Can I run Windows on a virtual machine?

[erw1]

I've switched to Linux on the machine that initially came with Windows installed. But once in a while I need to go back to Windows. So, could I do that thru VM? And how practically? I've kept a bootable recovery drive for Windows. That, and the product key, is all I have.

 

[Bree]

I've switched to Linux on the machine that initially came with Windows installed. But once in a while I need to go back to Windows. So, could I do that thru VM? And how practically? I've kept a bootable recovery drive for Windows. That, and the product key, is all I have.

Welcome to Seven Forums.

Yes, it is quite possible to run a Windows VM in Linux. There are several ways to do that, I think my choice would be VirtualBox.

How to Run a Virtual Machine on Linux: 3 Different Ways

Which version of Windows? 7, 8, 10 or 11? You can download an ISO for Win10 or Win11 from Microsoft and use that to install windows in the VM. ISOs for Win7 are harder to find. You will need to use your key to activate windows after it has been installed. A valid Win7 or Win8 key can be used to activate Win10 or Win11. To activate a Win7 VM you will probably need to use the automatic phone activation, I had to when I set up a Windows 7 VM using Hyper-V in Windows.

 

[erw1]

Bree, my profile says Windows 7 there are two problems:
1- this is an OEM license, the VM is a different machine than that on which it is installed: would this be a problem?
2- I don't have the ISO file, only a bootable recovery drive. Would reinstalling Windows using the recovery drive allow me to generate an iso?

 

[Bree]

@Bree, my profile says Windows 7 there are two problems:
1- this is an OEM license, the VM is a different machine than that on which it is installed: would this be a problem?
2- I don't have the ISO file, only a bootable recovery drive. Would reinstalling Windows using the recovery drive allow me to generate an iso?

How did you make or get this bootable recovery drive? is it an OEM 'factory restore' recovery drive? Also, where did you get your key?

The OEM supplied recovery media will sefl-activate when installed on the PC it was supplied with without needing to go online. This is down to the combined presence of a generic OEM-specific key in the installed Windows 7, an OEM certificate, and an OEM SLP marker in the bios of the PC. If that is what you have then it can't activate if installed in a VM, it needs to see the bios of the original PC, but it will be seeing the virtual bios of the VM instead.

If you read the key from the installed Windows 7 on the old PC with something such as ShowKeyPlus, then it may well be the generic OEM key that you found. If so, then on its own that cannot activate anything.

With a PC that came with an OEM pre-installed Windows 7 you should have another key available, the key from the CoA sticker on the PC. This can activate an install made by the standard MS install media, but as I said, you will need to use the automatic phone activation service to do that. To do a clean install you'll need an ISO, this thread has several suggestions for where you can download a Windows 7 ISO.

Where can I get Win 7 Pro 64-bit installation .iso for repair install?

 

[erw1]

How did you make or get this bootable recovery drive? is it an OEM 'factory restore' recovery drive? Also, where did you get your key?

It's been years, so I cannot remember what tool I used to create the recovery media. I'm including a snapshot of its content. Also, at startup if I chose the recovery media for booting, it does launch Windows installation. The product key is printed on the frame of the computer, underneath the removable part to access the battery.

 

[Bree]

It's been years, so I cannot remember what tool I used to create the recovery media. I'm including a snapshot of its content. Also, at startup if I chose the recovery media for booting, it does launch Windows installation. The product key is printed on the frame of the computer, underneath the removable part to access the battery.

That product key is the Certificate of Authority (CoA) key that is supplied with every OEM pre-installed Win7. It is not the key that was used in the pre-installed Windows, but one that you could use if you ever lost the OEM recovery media and needed to reinstall with standard MS media. That should do nicely and be able to activate a clean install of Windows 7, though you will probably be have to install without using a key then use phone activation. The key will only activate one particular edition (Home, Pro, etc). Make sure install the correct edition in your VM.

It's not clear what that recovery drive is, the .Trash-1000 folder is a unix-style paperbin, suggesting it was made using Linux or a Mac. I cannot tell if this is an OEM installer or a standard Microsoft one. I suggest you download a Win7 ISO, I'd use the Heidoc.net Windows & Office ISO download tool to get a Window 7 (August 2018) ISO direct from Microsoft.

Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool