New virtual Windows 8 install - can I do this?

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a new Dell XPS pc with Windows 8 Pro.

The pc did not come with a physical Windows 8 operating system disc (this was not an option).

I would like to create a new virtual Windows 8 machine on the pc.

Will this be possible? If it is, will my computer contain an ISO image which I can use to create the machine?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

dagi

Hello Dagi,

Like on a normal PC, a virtual machine will require a separate Windows 8 product key to be activated with. You'll need to purchase another copy of Windows 8 to be able to use on a separate installation in your virtual machine.


Hope this helps some,
Shawn

Hi there
if you are just TESTING a VM you can with VMWARE create a Virtual machine from your physical running REAL machine - use the same product key for the install BUT DON'T activate it.

(Probably the same is true if you use VBOX instead - just SWITCH OFF AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION.

This will allow a few days of testing without having to purchase another copy of Windows (and it's LEGAL).

For long term VM use you'll need a new license -- however provided you don't run multople VM's concurrently you can then CLONE the windows 8 VM so you don't keep having to activate it. This is LEGAL so long only ONE instance of the VM is running.

Cheers
jimbo