How to Use a Virtual Machine

What is a virtual machine and how can you use it to boost your computer efficiency? Tech Talker explains

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Listener Margie sent me an interesting question recently. She said:

"Hey Tech Talker, I have a ton of old software that I use on a Windows XP computer. Is there any way I can run this on my new Windows 8 laptop?"

Margie, this is a great question! There are two ways you can do this.

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The first and easiest way to do this is to right click in the program you want to run, click Properties, and then the Compatibility tab. From here you can run your program from almost any version of Windows!

What is a virtual machine?
This is pretty slick and easy if it works for you. However, I've had problems with this in the past especially with elderly software. When this easy trick doesn't work, it's usually best to run a VM or Virtual Machine. Basically this means running a computer within a computer. It allows you to have a completely separate operating system running alongside your current one.

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