How to make testing easier and safer with virtual machines

By Ed Bott

Every Windows expert will tell you that it's a very, very bad idea to experiment with software, settings, and services on a PC you use for daily work. If something goes wrong, especially with a program or utility that turns out to be malicious or incompatible with your hardware, you could spend hours or days cleaning up the mess.

The alternative is a virtual machine, which allows you to perform those tests in a sandboxed environment that acts like a physical PC but is isolated from your daily work.

If you use the Pro or Enterprise edition of Windows 10 (64-bit only), the superb Hyper-V virtualization platform is available for free. On modern hardware built for business use, the support should be built into the BIOS, and all you have to do is turn on the Hyper-V feature by going to Control Panel > Programs > Programs And Features > Turn Windows Features On Or Off.

On PCs running Windows 10 Home or any version of Windows 7, your only option is third-party virtualization software. The free VirtualBox app is an excellent starting point.

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