This is how i use windows
A tutorial to Using VBox

I use OpenSUSE 11.0 and like most of the world need windows for running some applications.My System does not have any NTFS or FAT partition but still i wanted to install windows therefore I decided to make a virtual machine.
A Virtual machine is a technique in which we can share a part of all the resources of our computer to make a new virtual computer.In other words we are able to run an operating system within an operating system.Since I am a Suse user,I found the repositories of VBox(Virtual Box OSE) in the DVD.Other such as Vmware and Microsoft virtual PC do the same thing.Here is a short tutorial of the same..
After you have installed the emulator software on your machine firstly create a new harddisk for the new machine:


Select the type of OS you want to install(does not really matter will work fine for all)

Then select the amount of RAM you want to dedicate to the virtual system.This depends on the type of OS you are installing and the original OS which is already installed on the system.Give at least half of the total RAM or at least 512 MB of it to ensure smooth procesing.

Then select the amount of hard disk to be given(depends on the OS to be installed).Virtual box gives an option of both a fixed size image and an dynamically expanding disk.I recommend a fixed size image as wil make the system run faster.


The Virtual machine is ready and now the OS can be loaded(can also be used to test the live CDs)
Just pop in the OS disk into the system and follow the usual installation process(Here I have demostrated MS windows Xp).


Follow the usual windows installation on the machine(without mouse!!)


You will find only the allocated hard disk in the options so dont worry about loosing your data!!




soon the windows is up and going!



do some tweeking with the drivers and you are done


After a few mins your new machine is up and running!!Fiddle with the settings in the VBox to enable sound,network and other stuff after .

Some points to Know:

**Only the allocated Harddisk can be acessed from the new OS.
**You can save the machine state and and resume it directly.
**You may have to run a short script every time you run the machine.
**Any data in the VM can not be acessed from the original OS(for hiding SOME personal DATA .. )
**You can copy the .vdi file to some other system to replicate the same OS on another machine.
**You may run any no. of OS symultaniously depending on the configuration of the system