Microsoft has announced that it has updated its free virtual machines which can be downloaded as a development environment for Windows 11. The new virtual machines now also include various developer tools such as Visual Studio 2022 Community Edition and Ubuntu installed in Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. To cater to different virtual platforms, Microsoft has released versions of the virtual machines for VMware, Hyper-V (Gen2), Virtualbox, and Parallels.
While the virtual machines offer users a complimentary copy of Windows 11, as well as Visual Studio and other programs, there are certain restrictions. The virtual machines have a validity period of 90 days, after which they will cease to function. However, users are allowed to reinstall the same virtual machine or download an updated version, which is expected to be released in the next three months.
Microsoft stated, “Currently, we are packaging our virtual machines for four different virtualization software options: VMware, Hyper-V (Gen2), Virtualbox, and Parallels. These virtual machines come with a trial version of Windows, which expires after the specified time. Once expired, the desktop background will turn black, and users will see a permanent notification indicating that the system is not genuine. The system will also shut down every hour.”
The virtual machines are equipped with the latest Patch Tuesday updates from July of this year. The complete list of software included in the virtual machine setup is as follows:
- Windows 11 Enterprise (trial version)
- Visual Studio 2022 Community Edition with UWP, .NET Desktop, Azure, and Windows App SDK for C# workloads
- Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 with Ubuntu installed
- Windows Terminal installed
- Developer mode activated
Additionally, virtual machines based on Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows 11 Enterprise can be downloaded without any additional software. Users can download the virtual machines from the official Microsoft site.