These can be safely ignored most of the time, but what if you’re trying a new app and it asks to make changes to your device? Or perhaps you’re following a tutorial that involves editing the Registry, risking irreversible damage to your PC if things go wrong.  Equally, you might be curious about a different operating system, but don’t want to go through the hassle of buying a separate device you may never use.   In all these scenarios, a solution is available for all Windows 11 users: virtual machines. 

What is a virtual machine?

If you think of each laptop or PC as a physical machine, a virtual machine achieves the same effect using software. It allows you to run a full version of any operating system that’s completely separate from your main computer.  On Windows 11, you might be reluctant to make big changes and potentially not being able to go back to how things were. Using a virtual machine, that’s not a problem.  But Windows 11 isn’t an upgrade over its predecessor in all areas. Creating a Windows 10 virtual machine lets you dip in and out whenever you like.   Or maybe you’re curious as to how other operating systems work these days. Provided you can get your hands on an ISO file of macOS, Chrome OS, Linux or Ubuntu, all can be installed as virtual machines.   You can create as many of these as you like, but you probably won’t want to run them all simultaneously. Virtual machines typically require a lot of your computer’s resources, so use one at a time unless you have lots of spare RAM capacity. 

How to create a virtual machine in Windows 11

The first stage involves downloading the operating system you’d like to create a virtual machine for. For the purposes of this tutorial, it’s a Windows 11 ISO file from the Microsoft website. An equivalent file is also available for Windows 10, but you’ll have to go elsewhere for other operating systems.  Once complete, make sure the ISO file can be easily located within File Explorer. Then, you’ll need to pair it with software that can run virtual machines. On Windows 11 Home, that’s only available via a third-party app. We’re using VMware’s Workstation Player, but other software will also work:  That’s it! You’ll now have a fully functioning Windows 11 virtual machine that works independently of your main PC.  If you have Windows 11 Pro, third-party software isn’t necessary. Microsoft includes the Hyper-V virtualization tool with this version of its OS, but you’ll need to enable it first. Head to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off to do just that. 

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As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.