Six years after launching Windows 10, Microsoft has come up with a redefined, polished operating system, known as Windows 11. It is free of cost for users that own a licensed copy of its predecessor.
Windows 11 replaces the Start button position in Windows 10 with a centralized Start button (although that can be changed easily from the program settings) and snap layouts for easier multi-tasking.
Speaking of updates, the size of the updates is much smaller compared to the earlier versions. They’re installed in a short span of time and you would no longer face the annoying frequent updating issue as you did with Windows 10. Additionally, you would get an indication of how much time an update would take to install, before you choose to start the process.
Compatibility
Unlike earlier versions of Windows, Windows 11 is able to support a limited range of computers.
64-bit Processor: This is not a major concern. Most of the computers sold these days have a 64-bit processor.
4 GB of RAM: Your computer must have at least 4 GB of Random Access Memory. However, higher RAM is recommended.
64 GB of Storage: Your computer must have a free storage of at least 64 GB; although higher storage is recommended to install additional programs, updates installation, downloads and personal files.
Secure Boot: If your computer doesn’t support Secure Boot with the UEFI technology, Windows 11 is not officially supported. You can activate the Secure Boot by opening your computer’s BIOS Settings. To open the BIOS Settings page, restart your computer and press F2 or the Delete key repeatedly and look for the corresponding option.
Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0): TPM is globally recognized as a standard for hardware security. It is a tamper-resistant crypto processor technology connected to your computer’s motherboard. TPMs are designed to protect your BIOS from making unauthorized changes. In order to run Windows 11, your computer must have TPM version 2.0.
Processor: Windows 11 supports a narrowed range of processors. If you’ve got a processor older than the 7th generation, you’re out of luck. You can install Windows 11 anyway, but there’s no guarantee that it will continue to function correctly in the future, or all future updates will be installable.
VirtualBox
VirtualBox is a virtualization software that lets you install and test different operating systems (including Windows, Linux, Mac, Oracle, Solaris and others) without affecting your host computer.
While creating a new virtual machine, you can specify your own custom hardware configurations. For example: A virtual machine with 8 GB of RAM, 100 GB of hard disk storage, a DVD ROM, 2 CPUs, networking device, etc.
Once you’ve installed the operating system, you can use the virtual machine just like a normal computer. There are multiple display modes- windowed mode and full screen. You can install/ uninstall programs, browse the Internet, change system settings, and experiment with your system.
Advantages:
- You can run software programs in virtual machines that are not supported by your host operating system. For example: If you’re using a recent version of Windows and you need to run a program designed for an older version, you can install the corresponding Windows version in the Virtual Box and run the program.
- You can run programs or files from untrusted sources without harming your host machine. For example: If you suspect a file is malicious in nature but no Antivirus is flagging the file, you can safely run it in the virtual machine to identify whether it causes any damage or unwanted changes to your VM.
- A virtual machine can be used to test unstable Beta versions of different software programs that may behave unexpectedly, or make the system unstable.
Disadvantages:
- Running a Virtual Machine can increase your RAM and CPU Usage, and cause your host computer to run slower.
- If you run two or more Virtual Machines at the same time with inadequate RAM, your computer may experience system crashes, freezes or shutdowns.
How to Download Windows 11 into Virtual Box?
Step 1: Download Virtual Box
First things first, download Virtual Box from Oracle for free.
Step 2: Download the Windows 11 ISO
Now download the Windows 11 ISO from the Microsoft Download Centre. By default, your browser should save the ISO into the Downloads folder in the Users directory.
Step 3: Create a New Virtual Machine
- Click the New icon on the top.
- Type a name for your new virtual machine. For example: Win11
- In the Type drop-down box, select Microsoft Windows.
- In the Version drop-down box, select Windows 11 (x64) as Windows 11 is only available in the 64-bit version.
- Set the RAM size to 4 GB (1024 MB).
- Select the Create a virtual hard disk option.
- Click on Create.
- Choose Virtual Disk Image (VDI) > Dynamically Allocated.
- Provide around 80 GB of storage space when you’re asked to allocate the HDD space.
- Finally, click on Create.
- Wait for a while until the virtual machine is created.
Step 4: Start the Virtual Machine
- Select the newly created virtual machine and then click the Start icon on the top.
- In the Select start-up disk dialog, click the Browse icon and choose your Windows 11 ISO file.
- Click on Start.
Step 5: Install Windows 11
As usual, follow the on-screen instructions and install Windows 11.
- Click on Install Now.
- Set your preferred language, time, currency and keyboard & input format.
- Click on Next.
- Click on I don’t have a product key.
- Select your desired Windows edition (for example, Windows 11 Pro).
- Click on Next.
- Accept the licence agreement and click on Next.
- Select Custom: Install Windows only.
- Click on Next.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.