Can I run Visual Studio 2012 on a Windows 7 virtual machine?

Question

I would like to try Windows 7 before I decide to move on. The reason I'm still using XP is because of the stability and because all my programming tools work just fine with XP. However I would like to install the new Visual Studio and it requires Windows 7.

I would like to run Windows 7 as a virtual machine using Virtual PC and my question is whether it is possible to install Visual Studio inside the Windows 7 VM. I've never done it before and would like you guys to share any experiences about doing so before I dive into the install/uninstall struggle.

Solution 1

You can run pretty much anything on a VM, except perhaps application that require graphic or audio acceleration (games in particular).

You can certainly run Visual Studio in a VM that supports Windows 7 like VirtualBox.

VMs are a great way to try new products or OSes. Some people also them useful simply to keep their development environment "clean" and portable.

Since you can install from a ISO image of a Windows 7 disc, it's usually quite faster than a real installation using a physical disc. And when you're done, you can delete the VM.

The main issue is going to be memory. Since XP is 32-bit, you won't be able to give Win7 more than 1.5GB or so of RAM, which is less than ideal. (Running XP VM inside a 64-bit installation of windows 7 is much easier for this reason.)

Solution 2

According to Wikipedia,

The newest release, Windows Virtual PC, does not run on versions of Windows earlier than Windows 7

I would recommend using Virtualbox as a freeware alternative. It is rather intuitive, easy to set up, and supports the virtualization of many operating systems in addition to Windows 7. https://www.virtualbox.org/

Comments

[joe]

alright, is it possible to install the VS 2012 inside the Virtual box VM ? any directions. thanks

[Karan]

Windows 7 should run on Virtual PC 2007 SP1, as per this blog post: Windows 7 on Virtual PC on Windows 7 and this answer. But yeah, VirtualBox should be a better bet if it officially supports that combo.

[joe]

thanks guys will try...should be easy :)...still using xp that's what i'm asking.... i'm a dinausor :)

[Mike]

You should also check the virtualization support for your processor. This is a handy tool: technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc835722