Why do you use a Virtual Machine?


TheMystic

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Although the concept of Virtual Machine has existed for a long time, it is only used by a tiny fraction of individuals for personal use. The reasons are usually one of the following:

1. Lack of awareness
2. Low system specs
3. No requirement

I have never used it myself until very recently. In my case, it is reason 1 for the most part, and then reason 2 for the remaining part. But now when I started using it, it came as a big surprise with regards to how well it runs on an old machine. I have a 2013 laptop, which at the time of purchase had the best of specs, but with all the advancements in technology and demands of newer operating systems, made me think that it won't be able to provide a great experience. I was wrong!

I have installed macOS Monterey on VMware and Windows 10 on VirtualBox on my host OS which is Windows 11. Both guest OSes run surprisingly smoothly.

1. As an individual end user, what do YOU use the VM for?

2. Is it true that activities inside a VM like VirtualBox cannot be tracked by Microsoft?



.
 
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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
As of now, here is why I use it:

1. macOS on my Windows machine allows me to access all my files on my external disks which are formatted in APFS+ or HFS+.

2. VM allows me to test softwares that I am not too keen on installing on my host OS, either due to its limited requirement, or because I don't trust it. But for this, one can instead use built-in Sandbox feature (not available in Home editions) or use the Sandboxie app. In fact, this would be a better option than a VM because it is much lighter on resources.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
The first VM I ever used was XP in a 7 host. That was back in the day I played a few very old games which I eventually lost interest in. Then 8 came along and I couldn't bring myself to give up my beloved 7 so I kept it as a VM. That same VM has been moved to probably 5 or 6 machines since. Nowadays I use it primarily for building themes since 7 gives so much more fine tuning in that regard than 10 or 11. The VM I use most is Linux Mint. It's invaluable for recovering files from old hard drives since I don't run into permissions problems like I do when using Windows 10/11. A VM made more sense than running a Linux live cd every time I needed it. Then I built a VM for 10. I have all the VMs on an old hard drive which I plug into a docking station when I need them. The rest of the time the drive gathers dust....lots and lots of dust
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
1. There are many reasons to use a VM e.g. installation of other operating systems, installation of Insider versions, trying out new apps etc. Some people have legacy apps that will only run on older versions of Windows. You are much less likely to infect the host OS if the vm gets attacked. I consider the vhdx part of VMs to be largely disposable (not the actual vm as that is the part that gets activated).

2. re. MS tracking (proper. term is telemetry), then no difference to a physical machine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
The first VM I ever used was XP in a 7 host. That was back in the day I played a few very old games which I eventually lost interest in. Then 8 came along and I couldn't bring myself to give up my beloved 7 so I kept it as a VM. That same VM has been moved to probably 5 or 6 machines since. Nowadays I use it primarily for building themes since 7 gives so much more fine tuning in that regard than 10 or 11. The VM I use most is Linux Mint. It's invaluable for recovering files from old hard drives since I don't run into permissions problems like I do when using Windows 10/11. A VM made more sense than running a Linux live cd every time I needed it. Then I built a VM for 10. I have all the VMs on an old hard drive which I plug into a docking station when I need them. The rest of the time the drive gathers dust....lots and lots of dust
Do you have a base VM (where you have no personal info) that you don’t mind sharing? I’m interested in that Linux Mint or any Linux Distro.

EDIT:

Never mind. I just installed Linux Mint in VirtualBox and it is the simplest installation I have ever seen. I had problems installing macOS and while I managed to install on VirtualBox, it was unusable due to an unresponsive/ laggy mouse. I then tried it with VMware and managed to install it successfully, but not without errors initially. Didn't want to go through similar hassle with Linux, but this was just too easy!
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
1. There are many reasons to use a VM e.g. installation of other operating systems, installation of Insider versions, trying out new apps etc. Some people have legacy apps that will only run on older versions of Windows. You are much less likely to infect the host OS if the vm gets attacked. I consider the vhdx part of VMs to be largely disposable (not the actual vm as that is the part that gets activated).

2. re. MS tracking (proper. term is telemetry), then no difference to a physical machine.
1. What do you use it for?

2. I read somewhere where a user claimed he runs his OS inside VirtualBox to avoid Microsoft Telemetry. Is he under mistaken impression?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
1. What do you use it for?

2. I read somewhere where a user claimed he runs his OS inside VirtualBox to avoid Microsoft Telemetry. Is he under mistaken impression?
1. all of the things I mentioned - I have lots of vms.

2. You could only prevent telemetry by disconnecting from internet or using "anti-telemetry" meaures. A vm is absolutely no different to a physical pc in terms of telemetry.
My guess is that user has no idea what they are talking about.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
1. As an individual end user, what do use the VM for?
Many reasons, here are just a few.

It allows me to have multiple machines on my network each with a different version of Windows, from XP though W7, W8.1, W10 & W11. This helps me provide support for mixed networking questions on these forums.

I can test a major Feature Update ahead of release. Twice now, first for W10 v1903 and again for v2004, I have made a VM clone of my main machine then tested upgrading it to check all my installed software would continue to work. I used an Insider Release Preview ISO from UUPDump, so had a month or so of thorough testing before the launch. By the launch day I could be confident that it was safe for the physical machine to take the upgrade as soon as it was offered.

I can test installing 'untrusted' software in a safe environment, then undo every change it made by returning the VM to an earlier checkpoint.

I can boot a Macrium Reflect system image as a VM using Macrium's viBoot. This allows me to quickly boot up and provide support for any OS I have as a system image, and I have images for every version of Windows 10 from the original 1507 release up to 21H2.

For best performance of the VMs the Host machine should have an SSD, and as much RAM as possible. Then it is possible to run many VMs simultaneously.

10-vms-all-at-the-same-time-png.15027
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
Many reasons, here are just a few.

It allows me to have multiple machines on my network each with a different version of Windows, from XP though W7, W8.1, W10 & W11. This helps me provide support for mixed networking questions on these forums.

I can test a major Feature Update ahead of release. Twice now, first for W10 v1903 and again for v2004, I have made a VM clone of my main machine then tested upgrading it to check all my installed software would continue to work. I used an Insider Release Preview ISO from UUPDump, so had a month or so of thorough testing before the launch. By the launch day I could be confident that it was safe for the physical machine to take the upgrade as soon as it was offered.

I can test installing 'untrusted' software in a safe environment, then undo every change it made by returning the VM to an earlier checkpoint.

I can boot a Macrium Reflect system image as a VM using Macrium's viBoot. This allows me to quickly boot up and provide support for any OS I have as a system image, and I have images for every version of Windows 10 from the original 1507 release up to 21H2.

For best performance of the VMs the Host machine should have an SSD, and as much RAM as possible. Then it is possible to run many VMs simultaneously.

10-vms-all-at-the-same-time-png.15027
I guess this is part of your professional requirement or atleast helpful with what you do professionally.

No macOS?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I use VMs to run Windows 11 (current version) plus Beta and Dev. Also MacOS (currently Catalina).
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self built
    CPU
    Intel i8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME Z370-P
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT710
    Sound Card
    ASUS Xonar D2X
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SE2417HGXF Full HD Gaming Monitor, 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung V-NAND SSD 860EVO
    Other spinning HDDs
    PSU
    Xilence XP420
    Cooling
    PSU fan and stock CPU fan
    Mouse
    Microsoft
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Avira free
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 on VMware (Release, Beta and Dev)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
I guess this is part of your professional requirement or atleast helpful with what you do professionally.
I'm retired now, so my support these days is purely for questions these forums. :wink:
No macOS?
No, my career in IT support was as a MS specialist for server and desktop support. Since retiring I have dabbled in Linux for my own ammusement/education, but there's just not enough hours in the day to try everything. :wink:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
I have used VM's in the past to trial new OSs or run other systems for support of others with issues. However lately I have switched to Windows to Go running on external NVMe drives, I have ISO copies, [or access to], of all the operating systems I support, [Windows 2K to today ], and have access to more specialist variations should I need them.

Using Rufus to create the WTG OS External drive takes a minute or less - the great advantage of my current setup is that the OS is running on my real hardware, which results in a smoother test environment. Of course If I had need to I would return to the VM system as I could set up the VM to be a totally different system to my own
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release Preview] [Win11 PRO HighEnd MUP-00005 DD]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Scan 3XS to my design
    CPU
    AMD RYZEN 9 7950X OEM
    Motherboard
    *3XS*ASUS TUF B650 PLUS WIFI
    Memory
    64GB [2x32GB Corsair Vengeance 560 AMD DDR5]
    Graphics Card(s)
    3XS* ASUS DUAL RTX 4060 OC 8G
    Sound Card
    On motherboard Feeding SPDiF 5.1 system [plus local sound to each monitor]
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" UHD 32 Bit HDR Monitor + 43" UHD 4K 32Bit HDR TV
    Screen Resolution
    2 x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3XS Samsung 980Pro 2TB M.2 PCIe4 4 x 8TB Data + Various Externals from 1TB to 8TB, 10TB NAS
    PSU
    3XS Corsair RM850x 850w Fully Modular
    Case
    FDesign Define 7 XL BK TGL Case - Black
    Cooling
    3XS iCUE H150i ELITE Liquid Cool, Quiet Case fans
    Keyboard
    Wireless Logitec MX Keys + K830 [Depending on where I'm Sat]
    Mouse
    Wireless Logitec - MX Master 3S +
    Internet Speed
    950 MB Down 55 MB Up
    Browser
    Latest Chrome
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security [Latest]
    Other Info
    Also run...
    Dell XPS 17 Laptop
    HP Laptop 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64 HP 15.2"
    Nexus 7 Android tablet [x2]
    Samsung 10.2" tablet
    Blackview 10.2 Tablet
    Sony Z3 Android Smartphone
    Samsung S9 Plus Smartphone
    Wacom Pro Medium Pen Pad
    Wacom Pro Small Pen Pad
    Wacom ExpressKey Remote
    Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
    Shuttle Pro v2 Control Pad
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest release]
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17 9700
    CPU
    i7 10750H
    Motherboard
    Stock
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Stock Intel + GTX 1650 Ti
    Sound Card
    Stock 4 speaker
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Stock 17" + 32" 4K 3840 x 2160 HDR-10
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400 HDR touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    2TB M2 NVMe
    PSU
    Stock
    Case
    Stock Aluminium / Carbon Fibre
    Cooling
    Stock + 2 fan cooling pad
    Mouse
    Stock Trackpad +Logi Mx Master 3 or MX Ergo Trackball
    Keyboard
    Stock Illuminated + Logi - MX Keys
    Internet Speed
    950 MB Down 55 MB Up
    Browser
    Latest Chrome
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security 2021
    Other Info
    Also use an Adjustable Support for Laptop and Adjustable stand for monitor
I use VMs to run Windows 11 (current version) plus Beta and Dev. Also MacOS (currently Catalina).
macOS on VMware or VirtualBox?

I couldn't get it to work properly in VirtualBox, but it is working very fine on VMware. I'm running macOS Monterey. With Catalina, they removed iTunes as well as support for 32 bit apps. So why are you on it? Why not Mojave or Monterey?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
macOS on VMware or VirtualBox?

I couldn't get it to work properly in VirtualBox, but it is working very fine on VMware. I'm running macOS Monterey. With Catalina, they removed iTunes as well as support for 32 bit apps. So why are you on it? Why not Mojave or Monterey?

VMware, which I have been using since version 5.5

Big Sur and later are OTT bloatware so I stopped there. I do have earlier installers but I wanted to make room for Win 11s
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self built
    CPU
    Intel i8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME Z370-P
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT710
    Sound Card
    ASUS Xonar D2X
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SE2417HGXF Full HD Gaming Monitor, 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung V-NAND SSD 860EVO
    Other spinning HDDs
    PSU
    Xilence XP420
    Cooling
    PSU fan and stock CPU fan
    Mouse
    Microsoft
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Avira free
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 on VMware (Release, Beta and Dev)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
I dont run any VM's on my Windows machine, but I run several on my main macOS device. Mostly for testing application and system updates before rolling out to my machines, but also beta testing new releases, as well as running multiple different Linux VM's. I've got 2TB of storage and 64GB of RAM on that Mac, so running multiple VM's at a time is no problem (little bit of fan noise never hurt nobody!)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-8750H
    Memory
    48GB
I used to use a VM so as to run a second OS for testing and trials, it was by Oracle now it is no longer compatible with Sandbox I don't use it. My needs and understanding of computers has also changed
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
I dont run any VM's on my Windows machine, but I run several on my main macOS device. Mostly for testing application and system updates before rolling out to my machines, but also beta testing new releases, as well as running multiple different Linux VM's. I've got 2TB of storage and 64GB of RAM on that Mac, so running multiple VM's at a time is no problem (little bit of fan noise never hurt nobody!)
MAIN macOS - is that supposed to mean that you consider the mac hardware significantly superior to the one in your Windows machine? People normally limit their main machine for just their work and do all testing on a second machine.

I won’t be surprised if this is the M1+ Mac. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I used to use a VM so as to run a second OS for testing and trials, it was by Oracle now it is no longer compatible with Sandbox I don't use it. My needs and understanding of computers has also changed
Apart from those who do this for professional or testing purposes, I don’t think the average user even needs it. This is more of a thing for enthusiasts IMO.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've set up any virtual Windows system. Even then, it's been just for play to see if I could do it. Never particularly excited by it or really needed it for anything. I've generally been able to accomplish what I want with the real thing.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win10 Pro x64 & 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-11700
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix Z590 Gaming
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3050
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 32UN650 32" 4k
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 @ 60Hz (175% scaling)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe 250GB; WD Gold (WD1005FBYZ) 1TB; WD Black (WD1003FZEX) 1TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Antec P100
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2 with Noctua NF-P12 Redux & 120mm Case Fan x3
    Keyboard
    Logitech K740
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Internet Speed
    372 Mb down/12Mb up
    Browser
    Firefox & Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender & Free MBAM
    Other Info
    Main PC
i use virtual machines for all of my playing and testing. For example, the new CentOS 9 stream release came out a few days ago. i downloaded the ISO, and put it into a virtual machine to just see it and kick the tires.

I use lots of virtual machines for labs and testing. I am a systems engineer for a living and sometimes it's nice to setup a small lab at home to play with something. For example, 1 Windows sever as a domain controller, 1 windows server as a file storage box, 2 boxes as nodes for a SQL cluster, and typically 1 client machine to make connections from and manage the whole thing In a short amount of time, i can have an isolated lab running a handful of machines and play with something to learn how it works.

I use VM's for writing up documentation. if I am trying to figure out how to do something and provide instructions for others, I can use the VM to get a clean start and show them exactly what the experience is like from the start to the finish...rather than just saying...well, I have all of these things already installed on my machine already.....
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink SEI8
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8279u
    Motherboard
    AZW SEI
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 2666Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Plus 655
    Sound Card
    Intel SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus ProArt PA278QV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe
    PSU
    NA
    Case
    NA
    Cooling
    NA
    Keyboard
    NA
    Mouse
    NA
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Mini PC used for testing Windows 11.
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5900x
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Strix X570-E Gaming
    Memory
    64GB DDR4-3600
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ. ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27” WQHD
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2TB WD SN850 PCI-E Gen 4 NVMe
    2TB Sandisk Ultra 2.5" SATA SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus 850
    Case
    Fractal Meshify S2 in White
    Cooling
    Dark Rock Pro CPU cooler, 3 x 140mm case fans
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Keyboard
    Corsiar K65 RGB Lux
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender.

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