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Learn how to install the Windows 10 Technical Preview in a VMware Workstation virtual machine.
If you have the option of installing the new Windows 10 Technical Preview in a Hyper-V virtual machine (VM) or on a VMware Workstation, then I’d suggest that the better option is Hyper-V for now. Although I was able to install the VMware tools for Windows 8 on the technical preview, VMware Workstation 10 doesn’t officially support Windows 10. Because of this, you might run into some problems with this unsupported scenario.
VMware is set to release Workstation 11 in December, where it will officially support the Windows 10 Technical Preview. In the meantime, you can find an evaluation version of VMware Workstation 10 or take a look at Aidan Finn’s article, “Testing the Windows 10 Technical Preview in a Hyper-V VM” on the Petri IT Knowledgebase.
Download the technical preview by joining the Windows Insider Program. I recommend downloading the 64-bit ISO unless you have a specific reason to test the 32-bit version. The system requirements are essentially the same as it is for Windows 8. I managed to get away with installing the 64-bit version of the technical preview in just 1GB of RAM because of the limited resources on my notebook, but if you can find 2GB to play with then the performance will be better.
Launch VMware Workstation on your PC and make sure that the disc with the downloaded .iso image for the technical preview is attached. Before you start, check the system requirements outlined above and make sure that the PC has enough free disk space and RAM to install the technical preview.
Configure a new VMware Workstation VM (Image: Russell Smith)
Now that the VM is configured, we can boot it and install Windows.
Select the install location for Windows 10 Technical Preview (Image: Russell Smith)
The install process will now copy and expand the OS files to the VM’s drive. This process takes about 10 minutes and involve a couple of restarts. At the end of this process, there are still a few more steps to complete the installation.
Configure Windows 10 Technical Preview as a new computer (Image: Russell Smith)
Windows will then configure your account, finalize settings and install your Windows Store apps. Once this process is complete, you will be taken to the desktop.
The Windows 10 Technical Preview desktop (Image: Russell Smith)
The final step in the process is to install the VMware tools in Windows 10 Technical Preview. These provide integration services, such as the ability to drag and drop files from the host machine to the VM and drivers to improve performance.
Install the VMware Tools (Image: Russell Smith)
When the tools have installed, close the installer and reboot the VM as instructed.
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