Windows 7 VM using VMware

Step three: After all are configured well, yous tin can right-click the Windows 7 VM and chose Power On.

If y'all desire to get more detailed tutorial on VMware, you tin refer to this post: How to Utilise Windows 10 as a Virtual Machine - A Stride-by-Pace Guide.

Tip: If the VM become bigger and bigger and the free space of the VM sectionalisation is used up. You tin delete the VM and create a new one or extend the VM partition using MiniTool Division Sorcerer.

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Bottom Line

Is this post useful to you? Which VM program are yous choosing? Accept you encountered problems when post-obit the above guides? Do you know other expert means to create a virtual machine Windows 7? Please leave a comment in the following zone.

In addition, if you have difficulty in moving/resizing or extending a sectionalization, delight feel gratis to contact u.s. via [email protected]. Nosotros volition get dorsum to you as soon equally possible.