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Oracle VM VirtualBox is an industrial-strength open source virtualisation tool that makes it easy to create virtual machines (VMs), simulated computers that run on your PC but act as though they were separate systems. It's a powerful capability that has many different applications.
If you'd like a closer look at Windows 8 before you upgrade, for instance, then you could install Microsoft's latest in a VM, then access it in a window on your XP or Vista desktop.
Or maybe you've upgraded to Windows 8 and find a favourite old app doesn't work any more? Create a Windows XP VM and you might be able to run it again.
VirtualBox can also be a useful security tool: if you download and test apps in a VM, then any malware you might encounter will be isolated from your main system.
And it's the perfect choice if you want to try out another operating system with the minimum of hassle. Right now you can install Google Chrome OS, all the mainstream Linux variants (2.4 and 2.6), OpenBSD, OS/2, ReactOS, SkyOS, DOS, and just about every version of Windows there's ever been. (Of course you'll need to have the system discs to hand.)
VirtualBox 4 included an interface redesign, making it easier to view and manage your virtual machines. VM displays can now be scaled, so you can reduce a window size by half (for instance) and still see everything that's going on. The ability to limit a VM's CPU and IO time means the program will be less of a drain on your system's resources, and there are a host of other performance optimisations and bug fixes available.
What's new in VirtualBox 5?
- GUI: fixed a possible crash when switching a multi-monitor VM into full-screen or seamless mode
- GUI: fixed non-literal shortcuts if the keyboard is not captured
- GUI: several mini-toolbar fixes in full-screen / seamless mode
- Windows Additions: another fix for automatic logins for Windows Vista and newer
- ICH9: fix for Windows guests with a huge amount (>64G) of guest memory
-BIOS: fixed El Torito hard disk emulation geometry calculation (thanks to Dwight Engen contribution)
Win 7 the latest?
Posted by: Ed Baxter, 12 April 2013 15:56
Win 8 has been available for 6 mths or so now in Beta/RTM/Eval forms plus the Released version.
downloads.pcauthority.com.au reply:
Hi Ed, not sure what you mean? Windows 8 is listed as a supported operating system?
Concering "Virtually nothing"
Posted by: Curt Folstrom, 22 January 2012 18:14
Well, if you had really read what Virtialbox was used for, you wouln't have wasted your time. Its difficult to see how you mistook a an operating system virtualisation tool for a cd / dvd rom emulator.
Virtually nothing
Posted by: Ed Cornish, 28 December 2011 19:00
Downloaded and installed this as a replacemnt
for Daemon Lite. Wish I hadn't - Ive wasted a lot of time trying to figure out how to use it. No simple straightforward instructions - all I want to do is mount an iso file! The usual FAQ section from a software developer who wants you to do all the hard work! I'd be REALLY peeved if I had paid for this!