Updated on 16.11.12
To try Windows 8 without buying it, you can use Windows 8 Enterprise in Italian which you can download for free, perfectly functional and usable for 90 days.
The installation of Windows 8 can be done on your home computer, fixed or portable, with a procedure within everyone's reach, without any consequence on the stability of your PC.
Being a trial version, it is not convenient to install it on the PC as you normally would, but it is better to use a virtual machine that is not complicated at all and allows you not to dirty your computer.
Whether you have Windows XP, Windows 7 or Vista, you can then proceed to install Windows 8 in two ways :
- The most efficient but less easy and immediate procedure is a dual boot installation of Windows 8 described in another article.
- Install Windows 8 on Virtual Machine or on a program that simulates another computer, completely independent of the system that hosts it.
Of this procedure, which is the simplest and most painless, we now see the step by step guide, easy, undemanding and fast enough.
1) First, you need to download the virtualization program that is used to create the virtual machine inside another computer.
Of virtual pc and emulation of operating systems I had spoken in another article pointing out the main free programs.
Among them the best choice is Oracle's Virtual Box, free of charge, in Italian and without contraindications.
2) It had to be the first thing but, while reading the guide, it is better to start downloading the ISO of Windows 8 Enterprise from the Microsoft site (see above for the link)
There are 3 versions, one for 64 bit computers, one for 64 bit with developer tools and one for 32 bit.
If you are using a 32 bit Windows 7 (see it in the System properties in the Control Panel ), you must obviously download Windows 8 32bit.
The minimum requirements are at least 1 GB of RAM for the 32bit and 2Gb for the 64bit, 1 Ghz for the processor and 16 or 20 GB of disk space.
3) Install Virtual Box (latest version) open it and create a new virtual machine following the wizard and according to the following settings :
- Give any name, select the Microsoft Windows operating system and then choose Windows 8 (even if 64bit, always normal Windows 8).
- Set the amount of memory to devote to the virtual machine (you have to think of the virtual PC as a real computer) giving it at least 512MB (set the maximum value colored green).
- Create a new virtual hard disk, type VDI and with a fixed size of 20 GB.
4) Once the new virtual PC has been created, the main Virtual Box interface appears and you must access the settings before starting the installation to modify the following parameters:
- In System -> Motherboard, enable IO APIC ;
- in System -> Processor, enable PAE / NX ;
- in System -> Acceleration, enable VT-x / AMD-V and nested paging.
- In Storage -> Controller Ide, press on Empty, then on the CD button and select the downloaded ISO file .
- In Screen -> video enable 3D and 2D graphics acceleration and increase the memory of the graphic card to the maximum of the green line (it is set by default to 24 MB).
5) After pressing Ok and saving the Virtual Box settings, you can start the virtual machine by selecting Windows 8 in the list and pressing the green arrow.
Windows 8 will start with the clean install as it would on a normal computer and show several screens in the wizard:
- Choice of language (English only), time zone and keyboard (choose Italian).
- Acceptance of the license;
- Installation type (choose Custom).
After copying the files, the installation ends with the preparation of the system, you have to name the computer and always click Next on the various green screens.
Since Virtualbox makes sure that the virtual machine is connected to the internet, you can set up access to the Windows 8 PC with the Windows Live login (Hotmail or MSN Messenger).
6) After the desktop appears, it is better to go to Devices from the menu at the top of the Virtual Box virtual machine window and install the Guest Additions (an error to be overlooked appears) for greater performance and restart by resetting from the Machine menu.
Restarting the virtual pc, everything should be OK and the buttons of the Metro interface appear.
The Metro interface is like a touchscreen, where you have to press the left mouse button and drag the screens.
To see the typical desktop you can press the Desktop button.
Windows 8 is ready, runs very well and is a perfectly functional computer to do everything, without limitations that you can try directly from your PC as if it were a program in itself.
VirtualBox is in Italian and shows messages during use to make the best use of it (see also the VirtualBox guide to start a virtual computer).
Important : If during the installation, immediately, a black screen error appears, it would mean that your PC does not support virtualization.
This is perhaps the most difficult part because you have to enable virtualization by accessing the BIOS, going to the processor settings (CPU) and putting on Enabled where Virtualization AMD or Intel (VT-x or AMD-V) is written.
If virtualization is not supported, the only way to test the new Microsoft system is by installing Windows 8 in dual boot with Windows 7 on the same computer.
After installation, read the article: Start with Windows 8: Desktop, Start Menu, Windows and Start Programs .
To try Windows 8 without buying it, you can use Windows 8 Enterprise in Italian which you can download for free, perfectly functional and usable for 90 days.
The installation of Windows 8 can be done on your home computer, fixed or portable, with a procedure within everyone's reach, without any consequence on the stability of your PC. Being a trial version, it is not convenient to install it on the PC as you normally would, but it is better to use a virtual machine that is not complicated at all and allows you not to dirty your computer.
Whether you have Windows XP, Windows 7 or Vista, you can then proceed to install Windows 8 in two ways :
- The most efficient but less easy and immediate procedure is a dual boot installation of Windows 8 described in another article.
- Install Windows 8 on Virtual Machine or on a program that simulates another computer, completely independent of the system that hosts it.
Of this procedure, which is the simplest and most painless, we now see the step by step guide, easy, undemanding and fast enough.
1) First, you need to download the virtualization program that is used to create the virtual machine inside another computer.
Of virtual pc and emulation of operating systems I had spoken in another article pointing out the main free programs.
Among them the best choice is Oracle's Virtual Box, free of charge, in Italian and without contraindications.
2) It had to be the first thing but, while reading the guide, it is better to start downloading the ISO of Windows 8 Enterprise from the Microsoft site (see above for the link)
There are 3 versions, one for 64 bit computers, one for 64 bit with developer tools and one for 32 bit.
If you are using a 32 bit Windows 7 (see it in the System properties in the Control Panel ), you must obviously download Windows 8 32bit.
The minimum requirements are at least 1 GB of RAM for the 32bit and 2Gb for the 64bit, 1 Ghz for the processor and 16 or 20 GB of disk space.
3) Install Virtual Box (latest version) open it and create a new virtual machine following the wizard and according to the following settings :
- Give any name, select the Microsoft Windows operating system and then choose Windows 8 (even if 64bit, always normal Windows 8).
- Set the amount of memory to devote to the virtual machine (you have to think of the virtual PC as a real computer) giving it at least 512MB (set the maximum value colored green).
- Create a new virtual hard disk, type VDI and with a fixed size of 20 GB.
4) Once the new virtual PC has been created, the main Virtual Box interface appears and you must access the settings before starting the installation to modify the following parameters:
- In System -> Motherboard, enable IO APIC ;
- in System -> Processor, enable PAE / NX ;
- in System -> Acceleration, enable VT-x / AMD-V and nested paging.
- In Storage -> Controller Ide, press on Empty, then on the CD button and select the downloaded ISO file .
- In Screen -> video enable 3D and 2D graphics acceleration and increase the memory of the graphic card to the maximum of the green line (it is set by default to 24 MB).
5) After pressing Ok and saving the Virtual Box settings, you can start the virtual machine by selecting Windows 8 in the list and pressing the green arrow.
Windows 8 will start with the clean install as it would on a normal computer and show several screens in the wizard:
- Choice of language (English only), time zone and keyboard (choose Italian).
- Acceptance of the license;
- Installation type (choose Custom).
After copying the files, the installation ends with the preparation of the system, you have to name the computer and always click Next on the various green screens.
Since Virtualbox makes sure that the virtual machine is connected to the internet, you can set up access to the Windows 8 PC with the Windows Live login (Hotmail or MSN Messenger).
6) After the desktop appears, it is better to go to Devices from the menu at the top of the Virtual Box virtual machine window and install the Guest Additions (an error to be overlooked appears) for greater performance and restart by resetting from the Machine menu. Restarting the virtual pc, everything should be OK and the buttons of the Metro interface appear.
The Metro interface is like a touchscreen, where you have to press the left mouse button and drag the screens.
To see the typical desktop you can press the Desktop button.
Windows 8 is ready, runs very well and is a perfectly functional computer to do everything, without limitations that you can try directly from your PC as if it were a program in itself.
VirtualBox is in Italian and shows messages during use to make the best use of it (see also the VirtualBox guide to start a virtual computer).
Important : If during the installation, immediately, a black screen error appears, it would mean that your PC does not support virtualization.
This is perhaps the most difficult part because you have to enable virtualization by accessing the BIOS, going to the processor settings (CPU) and putting on Enabled where Virtualization AMD or Intel (VT-x or AMD-V) is written.
If virtualization is not supported, the only way to test the new Microsoft system is by installing Windows 8 in dual boot with Windows 7 on the same computer.
After installation, read the article: Start with Windows 8: Desktop, Start Menu, Windows and Start Programs .
