If you want to test operating systems, set up labs, or validate software without touching your main computer, virtual machines are your best ally. There are reliable websites from which to download free VMs, both Windows and multiple Linux distributions, ready to import into VirtualBox, VMware and other hypervisors.
In this guide you will find a complete review of the most useful sources, with the good and the improvable of each one, recommendations for use, settings to squeeze VirtualBox, legal and security considerations, and a look at type 1 and type 2 hypervisors. The goal is clear: to provide you with all the practical information you need to safely download, import, and use VMs in a single article.
Where to get official Windows virtual machines
Microsoft offers evaluation VMs designed for development and testing of browsers and applications, ready to use in Hyper-V (Gen2), Parallels, VirtualBox and VMwareThese images include Windows Enterprise Evaluation Edition and a preinstalled set of tools to get you started building right away.
Official Download: You can find them on the Microsoft developers website at https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/Additionally, Microsoft offers evaluation images of Windows 10 and 11 Enterprise in the Evaluation Center: 10 Windows Enterprise y 11 Windows Enterprise.
These VMs usually come with Windows 11 Enterprise (evaluation), Visual Studio 2022 Community with workloads for UWP, .NET Desktop, Azure, and Windows App SDK, plus WSL2 with Ubuntu, Windows Terminal, and developer mode enabled. Historically, they've also included components such as Windows 10 SDK, Visual Studio Code, and extensions, and in some packages, the Linux subsystem is already configured. The exact configuration may vary by version.
The evaluation license usually expires around 90 days from its publication or first run. After this period, the background turns black, a non-genuine flag appears, and the system may shut down every hour. It cannot be activated with a product key (as it is an Enterprise Evaluation). does not support activation for long-term use.
In requirements, Microsoft indicates at least 8 GB of RAM and 70 GB of disk. Running with VirtualBox, some rendering peculiarities (e.g. the appearance of the Start menu) have been observed and are being investigated; There are no ARM editions available for the moment.
If when you start within the evaluation window it appears that the license has expired, you can try the Windows Activation Troubleshooter. In any case, when a newer VM is released, download the new image and re-import for another testing period.
Adguard: Official Microsoft ISOs and access to older versions
Adguard was born to facilitate the download of files from Microsoft servers, with a search by categories to choose product and edition, and download directly from official sources without modifications. The project has moved from its original website to a new one, focused on obtaining ISOs of virtually any version of Windows. including very old editions.
The problem is that the new page no longer offers the pre-built VMs section that the previous one did. The old website is still accessible without support, and from what I can see, the latest available VM is from Windows 10. If you want something more recent, the alternative is to download the official ISO and create the virtual machine from scratch, which takes a little longer but It doesn't pose any problems if you are proficient in VirtualBox/VMware..
On the positive side, Adguard is a goldmine for those looking for clean Microsoft ISOs and specific versions that are hard to find. What could be improved: the VM-ready section needs updating, so you'll have to spend a few minutes in the wizard to create your hypervisor.
Other websites to download ready-made VMs (especially Linux)
OSBoxes
OSBoxes collects pre-installed virtual disks from a wide variety of Linux distros (and some BSD or FreeDOS-type systems), with downloads for VirtualBox (VDI) and VMware (VMDK). For legal reasons, it doesn't offer Windows, but its catalog is vast and constantly updated.
By default, many OSBox images share standard credentials: user osboxes / password osboxes.org for the average user and, in many distros, root / osboxes.org as administrator. Change the password after the first boot for added security.
Below you have a sample of the repertoire that OSBoxes usually offers, with desktop and server editions when applicable:
- Android x86, Antergos, antiX, Arch Linux, BackBox, Black Lab, Bodhi
- BunsenLabs, Calculate Linux, CentOS, CrunchBang, Chromixium, Debian, Deepin
- Devuan Linux, Elementary OS, Fedora, Feren OS, FreeBSD, FreeDOS, Gentoo
- HandyLinux, IPFire, Kali Linux, KaOS Linux, KDE Neon, Korora, Kubuntu
- Linux Lite, Linux Mint, LMDE, Lubuntu, LXLE, Mageia, MakuluLinux, Manjaro
- Nitrux, openSUSE, Parrot Security OS, PCLinuxOS, Pear Linux OS, Peppermint
- Phoenix OS, Pinguy OS, PrimeOS, Q4OS, Qubes OS, Raspbian, Remix OS
- Sabayon, Scientific Linux, Solus, SparkyLinux, TrueOS, Ubuntu (Budgie, GNOME, MATE, Server, Studio), Ultimate Edition, Xubuntu, Zorin OS
Advantages: The catalog is huge and practical (download, import, and launch). The disadvantages are: there is no Windows and some sheets give few details before downloading, so you'll have to check the exact version after starting.
VirtualBoxes
VirtualBoxes is specialized in images for VirtualBox, although you can sometimes reuse them in VMware by converting or importing. Its strong suit is Linux distros and alternative systems (FreeBSD, FreeDOS, Android), with an alphabetically sorted repository and documentation and screenshots on each tab to decide without downloading blindly.
As weak points, its catalogue it is not so up to date like OSBoxes and officially limits VMs to VirtualBox, which reduces flexibility if your primary platform is VMware or another hypervisor.
SysProbs
SysProbs It is a repository with VDI for VirtualBox from multiple Linux systems and also from Windows (Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, and Windows Server 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, among others). All images are free and each includes a readme with requirements and credentials.
Note: some Links to Microsoft content may be broken due to a lack of updates. Always verify the integrity and origin of the download, and prioritize official routes whenever possible.
Using VMs wisely: recommended sizes, performance, and settings
Microsoft VMs with tools can take up between 4,5 GB and 20 GB when downloading, and require much more space after decompressing (Microsoft recommends 70 GB free). On Linux, downloads are generally faster. If you use an SSD, you'll gain in loading and response times.
When creating or importing, do not assign more than 50% of your RAM to the guest. For lightweight desktop Linux, 2‑4 GB is sufficient; for Windows 10/11, 6‑8 GB or higher is preferable if your host allows it. Memory is the most visible lever of performance.
CPU: Assign 2 cores if you have multicore on the host; change from 1 to 2 significantly improves fluency of the guest. Don't exceed the physical cores and leave room for the host system and other tasks.
Storage: A fixed-size virtual disk performs somewhat better, but it takes up all the space from the first minute; the dynamic version saves space initially and grows with use. Evaluate your actual software and data needs within the VM.
Install the Guest Additions (VirtualBox) or VMware Tools: Improve 2D/3D video, clipboard, drag and drop, display scaling, and devices. Also, enable shared folders and choose the network mode (NAT, bridge, host-only) based on your lab.
Safety and legality: what you should keep in mind
Downloading VMs saves time, but it means trusting the creator. If they come from official sites or reputable repositories, the risk is low; on forums or dubious sources, you might find manipulated or malware-infected imagesAlways use antivirus on the guest (Defender works well on Windows) and validate hashes when provided.
Although the VM isolates the system, remember that functions such as shared folders, clipboard and bridge network connect to your host; disable anything you don't need. If you're suspicious, scan your virtual disks or use disposable environments without sensitive data.
Legally, Linux VMs are no restrictions. For Windows, official Microsoft evaluation images are legal for the duration of their evaluation; however, Windows VMs obtained from third parties with pre-activated license are illegal. On macOS, their EULA limits execution to Apple hardware; running macOS on a PC, even in a VM, is not included in the license, and there is a risk of penalties on your account if you use Apple services.
VirtualBox in brief: features you might be interested in
VirtualBox It is free for personal, educational, or evaluation use, cross-platform, and very powerful. Among its notable features, it allows Import/Export to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, support of nested virtualization (KVM within the guest), guest file manager, and experience improvements with Guest Additions.
Online, it offers NAT, bridge, internal, and host-only, as well as IPv6 support. In storage, it supports controllers SATA, NVMe, SCSI, IDE and SAS, with disk encryption and integrated iSCSI initiator for accessing remote targets.
It also has 3D acceleration, bi-directional drag and drop, serial and USB connections, virtual webcam, HD audio, full ACPI, multi-generational branched snapshots, cloning VMs preserving identifiers, and APIs for automation and web services.
You've now located the best sources for downloading free VMs, how to import and fine-tune them, and what precautions to take. Between Microsoft (official VMs and Eval Center), OSBoxes, VirtualBoxes and SysProbsYou can cover everything from modern Windows to current Linux and classic systems, always choosing the route that best suits your use case and your legal and security requirements.