This document provides instructions for installing Windows 8.1 in a virtual machine (VM) using Oracle VirtualBox on a computer. It explains that a VM allows running an operating system within software on an existing computer. It outlines downloading and installing VirtualBox, creating a new VM, allocating RAM, building a virtual drive to store the VM's files, adding an ISO of Windows 8.1, and turning on the new VM to install Windows 8.1 virtually. It notes that Hyper-V may need to be disabled if it is preventing VirtualBox from running properly.

1. Running Windows 8.1 in VM
with VirtualBox
Microsoft Student Partner, Andy Tsai
athaha821216@outlook.com

2. What is a VM
• VM = Virtual Machine
• You may think of a VM as a virtual computer that runs on your
computer. So you may add operating system to your VM and run
applications on it. It works just like a real computer.

3. What is a VM
• Here is a diagram of hierarchical structure of how VMs co-working
with a computer.

4. VirtualBox
• Virtual box is one of the VM softwares offered by oracle. In the rest of
the slides, we will use VirtualBox as our solution of building a virtual
machine.
• You may find the latest version of the kit here:
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
• Choose the platform of your computer and download the latest
version of VirtualBox

5. Installing VirtualBox
• Run the kit you just downloaded and simply click ‘next’ and ‘yes’ to
every checkboxes pumped up. Of course, you may customize the
setting but the default setting is good enough for beginner.
• The install wizard will create a shortcut on desktop. Run VirtualBox
and create a VM with Windows 8.1 by following steps.

6. new #1
#2
#3

7. RAM allocating
Physical RAM of your computer
Note that we can’t allocate more than half of your physical
RAM to your VM ! Or else, your computer will become really slow
because the real machine that is running is still your computer !
#4

8. Build a virtual drive
Virtual drives are treated as files by real computers, yet, treated as hard disks by VMs.
The good virtualization property that we use files to represent hard disks enable us to dynamically modify disk size
even if the VM is already built up.
#5

9. Build a virtual drive
#6 #7

10. Build a virtual drive
• The file representing the hard disk
of your VM will be the very file
you create in this step. Initialize
the disk size. However, you may
still larger or smaller the virtual
drive after the VM been created.
#8

11. Congratulations !
• Your VM is ready.
• We can’t turn on the
VM yet because it has
no operating system !

12. Adding operating system
• click
“存放裝置”
We may find that there
is “Win8.1_tutorial.vdi”
under SATA interface. That
is the virtual drive we created
And as you may see, the IDE
Interface is still empty.

13. Adding operating system
• You may think IDE interface as your DVD ReadWrite device. To install
operating system, we put a DVD containing operating system installer
into our DVD driver. This step is now virtualized as putting an ‘.iso’ file
under IDE interface.

14. Adding operating system
• Choose the .iso file of
windows 8.1 you
downloaded from your
school’s computer center
or any other sources.

15. Double click your VM to turn it on

16. We’re done ! Unless…

17. Why !!!!!!!!!!!!!?

18. Hyper-v and VirtualBox can’t co-exist!
Go to ‘control panel’ -> ‘Programs’ -> ‘turn on/off Windows functionalities’ to unclick ‘Hyper-V’ and reboot

19. We’re done !