We will add the components Hyper-V in Windows 10, consider the option of creating a virtual machine using Hyper-V, and also consider its parameters.
Adding Hyper-V components.
Let's launch "Run" in any of two ways:
- Click right click a la carte "Start" and choose "Run".(Fig.1)
- Press the key combination "Win"+"R".
Enter appwiz.cpl(Fig.2)
Fig.2 - Enter appwiz.cpl A window will open "Programs and Features". Click on the left "Turn Windows features on or off".(Fig.3)
Fig.3 - Programs and components. A window will open "Windows Components". Select everything that is in the section Hyper-V.(Fig.4)
Click "OK".
Fig.4 - Selecting Hyper-V components. We are waiting for the components to be installed - Applying changes, and press "Restart now".(Fig.5)
Fig.5 - Using components, rebooting the system. On this Adding Components finished. Getting started with Hyper-V
Launching Hyper-V.
On the menu "Start" -> "Windows Administrative Tools" a shortcut appeared "Hyper-V Manager". Let's launch it. (Fig. 6)
Fig.6 - Launch Hyper-V Manager. Before us is the start window "Hyper-V Manager".(Fig.7)
Fig.7 - Hyper-V Manager start window.
We select our computer on the left, I have this - DESKTOP-9PLBR7Q, a menu will appear on the right "Actions", Click on the item "Virtual Switch Manager".(Fig.8)
Fig.8 - Go to the Virtual Switch Manager. IN "Virtual Switch Manager" click "Create a virtual switch".(Fig.9)
Fig.9 - Creating a virtual switch. Enter Name, I have this - Hypernet and note, I have this - Hyper-V network.(Fig.10)
You will also choose Connection type. I chose to connect to External network through my network card -"Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller". And also checked the checkbox "Allow the managing operating system to provide general access to this network adapter".
Click "Apply".
Fig. 10 - Properties of the virtual switch. A warning pops up "Pending changes may disrupt network connectivity".(Fig. 11) I assume that this article will be read by beginners, which means they are unlikely to repeat step by step after me, using the involved server, of their enterprise 😀 . Therefore, it’s okay that we may lose our network connection for a while. Click "Yes" and wait "Applying Changes".
Fig. 11 - Warning about a possible network connection failure. Now having entered "Network connections" -> "Configuring adapter settings". We can see our newly created vEthernet (Hypernet), also adjacent to it is not connected vEthernet (Default Switch) - " Standard Network automatically grants virtual machines access to the computer's network using network address translation ( NAT). NAT on this moment we are not interested. And we will not touch this switch. (Fig. 12)
Fig.12 - Network connections -> Configuring adapter parameters. This completes the network setup. Let's move on to the most important thing, why the virtualization system was created Hyper-V- WITH creating a virtual machine.
Creating a virtual machine.
Right click on our computer -> "Create" -> "Virtual machine". (Fig.13)
Fig. 13 - Creating a Hyper-V virtual machine. The “Virtual Machine Creation Wizard” will open (Fig. 14)
- Click the button "Ready" to create a virtual machine with default settings.
- Click the button "Further" to create a virtual machine with specific configuration settings.
Fig. 14 - Virtual machine creation wizard. Specify the name of the virtual machine and its location. (Fig. 15)
I decided to test with Ubuntu Server 18.04.
So this is what I have:
- Name: ubuntuserver 18.04.
- Location: E:\hyper-v ubuntu server 18.04\.
Fig.15 - Specify the Name of the virtual machine and its location. Select the generation of the virtual machine. (Fig. 16)
In most cases, you should choose the second generation, but if you are installing something 32-bit something worth choosing - Generation -1.
For me personally Ubuntu Server 18.04 64-bit with the support UEFI, therefore I choose - Generation 2.
Fig. 16 - Select the generation of the virtual machine. Select the quantity random access memory.(Fig.17)
My operating system is enough 1Gb RAM=> I leave the default ones included 1024 Mb. Let's go "Further".
Fig. 17 - Allocating the amount of RAM. We select which switch our network interface will be connected to. (Fig. 18)
Choose our "Hypernet", let's go "Further".
Fig. 18 - Network setup. Create a virtual hard disk. (Fig. 19)
We indicate Name,Location and maximum Size virtual file HDD.
I have so:
- Name: ubuntu server 18.04.vhdx.
- Location: E:\hyper-v ubuntu server 1804\.
- Size: 10 GB.
Fig. 19 - Creating a virtual hard disk. Choose ISO image from which we will install the operating system. (Fig. 20)
Select an item "Install operating system from file boot image" -> Click "Review"-> Choose iso image. -> Click "Further".
Fig.20 - Selecting an OS image. Completing the virtual machine creation wizard (Fig. 21)
Click "Ready".
Fig.21 - Completing the virtual machine creation wizard. Now in Hyper-V Manager we see a newly created virtual machine - ubuntu server 1804. (Fig.22)
Right-click on it -> "To plug".
Fig.22 - Hyper-V Manager, New virtual machine. A window will appear (Fig. 23)
If you want to install the system Windows then when you press the button "Start" The installation should start without any errors.
But in order to start Ubuntu Server 18.04 I had to "File" - > "Options"->"Safety" disable "Secure Boot".(Fig.24)
Fig.23 - Connection to virtual machine.
Fig.24 - Disable Secure Boot. Turn on the virtual machine. (Fig. 25)
Fig.25 - Turn on the virtual machine. Everything is fine, the virtual machine started. The installer meets us Ubuntu Server 18.04.(Fig.26)
Fig.26 - Running virtual machine. Ubuntu Server 18.04 installer. Changing virtual machine settings.
Let's make a short overview of the virtual machine parameters so that you can see the main functions before you decide to use the virtualization system Hyper-V.
"File" - > "Options".(Fig.27) Fig.27 - Go to "File" -> "Options"Equipment.
"Firmware"- you can change the boot priority of devices in the virtual machine. (Fig. 28)
Fig.28 - Selecting boot priority. "Safety"- Can "Enable/Disable Secure Boot", "Enable/Disable encryption support".(Fig.29)
Fig.29 - Security parameters of the virtual machine."Memory"- you can edit the amount allocated RAM, Enable/Disable function Dynamic memory.(Fig.30)
Fig.30 - RAM parameters. "CPU"- you can edit the number virtual processors in accordance with the number of processors on the physical computer. (Fig. 31)
You can also distribute the load across "Resource management".
"SCSI controller" can add HDD,DVD drive or Shared drive.(Fig.32)
Fig.32 - SCSI controller parameters. You can also change parameters of connected media, for example here we can change inserted into virtual DVD drive ISO image (Fig. 33)
Fig.33 - Media parameters. "Network adapter" you can change the configuration network adapter: Choose Virtual switch, register VLAN ID, configure Bandwidth.(Fig.34)
Fig.34 - Network parameters. Control.
"Name"- you can easily change the virtual machine to one more convenient for your use. (Fig. 35)
Fig.35 - Changing the name. "Integration Services"- Selecting the services that you want to make available to the virtual machine. .(Fig.36)
Fig.36 - Integration services. "Checkpoints"- Here you can configure Checkpoints( snapshot, restore points), enable auto mode their creation and designate a place for their storage. (Fig. 37)
Fig.37 - Control points. "Smart Padding File Location"- You can specify the path to the swap file.(Fig.38)
Smart Padding- a function that makes it possible, if there is insufficient memory to boot a virtual machine, to use a swap file on the host.
Fig.38 - Smart Padding file location. "Automatic startup actions"- You can select the operation that you want to perform with this virtual machine when starting the physical computer. (Fig. 39)
In our previous materials, we looked at installing the free Hyper-V hypervisor as one of the Windows Server roles. One of the disadvantages of this method is the need to have a license for the server OS, which in some cases can lead to additional costs, while at the same time there is a stand-alone product Hyper-V Server, which allows you to use the hypervisor of the same name without any restrictions, completely free of charge. However, it is more difficult to install and initially configure, which will be the subject of our article today.
First of all, let's clarify the terms. Hyper-V is a free hypervisor from Microsoft, running on the Windows platform. Initially, only server versions were supported, but starting with Windows 8 (versions no lower than Pro), it can also be used on desktop OSes. Despite the fact that Microsoft does not explicitly indicate the edition of the hypervisor, new generations of the OS contain new versions of Hyper-V. Since the degree of integration of Hyper-V into the OS is quite large, you cannot update the hypervisor version separately from the OS version.
If you go by the virtual machine configuration version, you can talk about eight generations of Hyper-V; version 8.0 contains Server 2016 and Windows 10 (1607). The most common Windows Server 2012 R2 (and Windows 8.1) have the fifth generation of hypervisor.
Thus, if we want to use the latest version of the hypervisor, then we need latest version OS. And since Windows licenses don't allow later releases of the OS, free Hyper-V may not be so free after all. Similar difficulties arise when virtualizing existing environments covered by licenses for older Windows versions or virtualization of UNIX systems. Especially for such cases, Microsoft has released a special product - Hyper-V Server.
Hyper-V Server- a special edition based on Windows Server Core with greatly reduced functions, ensuring only the operation of the hypervisor and its maintenance. However, contrary to popular belief, there is no difference between Hyper-V Server and Hyper-V as a Windows Server role. This is the same product.
When they talk about Hyper-V Server and Windows Server Core, they first of all try to focus on saving resources due to the lack of a GUI, but this opinion is wrong. When creating these products, the issue of saving resources was the last priority, and it is stupid to talk about any “lack of resources” on the hypervisor.
primary goal creating Windows Server Core and Hyper-V Server is a reduction in the number of running services and system components, which allows you to reduce the attack surface (fewer services - fewer vulnerabilities) and significantly reduce system maintenance costs, for example, fewer reboots when updating the system and less installation time for updates . Therefore, it is worth thinking about implementing Hyper-V Server even if you do not have any difficulties with licensing.
Installation and initial configuration of Hyper-V Server
The installation image can be obtained on the official website, after registration, if you still do not have an account Microsoft records. The installation process is no different from installing other versions of Windows and should not cause any difficulties.
Upon completion, we are greeted by an extremely laconic interface with two open windows: command line and a text configuration utility.
If you closed the last one, then to call again this utility just run the command:
But if you have closed all windows, including the command prompt window, you may suddenly find yourself in front of a black screen with no system controls at all. In this case, click Ctrl+Shift+Esc(this combination also works via RDP) and using the called task manager, launch the process you need, for example, the command line.
Let's move on to the setup. The first step is to configure the network, specify the server name, its membership in the desired workgroup or domain, and allow remote desktop. Also if you want your server to respond to ping command, then you should go to point 4) Setting up remote control and selecting the option 3) Configuring the server response to the ping message explicitly allow this action.
Then specify the server update options and install all currently available updates. WITH manual installation there is one “surprise”: the symbols specified in the utility do not work, and in order to download and install all available updates you need to enter a small Russian letter when prompted T.
After completing the configuration and installing updates, the server should be rebooted. A completely logical question may arise here: what to do next? How to manage it? To manage Hyper-V Server, you will need another computer with Hyper-V management tools installed, and the server itself can be configured from the MMC console. To do this, we will create the necessary allowing rules in the firewall. To do this, launch PowerShell and sequentially execute the following commands:
Powershell
Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup" Remote control Windows"
Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote event log management"
Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote volume management"
Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup" Remote control desktop"
At this point, setting up the server should be considered complete; you can check the connection to it using RDP and, if everything went well, proceed to setting up the client station.
Configuring the client to work with Hyper-V Server
To manage Hyper-V Server, you will need a PC with an OS of at least Windows Server 2012R2 or Windows 8.1 Pro or Enterprise edition; we will consider further configuration using client OSes as an example. Home and 32-bit versions of the OS will not work, since they do not have the ability to install Hyper-V Manager.
Since network discovery and file and printer sharing are disabled on the server, you need to add a type A record for it on the DNS server, linking the server name and its IP address, or add the corresponding line to the file hosts, in our case it looks like this:
192.168.18.145 HV-CORE-2012R2
If your server is in a workgroup, then you should add connection parameters to it, otherwise the client will try to connect under the current user.
Cmdkey /add:ServerName /user:UserName /pass:password
Where ServerName- name of the Hyper-V server, UserName- Hyper-V server administrator name and password- his password.
If you are using Windows 10, then additionally launch the command prompt (or PowerShell console) as an administrator and run the commands there:
Winrm quickconfig
winrm set winrm/config/client "@(TrustedHosts="ServerName")"
Where ServerName- name of the Hyper-V server.
Then run the snap dcomcnfg, via Win+R or from the command line, and expand the tree Component Services - Computers - My Computer. Then, by right-clicking, select Properties and go to the bookmark COM Security - Access Rights - Edit Restrictions and in the window that opens, set for the user ANONYMOUS LOGIN rights Remote access.
After completing these settings, you can launch the MMC console Computer management and right-click on the root item of the same name, select Connecting to another computer and specify the name of the Hyper-V server.
After which you can manage the remote server using your usual set of tools. For most everyday rigging tasks Computer management quite enough, especially considering that most settings are done only once.
To use the snap Disk management you will need to start the service first Virtual disk , this can be done right here, through the snap Services.
The only unavailable equipment will be device Manager, you can configure its operation, but there is no practical point in this, since it will still work in read-only mode. Moreover, in fact this does not pose a problem: the base Windows drivers Server is quite extensive and if you have shown reasonable forethought when choosing equipment, then you will not have to address the issue of drivers at all.
Otherwise, you should turn to command line tools to work with drivers: 1.6. Hardware installation and driver management (local)
Finally we come to the most important thing. Let's go to the classic Control Panel - Programs and Features - Turn Windows features on or off and install Hyper-V Management Tools.
After which you will have at your disposal the usual Hyper-V management tool that allows you to fully manage the hypervisor. There are no special features when working with a Hyper-V server, so we will not dwell on this issue in more detail.
In order to transfer files, for example, an image for installation, to the hypervisor, you can use standard shared resources , say, by typing in address bar conductor:
\\ServerName\C$
you will be taken to the C: drive of the server.
For example, we created a new virtual machine and installed the latest version of Debian there, without experiencing any difficulties either with the hypervisor or with the virtual machine itself.
As you can see, despite the somewhat more complex installation and configuration process, Hyper-V Server is a convenient and reliable tool that can also be used completely free of charge.
Continuing the series of articles on virtualization, today we will talk about setting up a network in Hyper-V. We will focus on theory, namely, we will analyze how virtual networks are structured and how they interact with real ones. Because, as practice shows, many administrators, in the absence of simple and understandable materials on this issue, are forced to master network setup in Hyper-V using the “scientific poker” method.
On the one hand, there is nothing complicated in setting up networks for virtual machines, on the other hand, many begin to get confused in all these adapters, having difficulty understanding where the real one is, where the virtual one is, and how they differ from each other. Let's try to clarify.
Responsible for setting up networks in Hyper-V Virtual Switch Manager, if we open it, we will see the following picture:
Private network
A private network differs from an internal network in that a virtual switch can only be connected to virtual machines and is isolated from the host.
This type of network can also be used for educational and research purposes, as well as for creating isolated sections of the network, for example DMZ.
In this case, communication between the external and private network will be carried out through one of the virtual machines, which must be connected to both networks.
As you can see, Hyper-V gives the administrator a very flexible and powerful tool, allowing you to create and manage highly complex network configurations.
Not everyone knows that some editions have a built-in Huper-V hypervisor. This role is simply disabled by default. Below we will tell you how to activate the Hyper-V virtual machine in Windows 8, as well as how to create a new virtual machine in this environment.
1. What you will need
- Operating system Professional / Windows 8 Pro (64-bit) or Enterprise / Windows 8 Enterprise (64-bit). Other versions do not have the Hyper-V role (link).
- A computer with a processor that supports hardware virtualization technology. In addition, support for second-level address translation technology - SLAT (Second Level Address Translation) is required. Intel calls this technology Extended Page Tables (EPT), while AMD calls it Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI). You can check whether your processor supports these technologies on the manufacturer's website. For example, for Intel processors- see, for AMD -.
- Additional network adapter on a physical computer, if you need to provide the virtual machine with network access.
2. Enabling virtualization support in the computer BIOS
First of all, you need to enable virtualization support. To do this, let's go into the BIOS of the physical computer and find the corresponding item. IN different versions BIOS, it can be called by different names. For example, on an HP Pavilion g6 laptop this is the item Virtualization Technology on the tab System Configuration.
3. Activate the Hyper-V role
Launch the Control Panel, go to the “ tab Programs", then click " Turn Windows features on or off» .
In the window that opens, select all components in the group “ Hyper-V" and click " OK» .
After installing the role, the system will require a reboot. We restart the computer, and we see that shortcuts to launch have appeared in the Metro interface Hyper-V Manager And Connections to a Hyper-V virtual machine.
These shortcuts are also available in
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Hyper-V Management Tools\
4. Create a virtual switch
Now that the Hyper-V hypervisor is installed, let's create a virtual switch to connect virtual machines to the network. To do this, launch Hyper-V Manager and in the menu “ Actions» select « Virtual Switch Manager...» .
In the launched manager, click on “ Create a virtual network switch" and we will get to the window where you need to select the type of future virtual network. There are 3 options:
- External— Select this if you need to provide the virtual machine with access to the network to which the current computer is connected. In this case, you of this computer there must be a free network card, which we will rename for the virtual machine.
- Internal— To create a network between all virtual machines and the current computer. In this case, the physical network will not be accessible to virtual machines.
- Private- In this case, a network is created between all available virtual machines. The current computer, as well as the physical network, will be unavailable.
Having selected the type of future network, click “ Create a virtual switch» .
The properties window for the virtual switch opens. Here you need to specify the name of the switch, and you can also set Extra options. For example, my computer has 2 network cards: for wired connection via RJ-45 connector and Wi-Fi adapter. The last one I override for the current switch. Thus, my future virtual machine will access the network through this Wi-Fi adapter.
Well, in network connections it is clear that now this Wi-Fi network the card is connected to the virtual switch that appears there.
5. Create a virtual machine
Finally, you can proceed directly to creating the virtual machine itself. To do this, in the Hyper-V Manager in the menu " Actions» select « Create» — « Virtual machine…» .
The Virtual Machine Creation Wizard will launch. Here we will set the name of the virtual machine to be created, and also select the directory for storing it. It is necessary to ensure a sufficient quantity free space on the selected hard drive. Since in the case of using snapshots, the virtual machine as a whole can have a fairly significant volume. By indicating required parameters click " Further» .
Then we indicate the amount of RAM that the virtual machine will use while running, and click “ Further» .
Now you need to specify a virtual switch to connect the virtual machine to the network. Select the connection created in step 2 and click “ Further» .
This step requires you to create and connect a virtual HDD, for this virtual machine, or specify an existing virtual hard disk. If creating a new one, enter the name hard drive, location and size (remembering that when using snapshots, the volume of the virtual machine as a whole can be significantly increased), then click “ Further» .
Now let’s select the device from which the operating system will be installed in the virtual machine being created. Possible options:
- Do not install the operating system.
- Use a physical computer's DVD drive.
- Use a disk image file from a physical computer.
- Use virtual disk.
- Network installation.
Once again, check all the installed parameters and complete the creation of the virtual machine by clicking “ Ready» .
After successful installation, the newly created virtual machine should appear in the Hyper-V Manager list of virtual machines, with the status “ Off". In order to connect to it, right-click on this line and select “ To plug…» .
After which a connection to this virtual machine will be made. In order to launch it, click on the button “ Start" in the upper left corner of the window.
The virtual machine will start, and we will observe this process in the connection window, as if we were on a physical computer. If the source for installing the operating system is selected, then accordingly, the this installation. Further management of the virtual machine is also performed using the menu at the top of the connection window.
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Among the top three leaders in the virtualization software market operating systems– VMware, VirtualBox and Hyper-V – the latter hypervisor occupies a special place. This special place is due to the fact that Hyper-V is a standard component of Windows server systems and some versions of Windows for desktop PCs. Yielding VMware Workstation and VirtualBox in functionality, cross-platform and partly in ease of use, Hyper-V, however, is not without its advantages. And the main thing is higher performance of guest operating systems.
Below we will talk about activating Hyper-V in Windows 10 and creating a virtual machine using this hypervisor.
1. Hyper-V - standard hypervisor from Microsoft
The Windows 10 system inherited the standard Hyper-V component from versions of Windows 8 and 8.1, and in them the hypervisor migrated from Windows Server. Both Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 include optional Hyper-V in the Pro and Enterprise editions. The hypervisor can only work on 64-bit systems.
For a long time, Hyper-V did not support any guest operating systems other than Windows. However, relatively recently, Microsoft took care of hypervisor support for Linux guest OS. And today, using Hyper-V, you can test some Linux distributions, in particular the popular Ubuntu.
2. Requirements for running Hyper-V
The minimum amount of RAM on a physical computer to run Hyper-V is 4 GB.
The computer processor must support SLAT technology (Intel EPT or AMD RVI). Almost everything modern processors meet this requirement.
Another processor requirement also provided by many modern models– support for hardware virtualization technology and, accordingly, its active state in the BIOS. In BIOS motherboards for Intel processors, this technology (depending on the version) can be called differently - Intel-VT, Intel Virtualization Technology, Intel VT-x, Vanderpool or Virtualization Extensions. AMD's hardware virtualization technology is called AMD-V or SVM (Secure Virtual Machines). For example, in AMI BIOS version 17.9, the AMD processor hardware virtualization function can be found under the path Cell Menu – CPU Feature – SVM Support.
U AMD processors The hardware virtualization feature is usually enabled by default. Whether a specific processor model supports hardware virtualization, this point can be found out on the websites Intel companies and AMD.
3. Activation and launch of Hyper-V
Hyper-V is optional with Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise. Initially, the standard hypervisor is disabled. It is turned on in the “Programs and Features” section of the control panel. The fastest way to get there is an internal search.
Run "Turn on and off" system components».
In the small window that appears, check all the sub-items of the Hyper-V item. Click "Ok".
The system will apply the changes for a couple of seconds and ask to reboot. After the reboot, look for the shortcut to launch the Hyper-V Manager. You can immediately pin the Hyper-V Manager shortcut to the initial Windows screen 10 by finding it in the Start Menu Administrative Tools.
The Hyper-V Manager shortcut can also be accessed using an in-system search.
Launch Hyper-V Manager.
4. Setting up network access
In Hyper-V Manager, the network is configured in a separate step, and first you need to create a virtual switch - the parameter that provides access to the network. Click on the name of the physical computer, and on the right side of the window select “Virtual Switch Manager...”.
The virtual switch creation wizard will launch, where the first thing you need to do is select the network type. There are three of them:
- External - this type uses a network card or wifi adapter physical computer and connects the virtual machine to the same network as the physical computer. Accordingly, this is a type of network that allows a virtual machine to access the Internet;
- Internal - this type provides a network between the physical computer and Hyper-V virtual machines, but does not provide their access to the Internet;
- Private - this type allows you to create a network between Hyper-V virtual machines, but there will be no physical computer on this network, nor will there be Internet access.
In our case, virtual machine access to the Internet is necessary, so we will choose the first type - an external network. Click “Create a virtual switch.”
In the properties window of the virtual switch, give it a name; it can be any name, for example, “Network card 1”. If necessary, you can add a note to the virtual switch. If the physical computer has both a network card and a Wi-Fi adapter on board, specific device, through which the virtual machine will connect to the network, can be selected from the drop-down list in the “Connection type” column. After making the settings, click “Apply” at the bottom of the window.
5. Create a virtual machine
Now you can proceed directly to creating a virtual machine. On the left side of the Hyper-V window, the selection should still be on the name of the physical computer. In the top right corner, click “Create”, then click “Virtual Machine”.
In the welcome window of the launched wizard, click “Next”.
Give the virtual machine a name; You can also change its location on the disk of a physical computer by specifying the desired disk partition and the desired folder using the browse button. Click “Next”.
One of the relatively new features of Hyper-V is the choice of virtual machine generation. In our case, generation 2 was selected.
What does it mean? Generation 1 are virtual machines that support 32- and 64-bit Windows systems. Generation 1 is compatible with previous versions of Hyper-V.
Generation 2 – virtual machines of a new format with built-in software UEFI based. Such virtual machines support a number of new features and can provide a small performance increase. On generation 2 virtual machines, only 64-bit versions of Windows 8.1 and 10, as well as server versions of Windows Server 2012, Server 2012 R2 and Server 2016 are installed as guest operating systems.
The UEFI platform imposes another requirement for using Generation 2 virtual machines - UEFI boot media. This point needs to be clarified by downloading an ISO image with a Windows distribution from third-party sources on the Internet. But it’s still better to download Windows distributions from official Microsoft sources. Thus, the Media Creation Tool utility, which downloads Windows 8.1 and distribution kits from the Microsoft website, creates a bootable ISO image that supports the UEFI environment.
If you install Windows 10 as a guest OS, this is the recommended method for obtaining an ISO image of the system. Windows 10 includes a lazy-input installation process. In our case, Windows 8.1 will be installed as the guest OS, and its official distribution, obtained using the Media Creation Tool utility, requires entering the product key during the installation process. Provide support for the UEFI environment and take advantage of the free opportunity to test Windows system 8.1 will help the TechNet Trial Software Center website. On this site you can download the English edition of 64-bit Windows 8.1 Enterprise and test the system for free for 3 months. The problem with the lack of support for the Russian language after installing the system can be solved separately by installing a language pack and setting Russian as the main language of the system.
We return to the virtual machine creation wizard. In the memory allocation window, leave the preset parameters if the physical computer has no more than 4 GB of RAM. If it is more than 4 GB, you can increase the amount allocated when starting the virtual machine. For guest Windows XP, the RAM indicator can, on the contrary, be reduced to 512 MB. Click “Next”.
In the network settings window, select the previously created virtual switch from the drop-down list. Click “Next”.
In the connection window virtual hard disk, give the virtual machine a name, indicate the location on the disk of the physical computer, and indicate the size. These are the options for creating a new hard drive. The second point of this wizard step is used when the computer already has a virtual hard disk, in particular, with a guest OS installed. If you select a Generation 2 virtual machine, the virtual hard disk file must be in VHDX (not VHD) format, and the guest OS must support the UEFI boot environment. Click “Next”.
If in the previous step of the wizard you selected the option to create a new virtual hard disk, the next step will be to specify the path to the Windows distribution. Generation 2 virtual machines no longer allow booting from a physical CD/DVD drive. The only sources for downloading the guest OS distribution can be the network and ISO image. In our case, this is an ISO image. Click “Next”.
The final stage of the wizard is to click “Finish”.
6. Connecting a virtual machine
Having created the virtual machine, return to the Hyper-V Manager window. Now you need to connect it. To do this, there is the “Connect” command, among other commands context menu called on the virtual machine. The “Connect” command is also present on the right side of the Hyper-V Manager window. To connect, you can also double-click with the left mouse button on the preview window of the selected virtual machine.
In the connection window that opens, click the green start button.
The normal process will follow. Windows installations 8.1, as it would happen on a physical computer.
As soon as the installation files begin copying, you can close the virtual machine connection window and do other things.
Closing the connection window will free up some resources of the physical computer to perform other tasks, while the virtual machine will continue to work in background. Its performance will be displayed in Hyper-V Manager.
You can connect to the virtual machine as needed to perform actions in it.
That's it - Windows 8.1 is installed. You can turn off, pause, save a virtual machine, or reset its state using commands in the Hyper-V manager and buttons on the top panel of the connection window.
7. Boot priority
In order to avoid wasting time on the boot window from a CD/DVD when starting a virtual machine in the future, you need to open the settings window when it is turned off and remove the path to the ISO file with the distribution kit. This is done in the DVD drive tab of the virtual machine hardware settings.
An alternative option is to raise the hard drive in boot priority above the DVD drive (but not above the “bootmgfw.efi” file). This is done in the “Firmware” tab of the hardware settings.
In both cases, the changes made are saved with the “Apply” button at the bottom.
8. Bypass Hyper-V connection window restrictions
The Hyper-V hypervisor focuses on the performance of virtual machines, not functionality. Unlike its competitors - VMware and VirtualBox - Hyper-V virtual machines do not work with connected flash drives, do not play sound, and interaction with a physical computer is carried out only by inserting text copied into the main OS inside the guest OS. This is the price of virtual performance Hyper-V machines. But this is if you work with the usual Hyper-V connection window.
Full integration of a physical computer and a virtual machine can be achieved using the standard remote desktop connection utility.
This utility allows you to flexibly configure connection parameters, in particular, to make available within the virtual machine not only those connected to physical computer USB drives, but also separate hard drive partitions.
Connecting to a virtual machine in this way will provide audio playback and two-way file transfer in the guest OS.
Have a great day!