How To Play Windows 8 In VirtualBox

It was expected from the point Microsoft announced the latest addition of Windows 8 to its ever popular line of Windows operating systems, that this would be perhaps the most anticipated product Microsoft has had to offer Windows enthusiasts all over the world (up till the time leading up to its final release). And in further building up the hype Microsoft, as a lot of you might already be familiar with, has also released two beta versions of the new operating system namely Windows 8 Developer Preview and Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
Now, considering Windows 8 Consumer Preview in being just a month old since its release, a lot of you might want to try out the same on your computers. And if so, well, you are in the right place. Microsoft first suggests you download a free copy of the Consumer Preview version (as an ISO file) from its official website. And then after, proceed with the guide it has formulated below for a successful Windows 8 installation on your computer.
Installing Windows 8 using VirtualBox

1. Download “Oracle VirtualBox” and then install the same by clicking on its “.exe” file.
2. Once the installation completes, open the folder for Oracle VM VirtualBox by getting on Windows “Start” menu then “Programs” and click on the software’s shortcut icon.
3. Select “New” from the program’s toolbar and then proceed with the on-screen instructions in creating a new Virtual Machine.
4. Type in “Windows 8” as the name for your new virtual machine and set aside a reasonable amount of your system memory for Windows 8 installation.
5. Now choose to create a new virtual disk by first selecting “VDI” as file type. You can either set the virtual disk to expand dynamically in size or choose a fixed disk size.

NOTE: If you opt for a fixed disk, 20 GB is the minimum. But if you plan to install apps, set it to 30 GB or higher.
Next up, after your virtual disk has been successfully created, the team then suggests you click on your system “Start” button and power it on.

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Windows 8 Installation Instructions

Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system is still in its production phase and will take a few months more before it finally hits the market. However, this hasn’t stopped the good people working at Microsoft from releasing beta previews of the same operating system to get users like us, familiar with a lot of features and additions that Microsoft plans on introducing with Windows 8. Now in getting back to our article and the task at hand, many of you may have gone ahead with Windows 8 installation for your machines. And to repeat what we’ve already gone through, all of the Metro style App previews that are included with the latest Windows 8 Consumer Preview have been designed basically as showcases so that you can see how they work. And as such, this provides us with an irritating issue with the apps themselves still installed and in place cluttering up your system even after you have already removed their tiles from the Start screen.
The solution to this?
Simply uninstall the ones you do not need following easy Windows 8 installation (or in this case, uninstallation) steps in getting rid of the apps. Here is how.
Getting rid of unwanted apps
Begin by right clicking anywhere on an empty space on the Start Screen followed by selecting “All Apps” from the App bar. This should display you with a full list of all the apps available on your computer.
Understand that the group to your left shows Metro style apps as well as easy shortcuts you may have added to the Start Screen while the group to your right shows Windows desktop programs that you may have installed, as well as Windows Accessories and related system tools.
Now to uninstall a Metro style program, simply right click on its entry and select uninstall in the App bar. Here are a few rules you need to note:

removing unwanted Apps

• Metro style apps are stored on a per-user basis. If you uninstall an App Preview, it remains available for other user accounts.
• Some app tiles can’t be uninstalled or removed from this screen. In the Windows 8 Customer Preview, this list includes Internet Explorer, Remote Desktop, Windows Defender, and the Store tile.
• The Mail, Calendar, Messaging, and People apps are part of a single package. If you uninstall one, you will uninstall the entire package. You can’t keep the People app and get rid of Calendar.

Once you are done, simply tap the Start key and return to your Start screen.

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