Windows 10: Best Virtual machine software to try W10 TP on Windows 8.1

You don't get my point.

This is the OP's thread, not yours. An OP who according to specs has a Windows 8.1 Pro edition and asks advice for a virtualization platform for that OS version and edition. The "fact" that you don't have Pro edition is not a valid argument to state as a fact that Hyper-V is automatically out, comes not in question.

 

It is *possible* to run a Hypervisor in another VM in some cases (with reduced functionality), but.. particularly with VMWare, there are a lot of custom settings you have to do to make it work (hand editing the configuration files) to enable hidden settings. It's not pretty, but I've managed to run ESX in VMWare Workstation before... (I think you also have to have the more recent virtualization processor extensions as well in your CPU).

All I'm saying is that doing this is probably going to be a lot of work, and it might just be easier to boot from a VHD instead.

Having said that, You can't use Hyper-V Server without a second computer. And it's not a simple install and use. It requires a great deal of configuration to make it work correctly, particularly in a workgroup environment (by default, it doesn't setup firewall and remote access permissions correctly, and requires a lot of futzing just to get your hyper-v console on the remote computer to function. It apparently works better if you have a domain setup and join it to the domain).

Hyper-V Server is not for the faint of heart.

 

From the OP's first post: "Can anyone recommend the least heavy (change in system prefs) and size, virtual machine software to test Windows 10 TP on a Windows 8.1 Pro x86 desktop."

Doesn't the x86 reference automatically exclude Hyper-V?

 

Hmm, I wonder what those settings are. I use VMware Player all the time and all I ever set are the RAM and the # of cores allocation for the virtual partition. It would work without my diddling, but probably slower.

 

From the OP's first post: "Can anyone recommend the least heavy (change in system prefs) and size, virtual machine software to test Windows 10 TP on a Windows 8.1 Pro x86 desktop."

Doesn't the x86 reference automatically exclude Hyper-V? Yes, Hyper-V requires x64. As switching from x86 to x64 costs nothing, my point is still valid: if the OP wants a free, least host resources using virtualization platform, my suggestion is Hyper-V. OK, in this case it requires re-installing Windows using the x64 install media but it's still in my opinion much better solution than VMware on x86.

WMware Player cannot do this.

 

Your point is valid IF (and only IF) the op chooses to take the time and effort to upgrade to 64-bit. My point is valid per the asked question. Now can we be done with this?

 

I tried to install 10 in Virtual-Box, and had no success whatsoever, even after playing around with settings and options, and downloading the latest version.

Enabled Hyper-V, and 10 went on first time with no issues at all, apart from no wi-fi (so
no internet). It seems to be running just fine, apart from that.


.

 

I had problems with VirtualBox too, but it's worked a dream with the VMWare Player (free version).

 

I had problems with VirtualBox too, but it's worked a dream with the VMWare Player (free version). I found VirtualBox was fine. The latest version doesn't work on a TP host (you need version 4.3.12 from last May) but running TP as a guest works fine for me with no issues.

 

Did you set up a Hyper-V virtual switch (network adapter) and connect it to your vm? See this tutorial, Part Three for setting up a virtual switch and Part Four step 6 for connecting the vm to virtual switch when setting up the vm: Hyper-V virtualization - Setup and Use in Windows 10. The tutorial applies also to Windows 8 / 8.1 Hyper-V.

Your vm is already setup, so after you have created the the virtual switch open the vm settings and connect it to switch:



Now your vm will be connected to network when booted next time.

 

No, Kari, I didn't.

First time I'd seriously used Hyper-V, wasn't aware of the switch or the tut till after I'd set the VM up. Tried to set the switch, but kept getting error messages. Can set switch for cable-LAN (which I don't have), but not the wi-fi. Wil have another look at it when I get home this evening.

Thanks.

.

 

The important thing with a virtual switch is that it must be connected to a NIC (network adapter) on your hosts system which has a working Internet connection. See the screenshot here, when I create a new switch it can only use either my LAN adapter or WiFi adapter because that's the only adapters I have (in my case Realtek = LAN, Qualcomm Atheros = WiFi, do not select the TAP driver!):



You can create a switch and connect it to a host NIC even if the NIC is not currently online or not even enabled, but in order to connect a vm to network and Internet, the NIC used by the switch which vm is using must be connected.