Microsoft recently released new virtual machines with Windows 11 22H2 or Windows 11 2022 Update aimed at developers interested in creating new applications compatible with the operating system. Virtual machines are freely available for four different virtualization platforms: Hyper-V (Windows), VMware (Windows), Oracle VirtualBox (Windows, macOS and Linux) and Parallels (macOS).
With regard to virtualization solutions supported by virtual machines, Hyper-V is free and is already included in the Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 10 and 11. VMware Workstation Pro is a paid virtualization solution, while VMware Workstation Player is free for domestic use. Oracle VirtualBox is a free and open source virtualization solution. Lastly, Parallels Desktop is a paid virtualization solution for macOS.
According to Microsoft, in addition to coming with the pre-installed Windows 11 Enterprise 22H2 evaluation version, the new virtual machines made available by the company also include tools for developers such as Visual Studio 2022, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2 enabled and with Ubuntu installed, Windows Terminal installed and enabled as the default command line utility, and Developer Mode enabled.
An important detail is that although the virtual machines are freely available for download, they have an expiration date: January 10, 2023. Updated versions of virtual machines with a new expiration date should be made available by Microsoft after they expire. Alternatively, developers can use a valid Windows 11 Enterprise product key to activate the operating system without worrying about the expiration date.
- Content of Virtual Machines with Windows 11 22H2
– Windows 11 Enterprise 22H2 (trial version)
– Visual Studio 2022 Community Edition with UWP, .NET Desktop, Azure and Windows App SDK for C#
– Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 enabled and with Ubuntu installed.
– Windows Terminal installed
– Developer Mode enabled on Windows 11
Developers can download virtual machines from the links below. Each of them has about 20GB:
Download - Virtual machine for Hyper-V
Download - Virtual Machine for VMware Workstation Pro/Player
Download - Virtual Machine for Oracle VirtualBox
Download - Virtual Machine for Parallels Desktop
