A virtual machine is an emulated computer system. Virtual machines rely on hypervisors, which are pieces of software that handle mapping your computer’s resources into virtual hardware.
Try New Operating Systems
You can run Linux in a window within your Windows system like any other program. If something goes wrong in the guest OS, such as a malware infection, it won’t affect the host OS. The guest OS acts as a sandbox so you don’t have to worry about it.
Run Old or Incompatible Software
Virtual machines provide a great environment for running software that’s not compatible with your current machine. As long as you have access to the installer, you should have no trouble installing it on a virtual OS.
Develop Software for Other Platforms
Virtualization lets you compile to other types of executables. Instead of dual-booting for every build, virtualization simplifies the process. You can use emulation to test the various versions right on your computer or phone.
Clone a System to Another Machine
Regardless of which host OS you originally used, you can copy those files and load them into VirtualBox on another computer. This effectively recreates a copy of your guest system that you can use anywhere.