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Before opening VirtualBox, you need the "brain" of the operation—the ISO image.

Windows Server 2022 is the current standard, but 2019 and the upcoming 2025 are also popular for labs. 2. Create the Virtual Machine Container Launch VirtualBox and click New to start the wizard: Name: Give it a clear name like Windows_Server_2022_Lab .

Setting Up Your First Windows Server Homelab with VirtualBox

Click the empty optical drive icon and select to point to your downloaded ISO. Start the VM and follow the Windows prompts.

Once your VM shell is ready, it’s time to "insert" the ISO: Go to .

Windows Server is resource-hungry. Assign at least 4 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores to keep things snappy.

If you’re diving into the world of IT administration or just want a safe sandbox to test enterprise features, building a Windows Server virtual machine (VM) is the perfect starting point. Using Oracle VM VirtualBox , you can run a full-scale server environment right on your laptop without messing with your primary OS.

Here is how to take your .vbox configuration from a blank slate to a fully functional server. 1. Gather Your Installation Media