Do You Know What Is Hyper-V? Why to Use Specific Virtual Machine?

Microsoft released Hyper-V in the year of 2016 and it is considered a hot competitor to VMware’s Fusion and Oracle’s VM VirtualBox. In this blog and discussion, we’re going to show you how to set up and use it.

What Is Hyper-V?

Hyper-V is virtualization software that, well, virtualizes software. It can not only virtualize operating systems but also entire hardware components, such as hard drives and network switches. Unlike Fusion and Virtualbox, Hyper-V is not limited to the user’s device. You can use it for server virtualization, too.

Hyper-V is available in three versions.

• Hyper-V for Windows Servers
  

• Hyper-V Servers
  

• Hyper-V on Windows 10

Hyper-V for Windows Servers is an add-on to the Windows Server OS. Hyper-V Servers, on the other hand, is a standalone solution that can be used to manage virtual and dedicated server instances, just like Hyper-V for Windows Servers.

Hyper-V on Windows 10 is the version that runs on your laptop and the subject of this article.

To enable Hyper-V on your Windows device, you need a 64-bit OS. It doesn’t have to be Windows 10, though. Windows 8.1 works too.

Before you get started, you should test your laptop’s hardware performance to make sure your virtual machine will run smoothly. Even if Microsoft says 4GB of RAM is sufficient, you should ideally have 8GB to 16GB. There is a difference between “the software works” and “the software is usable.”

You should also make sure your hard drive has enough space for an additional OS.

Why Use a Virtual Machine?

There are many reasons to use a virtual machine. In most cases, they are used to run software that does not work on your OS. Whether you’re using a Windows, Mac or Linux OS, a VM will remove its limitations. For example, if you have a Windows machine and want to install an application that is only available for Mac, you can run a macOS instance on your Windows laptop to install it.

It doesn’t even have to be the case that the software doesn’t run on Windows. Maybe you work faster on the Linux or Mac version of it because you’re more familiar with its shortcuts and usability.

Most software developers like to work on terminals, so they prefer Linux. That said, since many of us were accompanied by Windows through our school days, we do paperwork faster on it.

Another thing to consider is that programs on Windows are rarely uninstalled without a trace. You will find old settings, registry entries or other artifacts that will slow down your operating system. If you want to use an application temporarily, set up a VM, use the program and remove the VM when you have finished. That way you won’t have to clean your notebook afterward.

Using a virtual machine also makes sense for protection. With the virtualized OS, you bring an extra layer of security into play. If you’re not quite sure you should run a file you downloaded from an untrusted source on your productive OS, use a VM.

A VM will let you get through the dark web more safely, too. At this point, you need to know that a VM is extremely slow. It will bog down your active OS and the virtual one. You should think twice about whether you want to use the slow Tor browser on a slow VM to surf the dark web.