Windows Virtual Machine

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Setting Up a Virtual Machine on Mac OS X

What is a virtual machine?

A virtual machine is essentially an emulator that allows the end-user to run a particular operat-ing system (Windows) on a host computer (Mac OS X). In other words, the virtual machine func-tions as a bridge between the host and virtual computer, where the host provides the dedicated hardware (CPU, memory, GPU) for the virtual computer to use so that Windows is fully opera-tional. File:Tutorial vm pic1 An example similar to a virtual machine, which some of you may already be familiar with, is the Gameboy emulator on an iPhone or Android device.


Before we begin…

This tutorial is primarily catered towards CMPE 30 students who own an Apple computer and need a Windows based virtual machine to run the necessary software required for CMPE 30. If you are looking to run a different operating system (Linux, Ubuntu, etc.), then the installation steps should be more or less the same. Although, full functionality is not guaranteed.

• For this tutorial, you will be able to download and install an un-activated copy of Win-dows 10 from Microsoft’s website. (100 % legal)

o You can acquire an activation key for free at the SCE club. (Engineering Building – Room 294) o You can still run the required programs for CMPE 30 on an un-activated version of Windows 10 with no issues. The only downside of not activating Windows 10 is limited functionalities and features. However, I highly recommend acquiring the activation key from SCE simply because it is free and easy.

Things you will need from here on forward:

• Time and patience (set aside two hours at least) • SJ One Board • Any USB Flash Drives you plan to use for the semester 






Part I: Setting up VirtualBox

1. Click here to download and install VirtualBox for OS X hosts AND VirtualBox Exten-sion Pack

a. Install the Extension Pack after installing VirtualBox




2. Go to Applications, open VirtualBox, and click “New” in the top left corner.



a. A new window will pop-up; click expert mode in the bottom left corner, and give your virtual machine a name.

b. Version: Select Windows 10 (64-bit) i. If you are using another version of windows, then please choose the ap-propriate version now. ii. If you do not have a copy of windows, select Windows 10.

c. Memory size (RAM): Allocate 4096 MB (4 GB) ¬¬¬– 4 GB will be sufficient for our needs. d. Hard disk: Select “Create a virtual hard disk now” and click Create.


3. After clicking “Create” a new window will pop-up. Configure the following (see reference picture below):

a. File size: Allocate at least 20.00 GB of hard disk space (30.00 GB recommended).

i. *IMPORTANT*: When entering the size of the hard disk, you must fully type out the following: “30 .00 GB” – DO NOT FORGET TO ADD “GB” AT THE END!

b. Hard disk file type: Select “VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)”

c. Storage on physical hard disk: Select “Fixed Size” and click “Create”.

i. DO NOT START THE VIRTUAL MACHINE AFTER IT IS CREATED!








Part II: Preparing to install Windows on the Virtual machine


1. Click here to download Windows 10 disc image (.iso) – Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Windows 10, select the product language, and click confirm. Then, se-lect “64-bit Download” and your browser will begin the download.



















2. Now we need to configure our newly created virtual machine so that it can recognize the SJ One Board and USB devices. Open VirtualBox, right click your virtual machine, and click settings. Click on the “Ports” tab.





3. Next, navigate to “USB” underneath the “Ports” tab

a. Enable the USB controller

b. Select USB 2.0 (EHCI) Controller

c. At this point, connect any USB Flash Drives you plan to use for the semester and the SJ One Board that you will use for your lab assignments. Click the add USB icon and add the USB Flash Drive AND the SJ One Board. Click “OK” to save set-tings.

d. Click “OK” to save the new settings






4. Now we need to configure the processor. Navigate to the “System” tab and click “Pro-cessor”

a. Depending on the specifications of your Mac, you can set the amount of virtual CPU cores the virtual machine can use. If you are running dual-core CPU set it 2, and if you’re running a quad-core CPU set it to 4.





5. Start your Virtual machine and a box will pop-up.

a. Click the small icon with a folder and green arrow on top of it


b. Navigate to your downloads and select the Windows 10 .iso file that we down-loaded earlier, and click OPEN






c. Click “Start” and the Windows installation setup will begin.






6. Your setup should now begin; give it a few minutes if nothing has shown up on the screen yet.

a. Click next, and skip any requests to add enter the windows activation key b. Select the type of Windows you want to install, either Windows 10 Pro or Win-dows 10 Home – either will work. c. Click “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)”

d. Select the allocated 30.00 GB of hard disk space we set aside earlier in the tuto-rial, click next, and your windows installation will begin. – The virtual machine will restart a couple of times throughout the installation process.


7. Congratulations! You are finally running Windows on your Mac.  Click here to setup the SJSU Development Package for the SJ One Board.

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