January 13, 2009

Update: This guide is for an older version of VirtualBox. The newest version supports Windows 7 without any special configuration.

The beta of Windows 7 has been released. If you have not already downloaded a disc image of Window 7, you can download both the 32-bit and 64-bit editions at: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/01/09/direct-download-links-for-windows-7-beta-iso-surface/

Note: VirtualBox supports 64-bit guests on 32-bit hosts, but does not support 64-bit guests on 64-bit machines. If you are running a 64-bit operating system, you must download and install the 32-bit edition of Windows 7.

Preparation

Open VirtualBox and start the virtual machine wizard by clicking the "New" button.

Give your virtual machine a name and select "Windows Vista" from the OS Type list.

Windows 7 has been somewhat optimized compared to Vista. 512 MB of RAM is enough for testing. Feel free to give it more if you want.

When prompted to select a hard disk image, press "New…". The default disk image type of "Dynamically expanding image" is fine. Use the recommended size of 20 GB unless you want more space. I suggest that you do not go any lower than 20 GB. When you have configured the disk to your liking, press "Finish" to create the disk image.

Once that is complete, double check all the settings to make sure everything is how you want it. Press "Finish" to create the Virtual Machine.

Now you need to mount the Windows 7 disc image. Select the Virtual Machine you just created and click the "Settings" button. Select CD/DVD-ROM from the menu at the left. Check the box labeled "Mount CD/DVD Drive". If you have already burned Windows 7 to a disc, click "Host CD/DVD Drive" and point it to the CD/DVD drive that the physical disc is in. Otherwise, click "ISO Image File" and then the folder icon with the green arrow at the right.

Click the "Add" button, and select the Windows 7 disc image that you downloaded. It should be named something like this: 7000.0.081212-1400_client_en-us_Ultimate-GB1CULFRE_EN_DVD.iso. When you have selected the correct image, press "OK" in the settings window to confirm the selection.

Installation

Select the Windows 7 Virtual Machine you just created and press the "Start" button. If you properly mounted the disc, the Windows installation will start loading and you will be greeted with a shiny blue installation window. Select your language and click "Next" to start the installation.

Since this is a new installation, click "Install Now". Agree to the terms of the licensing agreement and click "Next". When the installer asks "Which type of installation do you want?", press "Custom".

You should see the disk that you created earlier. Select it and continue with the installation.

Windows 7 will start installing. This may take a while. You can minimise VirtualBox while it is installing.

When the initial installation finishes, the Virtual Machine will reboot and Windows will prepare to boot for the first time.

When the installation is complete, Windows will ask you for some information. Enter your name, give your computer a name, and enter a password if you would like to use one.

Then it will ask for a product key. If you do not have a valid Windows 7 beta key, uncheck "Automatically activate Windows when I'm online" and press next without entering a key. You can test Windows 7 for 30 days without a key.

Choose "Use recommended settings" if you want Windows to install updates when you go online, or "Ask me later" if you want Windows to bug you about it. Select your time zone and click "Next".

Once all of that is done, you will be greeted by a blue fish. This is the default Windows 7 Beta desktop. Almost done!

Configuration

As you may have expected, not everything is compatible with Windows 7 yet. To make your life a little easier, you will want to install the VirtualBox Guest Additions package to enable certain features and improve the performance of the Virtual Machine.

While you are using the Virtual Machine, click "Devices" from the toolbar at the top and choose "Install Guest Additions…". This is a standard CD image that contains an installer. It behaves just like the Windows 7 disc image you mounted before.

When the Guest Additions image is mounted, an autoplay window will appear in Windows. Close it. By default, the guest additions installer will not work because it cannot recognise the operating system that it is running in. You will need to use the program compatibility feature of Windows to trick the installer into thinking Windows Vista is running.

Browse the contents of the VirtualBox Guest Additions CD with explorer, right click on "VBoxWindowsAdditions-x84″ and select "Properties". Click the "Compatibility" tab and check the "Run this program in compatibility mode for" box. Select "Windows Vista" from the drop-down menu. Press "OK" and start the guest additions installer by running "VBoxWindowsAdditions-x84″. Install it with the default settings.

Conclusion

You now have an installation of Windows 7 that is suitable for testing. Enjoy.