Thread: setting up the virtual machine

In this step, we can create the virtual machine that installs into th.e virtual disk we just created. Click on the New button on the toolbar Proceed to the next step and enter a name for the virtual machine there. Choose the operating system that closely resembles the one you are about to install.

Some of the really compact operating systems worth installing on flash drives are Damn Small Linux, Puppy Linux, or ReactOS. It's also possible to have XP and Vista running off your hard drive like any other Linux distribution.

In the next step, set a Base Memory Size. This is the memory that will be allotted to the virtual machine. A compact Linux distribution or Windows XP will be able to run just fine with somewhere around 256 MB of RAM. For larger operating systems, set a memory size of 1 GB or more. While setting it, keep the amount of memory available on the PCs you'll be running this virtual machine on, in mind.

The next step is to select the hard drive. In our case, we've already set the hard drive. It should appear in the dropdown. If you haven't created a virtual disk or if you want to create a different one for this operating system, click on Create new hard disk. Proceed to complete the virtual machine creation process.

At any time, to get focus into the virtual machine window, click on the virtual machine window. To get out of it back to the local desktop, press the right [Ctrl]key.