Run(Boot) Any Operating System Without Restarting Your Computer

virtual box

Running(booting) one or multiple Operating System (OS) inside your windows or Linux or Mac is a crazy idea. Because we know that only one operating system can be run at a time. But modern computers and softwares made it possible to run multiple OSs at the same time without harming your existing operating system. For example you can run/boot Ubuntu Linux or Mac OS X inside windows(when windows is running) without restarting your PC and boot/run Windows or Mac OS X when Linux is running.


All you need to do, you need to install a Program named "Virtual Box" on your system. Virtual Box is developed by Oracle Corporation as part of its family of virtualization products. It is installed on an existing host operating system; within this application, additional guest operating systems, each known as a Guest OS, can be loaded and run, each with its own virtual environment. Virtual box is available able for all Operating Systems like Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris.

How to Use Virtual Box:
(When I was writing this post, I was on Linux Mint. So I tried another OS such as Windows XP to run with Virtual Box in Linux Mint)
1. Download virtual box for your running system.

2. Install it on Your System. And run it.

virtual box 3.2 main window

3. Click on New. Then It popup an window like below.

create new virtual machine with virtual box

4. Click Next. Then your window will be shown as below.

type the name of OS you want to run on virtual box

5. Write the name of your operating system you want to use. You can also select your operating system manually. I selected Windows XP.


6. Click next and it will want Base Memory Size. Try to use greater base memory from recommended size. Then click next.

select base memory on virtual box

create virtual box in virtual box

7. Use default settings of creating new hard disk. And click next. And next.


8. Use Dynamic Expanding Storage for Hard Disk Storage Drive. Then next.

select hard disk storage type in virtual box

9. Now you will see an windows like below.

choose the size of virtual disk

10. Click on the folder icon at the right side to select the place where you want to put/save virtual hard disk. Select 5 to 10 GB size for virtual hard disk. Click next. And finish. Then finish.
11. Now your window is probably as below.

windows xp is ready for running on virtual box

12. Now click on start to to run your desired OS as portable on this virtual machine.
13. An window like below will pop up. Select next. Then it will as below.

14. Click on the folder icon at the right side to select the iso file of your operating system which you want to boot in this virtual machine. Then click next and finish.

select the iso file of OS(xp) to run on virtual box

15. Now the operating system(I used XP) will start to load. And it should be run as real.

micrsoft windows xp is running on virtual box

16. Use "Ctrl" key to control your mouse direction between you running and virtual system.
16. If you see any error message, then either you have low memory or your iso file is corrupted. Check MD5SUM code of your iso file to check it bad or right.




Thats all. Don't forget to leave comments as your feedback.