INTRODUCTION
Windows is an operating system designed by Microsoft. The operating system manages all the hardware and software on a computer, to allow the computer to be used for a variety of tasks.
Windows can be installed on a real physical computer or a virtual machine. Several virtual machine applications are available on the market. On this Document, VirtualBox will be the free and open-source virtualization application used to demonstrate how to build a virtual machine, install Windows 10 as its operating system and setting it up for end users.
BUILDING A VIRTUAL MACHINE (VM) IN VIRTUALBOX
Use the following instructions to build a virtual machine (VM) in VirtualBox:
• Click on the VirtualBox icon to open the application:
The Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager window will open.
• Click on New from the different options at the top of the window:
A Create Virtual Machine window will pop up.
On the Create Virtual Machine window:
• Type a Name for the VM, this will only be a display name.
On the sample provided, the chosen name is TFLAB01.
• On the Machine Folder section: choose a storage location for the VM on the computer host.
• Select the desired Type of operating system and the desired Version.
• Click on Next to go to the following window.
On the next window:
• Choose the memory size (RAM).
On the sample provided the chosen RAM is 4GB.
• Click on Next to go to the following window.
On the next window:
• Select Create a virtual hard disk now to add a virtual hard disk to the new machine.
• Click on Create to move to the following window.
On the next window:
• Select the desired file type to use for the virtual hard disk.
On the sample provided, VDI (Virtual Disk Image) is chosen.
• Click on Next to go to the following window.
On the next window:
• Choose whether the new virtual hard disk should grow as it is used (dynamically allocated) or should be created at its maximum size (fixed size).
On the sample, the chosen storage type is Dynamically allocated.
• Click on Next to go to the following window.
On the next window:
• Choose the new virtual hard disk location by typing it in the space provided or by selecting it using the folder icon.
A location will be automatically suggested.
• Choose the size of the virtual hard disk: on the sample 30 GB is chosen.
• Click on Create to complete the process.
At this point the new created VM can be seen on the side panel of the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager.
GIVING THE VIRTUAL MACHINE MULTIPLE PROCESSORS
It is possible to give more than 1 processor to the virtual machine. To do so, follow the next steps.
On the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager window:
• Highlight the new created VM by clicking on it.
• Click on Settings at the top of the window. The Settings window will open.
On the Settings window:
• Click on System from the left panel.
• Choose the Processor tab.
• Select the desired number of Processors: in the sample provided 2 CPU core is chosen.
• Click on Ok to complete the system setting.
SETTING UP THE VIRTUAL MACHINE’S NETWORK
The VM’s network can be setup by choosing the number of adapters and selecting a desired attachment type for each adapter.
On the Settings window:
• Click on Network from the left panel.
• Select Enable Network adapter for adapter 1.
• From the drop-down menu, select Bridged Adapter: this will allow the VM to have its own IP address.
• Click on Ok to to complete the network setting.
ADDING A SECOND HARD DRIVE TO VIRTUAL MACHINE
A second hard drive can be added to the VM. Use the following instructions to do so:
On the Settings window:
• Click on Storage from the left panel, then click on the “adds hard disk” icon.
• On the new wizard that opens click on Create.
On the next window that opens:
• Chose the type of file to use for the new virtual hard drive.
• On the sample provided VDI is chosen.
• Click on Next to move to the following window.
On the next window:
• Choose whether the new virtual hard disk should grow as it is used (dynamically allocated), or should be created at its maximum size (fixed size). On the sample the chosen storage type is Dynamically allocated.
• Click on Next to go to the following window.
On the next window:
• Choose the second virtual hard disk location.
• Choose the size of the second virtual hard disk: on the sample 1 GB is chosen.
• Click on Create.
On the following window:
• Select the name of the second virtual hard drive just created.
• Click on Choose to complete the process.
INSTALLING WINDOWS 10 ON THE VIRTUAL MACHINE
The virtual machine needs an operation system, to be operational. Windows 10 can be installed on the VM using the following steps.
On the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager window:
• Highlight the new created VM by clicking on it.
• Click on Settings at the top of the window.
The Settings window will open.
On the Settings window:
• Click on Storage from the left panel
• Click on the disk icon of the controller.
• Then click on the disk icon on the top right, to open the next window.
• On the next window, click on Choose a disk file.
• Then, from the Depot folder of the computer host, select Win 10 pro 64bit.
• Click on Open to finish.
Back to the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager window the VM can be seen with all its specs.
• Select the VM on the left panel.
• Then, from the top panel, click on Start to open the VM, and boot the Windows 10 operating system.
The new virtual machine will open, and Windows 10 will start setting up.
• Select the desired language.
• Then click on Next to continue.
• On the following window: Click on Install now.
• On the next window: Select Windows 10 Pro.
• Click on Next to move to the following window.
• On the next Window: Read then select Accept the license agreement.
• Then click on Next.
On the following windows:
• Choose Custom Install Windows Only (advanced).
• Select the desired location for installing Windows.
• Click on Next to install Windows.
At this point, Windows will start installing.
• Do not press any key.
• Wait for the process to run its course. Once installed Windows will reboot many times.
Once done, the system will ask a few selections to be made to complete its setup. When prompted to do so:
• Select the appropriate region.
• Select the desired keyboard layout.
• The next window offers the option to setup an additional keyboard layout. Click on Skip if a second keyboard
layout is not wanted.
• Choose whether the Set up should be done for personal use or for an organization.
In the sample Set up for an organization is the option of choice.
• Click on Next to move forward.
The next window gives the options to sign in with a Microsoft account or to use Domain join instead.
In the sample the option Domain Join instead is chosen.
• Click on Next to continue the setup.
On the following windows:
• choose a username for the account.
• Choose and confirm a password.
• Select a series of security questions and provide the answers. These security measures will help to access
the account in case the password is forgotten.
• Click on Next to continue the setup.
The next window offers the opportunity to have activity history across devices: this allows a user to work on the same project using different devices.
• Click on Yes to accept the option.
• Or click on No if is it not a desired option.
• Click on Learn more to have more information about the option.
The following window offers the option to use the help of a digital assistant named: Cortana.
• Click on Accept to use Cortana.
• Or click on Decline to reject the option.
• Click on Learn more to get more Information about the digital assistant.
The next window allows to choose privacy settings.
• Scroll down to view and choose the desired settings.
• Click on Accept to finish.
At this point Windows will take several minutes to complete the setup. Upon completion of its setup, Windows will open.
Once Windows opens the new hard disks must be formatted to be operational:
• Type Partition on the search bar.
• Click on Create and format hard disk partitions.
The Disk Management window will open and show the hard disks of the virtual machine. The disk having the blue top line is the primary partition. The disk having the black top line is unallocated and need to be formatted. To do so:
• Right click on the disk to format.
• Click on New sample volume. A wizard will open.
On the New Simple Volume Wizard:
• Select the desired size on the partition. In the sample provided, the maximum disk space is chosen.
• Click on Next to continue.
On the next window:
• Use the drop down menu to assign a letter to the disk. In the provided sample, the letter E is chosen.
• Click on Next to continue.
On the next window, to format the disk:
• Select Format this volume with the following settings.
• Use the drop-down menu to select the desired File system.
In the sample provided, NTFS ( New Technology File System) is chosen.
• Select Perform a quick format.
• Then click on Next to continue.
On the following window:
• Review the formatting selections.
• Click on Finish to complete formatting and close the wizard.
At this point, on the disk management window, the new formatted disk can be seen with a top blue line.
NAMING THE VIRTUAL MACHINE
When the virtual machine is created, it receives an automatic name by the system. This name can be changed to allow easier management. To change the VM’s name:
• Type System on the task bar.
• Click on the System icon. A new window will open.
On the System Window:
• Click on Change settings, on the computer name, domain and workgroup settings.
Another window will open.
On the following windows:
• Click on Change.
• Type the desired Computer name in the provided space. In the sample the chosen name is TFLAB01.
• Click on Ok, then click on Apply.
It will be necessary to restart the computer to apply the changes. It will be possible to choose to restart immediately or later, by clicking on the appropriate button when prompted to do so.
SETTING UP THE DNS SERVER
The DNS server can be set up manually or automatically.
To set it up manually:
• Type Settings on the task bar.
• Click on the Settings icon.
On the Settings window:
• Click on Network & Internet.
• Click on Change adapter options, on the next window. The Network Connections window will open.
On the Network Connections window:
• Right click on Ethernet.
• Then click on Properties.
On the Ethernet Properties window:
• Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), by clicking on it.
• Then click on Properties.
On the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) window:
• Select Use the following DNS server addresses.
• On the space provided, type the desired addresses.
In the sample the chosen addresses are:
o For the Preferred DNS server: 1.1.1.1
o For the Alternate DNS server: 8.8.8.8
• Click on Ok.
• Then close all the previously opened windows.
SETTING THE CORRECT TIME ON THE VM
The correct time can be set on the VM by completing the following steps:
• Right click on the time displayed on the system tray, at the bottom right of the desktop. A menu will pop up.
• From that menu, select Adjust date/time. Another window will open.
On the next window:
• Enable Set time automatically, by clicking on it.
• Make sure the correct Time zone is selected.
• Then close the window.
INSTALLING APPLICATIONS ON THE VM
Upon installing windows 10 on a computer, some applications become available, like Microsoft Edge; but most applications needed by the users will need to be installed separately.
INSTALLING MANY APPLICATIONS AT ONCE USING NINITE
«Ninite is a package management system offering, that enables users to make a selection from a list of applications and bundles the selection into a single installer package.» (Wikipedia, 2021)
To install applications using Ninite:
• Use a web browser to go to the Ninite.com website.
• Scroll down to view and select the desired applications.
On the sample the chosen apps are:
- Google Chrome
- Teamviewer
- Firefox
.
• Then click on Get Your Ninite
A message will pop up, asking what to do with the apps selected from Ninite:
• Click on Run. This will prompt User Access Control (UAC) to open.
UAC will ask if permission is given to Ninite to make changes on the device.
• Click on Yes to allow the changes. All the apps selected will be downloaded.
• Click on Close when Ninite finishes the downloading process.
SETTING CHROME AS DEFAULT BROWSER
Once installed, Google Chrome can be set as default browser. To do so:
• Click on the Chrome icon to open the app.
• Click on Set as default on the message under the address bar. A Defaults apps Settings window will open.
On the Defaults apps Settings window:
• Click on the current default Web browser. A message will prompt the user to check out the current browser before switching.
• Click on Switch anyway.
At this point Google Chrome will be listed as the current default Web browser.
• Close the Defaults apps Settings window.
SETTING A WEBSITE AS CHROME’S HOME PAGE
On the initial Google Chrome’s home page:
• Click on the Customize and Control Google Chrome button: that button is represented by 3 dots on the top right of the window.
• Click on Settings from the list of options. Another window will open.
On the Chrome Settings window:
• Scroll down to find and click on the On startup option.
• Select Open a specific page or Set of pages.
• Then click on Add a new page. A little window will pop up.
On the Add a new page window:
• Type the desired website. On the sample provided the chosen website is: thetechfoundry.org
• Click on Add to finish.
At this point the chosen site name is visible as the Google Chrome home page on the startup settings.
Every time a user opens Google Chrome, that chosen website will be the home page.
INSTALLING APPLICATIONS INDIVIDUALLY
Not every application can be found on Ninite. If needed, applications like MS Teams or Adobe Reader must be installed individually.
INSTALLING MS TEAMS
To install MS Teams use the following instructions:
• On a web browse search MS teams download.
• From the search results click on MS Teams Go to download. Another window will open.
On the Download Microsoft Teams window:
• Click on Download for desktop. Another window will open.
On the next window:
• Click on Download Teams.
• Then click on Run to start downloading the app.
Once the download is completed, the app will launch a Welcome to Microsoft Teams! window.
• Click on Get Started from the welcome window, to start using the application.
INSTALLING ADOBE READER
To install Adobe Reader use the following instructions:
• Search Adobe Reader free download on a web browser
• On the Adobe Acrobat search result. click on Go to download
• Click on Download Acrobat Reader. from the new window that popped up.
• When asked what to do with the software intall.exe: Click on Run.
A User Account Control (UAC) window will pop up.
• Click on Yes from the UAC window to allow the installation to continue.
Adobe Acrobat Reader will install. This will take a few minutes.
• Select Launch Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. This will allow Adobe reader to open automatically once installed.
• Click on Finish once the installation is complete.
A window will pop up, asking if Adobe Acrobat Reader should be made the default PDF application.
• Click on Yes.
• Click on Continue from the next window.
• Click on Change, on the following window .
On the next Window:
• Select Adobe Acrobat Reader, to make it the default application for PDF files.
• Then click on Ok.
Back to the previous window:
• Click on Apply.
• Then click on Ok.
At this point the shortcut for all the applications installed can be seen on the desktop.
CREATING USER ACCOUNTS
« A separate user account can be created for each person sharing a computer. A user account allows to sign in to a computer. User accounts allow everyone to save their own files, preferences, and settings without affecting other computer users. » (GCFglobal, n.d.)
To create a user account, complete the following steps:
• Type Computer Management on the task bar.
• Click on The Computer Management Icon that pops up. The Computer Management window will open.
On the Computer Management window:
• Click on Local Users and Groups on the left panel.
• Double click on Users.
• Right-click on the page.
• Then click on New Users.
A New User window will open.
On the New User window:
• Fill out the required information for the user account: User name and Full name.
• Description and Password are optional.
• Select User must change password at next login.
• Then click on Create.
The account will be created, but the window will not close automatically. It will stay open, ready to create another account.
On the following samples, 6 different user accounts were created:
1. Jane Doe – Marketing
2. William Rodriguez - IT, Admin
3. Jenny Brooks – Sales
4. James Patterson - Marketing
5. Jenny Park - IT, Admin
6. Bob Riley - Sales
• Once the desired user accounts are created, click on Close to finish. Those accounts will be listed on the Users page.
CREATING GROUPS / ADDING USERS TO GROUPS
A group can be created for each department of an organization. Users can also be added to existing groups. To do so, complete the following steps:
• Click on Groups on the left panel of the Computer Management window. A list of the existing groups will appear.
• Right click on Administrators.
• Then click on Add to group. The Administrators Properties window will open.
• Click on Add to add the people with administrative permissions to that group.
A Select Users window will open.
On the Select Users window:
• Type the users names separated by a semi colon (;).Then click on Check Names. This will search for the user accounts
on the machine.
On the sample provided, 2 users are being added to the group.
• Once done, click on Ok.
The Select Users window will close, and the new users to add will be visible on the Administrators Properties window.
• At this point, click on Apply.
• Then click on Ok.
To create a new group:
• Right click on the Groups page
• Click on New Group. A New Group window will open
On the New Group window:
• Type the desired Group name,
• Then click on Add.
• Follow the steps previously described to add users.
• Then click on Create.
The new group will be created, but the window will not close automatically. It will stay open, ready to create another group.
On the samples provided, 3 groups were created:
1-The Marketing group
2-The IT Group
3-The Sales group
• Once the desired groups are created, click on Close to finish.
CREATING FOLDERS AND BACKUP FOLDERS
« A folder holds one or more files, and a folder can be empty until it is filled. A folder can also contain other folders, and there can be many levels of folders within folders.
Folders provide a method for organizing files much like a manila file folder contains paper documents in a file cabinet. » (PCmag, n.d.)
To create a folder, complete the following steps.
• Type File Explorer on the task bar.
• Click on the File Explorer icon.
On the File Explorer window:
• Click on This PC on left panel. This PC window will open.
• Select the desired location for the folder.
On the sample provided, the folder will be created in the second hard drive: the second hard drive identified as New Volume (E) is selected.
On the New Volume (E) window, to create the new folder:
• Click on the New Folder icon at the top of the window.
Or
• Right click on the page.
• Then click on New.
• Then click on Folder.
The new folder will be visible on the New Volume (E) window.
• Type a name for the new folder.
On the sample provided, a new Department and a new Backup folder were created.
CREATING A FOLDER FOR EACH DEPARTMENT
A folder can be created for each department of an organization. Each folder can have its own security settings, allowing access to only specific groups of users, by applying the appropriate permissions. This is possible because the hard drive was formatted using the New Technology File System (NTFS) setting.
To create different folders within a folder:
• Open the desired folder by a double click.
• Then create a new folder following the previously described steps.
On the sample, within the Department folder a new Marketing folder is created.
To apply the desired security settings to the new created folder:
• Right click on the desired folder
• Then click on Properties. A new window will open.
On the Properties window:
• Click on the Security tab.
• Then click on Advanced. An Advance Security Settings window will open.
On the Advanced Security Settings window:
• Click on Disable Inheritance.
This allows to remove the initial permissions inherited from the parent folder.
On the next window that follows:
• Click on Convert inherited permissions Into explicit permission on this object.
Back to the Advanced Security Settings window:
• Click on Apply.
• Then click on Ok.
Back to the Security tab:
• Click on Edit to change the permission settings and add the desired users.
On the Permissions window:
• Click on the unwanted users.
• Then click on Remove. Do not remove Administrators and SYSTEM.
• To add users for the folder, click on Add.
On the Select Users or Groups window:
• Type the desired group name.
• Then click on Check Names. This will search for the group on the machine.
• Click on Ok, once done.
Back to the Permissions window:
• Click on Apply.
• Then click on Ok to complete the security settings for that folder.
Repeat the same steps to create any other needed folders and configure their security settings.
In the samples provided, 3 folders were created with their own security settings.
Marketing Folder
Sales Folder
IT Folder
Administrators and SYSTEM have access to all the folders and each folder has his specific set of users.
The new created folders are located in the Department folder, located itself in the second hard drive, Volume (E).
LOGIN WITH DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS
When a computer is started, if it has many accounts, it is possible to choose which account to use by clicking on the name of the desired user account on the login screen.
On the sample provided the user accounts can be seen on the left side of the login screen of the computer.
To login with an account:
• Click on the desired account.
When using the account for the first time, the user will be asked to change their password if the account was created with that setting.
• Click on Ok to change the password.
• Type then confirm the password in the provided spaces.
• Then click on the arrow to move forward.
A message will confirm that the password was changed.
• Click on Ok.
At this point, it will take windows a few minutes to set up.
The next window will allow the user to choose the privacy settings.
• Scroll down to make all the desired selections.
• Click on Accept once done.
At this point, Windows desktop will open for that account.
Repeat the same steps to login with different accounts.
The following samples show login screen for 6 different users.
COPYING FOLDERS
Folders can be copied for backup purposes. To copy some users folders to a backup folder, complete the following steps:
On one side of the desktop:
• From This PC, open the Local Disk (C).
• Click on Users.
• Click on the desired user to open its window.
On another side of the desktop:
• Open the desired backup folder.
• Create the folders where the copied folders will be stored.
In the sample, one folder is on top, the other folder is on the bottom of the desktop.
Once the user folder and the new backup folder are open on the desktop:
• Drag the desired folders into the desired location, to copy them.
In the samples provided, the Marketing staffs JDoe and JPatterson’s users folders have been copied into their respective location in the backup folder, located itself on the second hard drive.
Only the following folders have been copied for each staff member: Document, Downloads, Pictures and Videos.
CREATING A DESKTOP SHORTCUT FOR A WEBSITE
A desktop shortcut is useful for accessing software programs or files easier and quicker. It is possible to have a shortcut of a website on the desktop for easy access.
To create a shortcut for a website:
• Open a web browser.
• Type the website on the address bar and tap enter from the keyboard.
• Double click on the name of the website, to show its full URL.
In the sample, the chosen website is Office.com.
• Resize the browser window, so the desktop can also be visible.
• Drag the URL to the Desktop to create the website shortcut.
CUSTOMIZING USER ACCOUNT CONTROL (UAC)
The User Account Control (UAC) can be customized by an Administrator.
To do so:
• Type UAC on the task bar.
• Click on Change User Account Control Settings.
A UAC Settings window will open.
On the UAC Settings window:
• Select the setting level. This determines when the user will be notified about changes.
On the sample provided, the UAC is reduced to the second-lowest setting.
• Click on Ok when the selection is done.
On the UAC window that pops up
• Click on Yes to allow the change.
REMOTE DESKTOP ACCESS
« Remote desktop is a program or an operating system feature that allows a user to connect to a computer in another location, see that computer's desktop and interact with it as if it were local. » (TechTarget, 2016)
The Remote Desktop can be turned on by an Administrator. To do so:
• Open Control Panel.
• On the Control Panel window, click on System and Security.
On the System and Security page:
• Click on Allow remote access, from the System section.
A System Properties window will open.
On the System Properties window:
• Click on Allow remote connections to this computer.
• Click on Apply.
• Then click on Ok.
• Once done, close all the windows that were open.
After creating the virtual machine, installing Windows 10, formatting the hard drives, setting the DNS and the correct time, installing useful applications, creating useful desktop shortcuts, customizing remote desktop and UAC, creating different user accounts, groups, department and backup folders, the machine is operational, ready to be shared by different users.
References
GCFglobal. (n.d.). Retrieved from edu.gcfglobal.org: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/windowsbasics/all-about-windows/1/
PCmag. (n.d.). Retrieved from pcmag.com: https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/files-vs-folders
TechTarget. (2016, October). Retrieved from techtarget.com: https://searchenterprisedesktop.techtarget.com/definition/remote-desktop
Wikipedia. (2021, March 22). Retrieved from wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninite#:~:text=Ninite%20(%2F%CB%88n%C9%AAn,for%20their%20Windows%20operating%20system.