Microsoft releases new versions of free Windows 11 virtual machines

For anyone looking to try out Windows 11 without making a full commitment, opting for a virtualized version of the operating system is a great idea. Microsoft has just released updated versions of its Windows 11 virtual machine images which can be used completely free of charge.

It is Windows 11 Enterprise that Microsoft has made available, and there are various versions available to download. No matter whether you prefer VMWare, Hyper-V, VirtualBox or Parallels, there is a free Windows 11 virtual machine for you.

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The VMs weigh in at a fairly hefty 20GB, and while they are completely free, they do have an expiry date. You are free to use the virtual machines until September 11, 2022, meaning you have the whole summer to work with the operating system. But the VM expiry date shouldn't put you off too much, as there will almost certainly be more updated versions in plenty of time.

Microsoft draws attention to the following features of the virtual machines:

• Window 11 Enterprise (Evaluation)
• Visual Studio 2022 with the UWP, .NET Desktop, Azure, and Windows App SDK for C# workloads enabled
• Windows Subsystem for Linux enabled with Ubuntu installed
• Developer mode enabled
• Windows Terminal installed

If you want to give the virtual machines a try, you can find out more here. You can also use the following direct download links:

• VMWare
• Hyper-V
• VirtualBox
• Parallels

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