The term virtual can be used in a variety of ways. However, when talking about computing, virtualization is the use of physical resources allocated into separate systems. This allows the CPU, RAM or hard drive space of a computer to be split apart into many different virtual systems.
This can be done using various software. But first of all – why would you want to do this? Below, we go into more detail about how virtualization can be used practically for your own benefit.
Trying Out New Operating Systems
If you’ve used Windows all of your life, but fancy trying something else, virtualization could be an excellent way to do this. Options for doing so include dual boot setups, but virtualization is probably the most practical and most straightforward. You can use programs such as VirtualBox to create virtual machines, and then install the operating systems onto your computer, such as Linux. Running the other operating system as a guest within a window will allow it to function as a program. This also happens to be the most secure way of testing operating systems, as it is enclosed in its own son box of sorts. If something goes wrong with it, there will be no effect on the primary operating system. This allows you to rebuild the functionality of the virtual machine if there is a severe failure, without wrecking everything else.
Running Incompatible Software
Installing a virtual machine can give you access to programs that are not available on the operating system of your choice. You could, for example, create a virtual machine on your Mac, install Windows on it and run programs such as Internet Explorer for Mac effortlessly. This allows you to benefit from both options of your standard operating system and the features included in the system you are running virtually.
Executing Malware
Because the virtual machine is enclosed, you can try out things that may typically be very risky security wise. An example of this is checking emails that have attachments – this is usually unadvised, as unsolicited emails with attachments can carry dangerous software that can normally on the computer. Whilst using a firewall helps to mitigate the spread of malware, having a virtual machine setup encloses the effects of suspicious files and allows you to see whether they are dangerous. This isn’t entirely risk-free, as some software can detect virtualization and see to break free. However, if you are going to open a suspicious email, it is much better to do it in a virtual environment.
Getting To Use Virtual Machines
Before you begin to try out virtualization, it is essential to know that your computer will need to be powerful enough to handle it. This means you will need an up-to-date CPU, plus RAM of at least 8GB and a hard drive with plenty of capacity. Running a whole other operating system on the computer that is not powerful enough will be very slow and difficult to handle. Knowing how to run virtual systems can mean you don’t have to shell out for another computer just for new features. It’s a smart way to do things!
