Both VMware and VirtualBox support Linux.

Meanwhile, VirtualBox is also worth a mention as it can be run on macOS.

VMware Player 14 has new features and improved support for more modern hardware, and will be the focus of our guide today. We've used VMware Player extensively for years and for this guide we worked with our current installation of an older version that supports older processors. Running an OS within an OS is surprisingly easy to do courtesy of free software from VMware and VirtualBox, both of which we'll show you how to install and configure, albeit with more of an emphasis on VMware Player.ĭownload: VMware Player | VirtualBox | Microsoft Windows & Office ISO Download Tool A virtual machine can also help you to run older software that doesn't work with your new operating system, or simply exploring a new operating system altogether.įor instance, you could have a fully working copy of Linux while being logged into Windows, or an installation of Windows XP inside Windows 10, etc. Having a virtual machine on-hand can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as testing software or tweaks in a sandboxed environment that is separate from your primary operating system.

Windows 10 vm image download