Free Download Windows XP ISO for VirtualBox

Here is how to use the legendary Windows XP on Windows 10 or Windows 11. You are going to download Windows XP ISO for VirtualBox and then perform the installation. This way, you are going to use Windows XP without losing any files or changing your current OS.

Inside the VirtualBox, you can do all things that are possible on Windows XP. From installing applications, and running games, to checking your newly developed application inside the platform.

Windows XP ISO download for VirtualBox

Windows was released way back in 2001 and was available for 11 years. Later on, the only Windows OS that was capable to beat that record was Windows 7. Windows XP brought tons of new features, amazing tools, and a brand-new interface. It was provided for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. I have provided the x64 ISO file of Windows XP, if you want x86 then you can comment down.

windows xp iso for virtualbox

File: Windows_XP_Pro_x86_x64.ISO
Size: 475 MB
Language: English
Developer: Microsoft

Click here to download Windows XP ISO for VirtualBox for free.

Related: Free Download Windows XP SP3 ISO

System Requirement for Windows XP

Most of the current systems can easily run Windows XP. Since the OS was released way back and requires low specs to run, so you won’t need to worry about the system requirements. For running Windows XP, you will need:

Processor: Pentium 4 with 1 GHz or better

Memory: you will need 512 MB RAM or more. It is recommended to have 1 GB for running Windows XP Professional.

Storage: a total of 4 GB of free storage is required.

Hardware: CD/DVD ROM is required in addition to Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers, and Super VGA (800×600 screen resolution support).

There is a great chance that you are using Windows XP on Windows 10 or Windows 11. I would recommend you to have at least 1 GB RAM and 5 GB more storage as compared to the required specs for Windows 10 or 11. This way, you could run Windows XP on VirtualBox smoothly.

Overview of Windows XP

Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows XP

The OS was released in 2001 by Microsoft. It was released as the successor of Windows 2000 and Windows ME. Windows XP aka Win XP was released for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

In the new Windows OS, you will find new features like Internet Explorer, Windows Shell elements, TAPI, Remote Assistance, and much more. You would also find a brand new interface that includes a new desktop, taskbar, Start menu, eye-catching icons, and easy navigation throughout the OS.

While using the OS, you will also find Firewall, Windows Defender, and other tools for security. This is also the first Windows OS that supports Microsoft Java Virtual Machine.

Microsoft has released Windows XP into two different editions: Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional. They have released a total of three service packs of Windows XP and later other editions of Windows XP were also released.

  • Windows XP Home
  • Windows XP Professional
  • Windows XP Tablet
  • Windows XP Stater
  • Windows XP Media Center

These were the editions released by Microsoft.

Windows XP Home

This edition of Windows XP was released for home users only. As compared to the Professional edition. The Home edition has fewer features and options.

Windows XP Home
  1. The first thing you will notice is the friendly interface of the OS.
  2. You will also find the process of Startup and Hibernation faster.
  3. Features such as Windows Media Player are also added.
  4. A Wireless Network option is also added.
  5. Multitask Manager is much faster as compared to previous versions of Windows OS.

Windows XP Professional

Windows XP Professional was released for professional works. This edition is faster, more efficient, and stable as compared to other editions. Here are some of the features of Win XP Professional.

Windows XP Professional
  1. For burning files on CD or DVD, there is the CD/DVD burner feature.
  2. Windows Media Player is also present.
  3. Big corporates can use the Remote Desktop Access feature.
  4. For security reasons, there is also the Internet Connection Firewall.
  5. A wide range of hardware is supported.
  6. You will find the booting and hibernation process faster.
  7. All the applications on the Windows XP will be launched faster.
  8. There is also a wireless connection too.

How to Install Windows XP on VirtualBox?

windows xp on virtualbox
Windows XP on VirtualBox

Installing Windows XP on VirtualBox is the same as installing Windows 10 on VirtualBox. Begin the operation by downloading VirtualBox and then perform the installation on your system.

Once the installation got completed then you will use the direct links above to download Windows XP ISO for VirtualBox. The downloading setup file is around 456 MB in size and will be downloaded within a few minutes.

After the download of Windows XP got completed then you will run VirtualBox.

Create a new VM (virtual machine) on VirtualBox. Now you are going to open Settings and insert the amount of RAM memory, processors, storage space, and graphics power for your VM. When all the settings of the new VM are set, you are going to apply the changes and exit Settings.

Before we continue any further, make sure you have selected the downloaded ISO file of Windows XP in VM settings and the location the new VM will be created.

Begin the installation of Windows XP. From here on, it is the same installation process as installing Windows XP. Here you are going to use the same installation steps that we did in “How to Install Windows XP From ISO Image?”.

After the installation of Windows XP on VirtualBox, you will notice some restrictions. There will be lesser options for the installation of applications. This is because you will need to install the VM VirtualBox Extension on VirtualBox.

The Extension pack will enable tons of features with the option to install an app inside the VM. Here is “Download Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack”. From downloading to installation, all the required things are present. If you want to run multiple Windows OS on a single system then you can also use the Dual boot option.

Click here to learn how to dual boot two Windows OS.

Product key of Windows XP

After the installation of Windows XP, you will see the notification of the product key. Most likely, you will find the product key phase during the installation. Even if you skipped the phase, you will be asked for the product key again in the future.

The product key is essential to activate Windows XP either on VM or any system. Here you can use the product key given to activate your Windows XP.

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How to make bootable CD/DVD or USB for Windows XP?

For creating a bootable CD/DVD or USB, you will need to download Windows XP. Then you are going to insert your blank CD/DVD into your system. If you have a USB then you are going to format the USB and then burn the ISO file.

If you have downloaded it from other sites, then you will find the setup file of Windows XP as zipped. Here you are going to use third-party tools such as 7Zip or WinRAR to extract all the files.

Exacting the files is necessary and once got extracted, you will burn the file.

Now that you have inserted your CD/DVD or USB into your system, you are going to use a third-party tool for burning the setup file. For this kind of task, Rufus is the thing.

Download Rufus and double-click on it. Since Rufus doesn’t require any installation, you are going to use the application directly. Now select all the options accordingly and then you are going to select the CD/DVD that you want to burn the setup file on.

Once all the options are selected, you are going to click on the Start button. The burning of Windows XP will begin, and the system will notify you when the operation got completed.

When the operation got completed then you are going to eject your CD/DVD from your system. Congratulation! That CD/DVD or USB that you are holding is a bootable USB of Windows XP.

The same operation can be performed with other tools. However; we have used Rufus as it is robust, stable, and friendly. Instead of Rufus, you can use any of the tools that you think are better.

Can I run Windows XP on VirtualBox?

Of course, you can run Windows XP on VirtualBox. Not only Windows XP but you can also run Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, and even earlier versions like Windows 2000, Windows ME, or Windows 95.

VirtualBox is not limited to only Windows OS, but you can also run Linux distros (Ubuntu, Kali, Mint, Red Hat, Fedora), macOS (from macOS 10.0 to macOS Monterey), and Android.

It is a powerful virtualization tool that can be used for virtualization purposes. You can use it to check other OS or to check your developed app on multiple OS without performing any installation. One installation and you have access to that OS any time you want.

For using the Windows OS, you are going to create a new VM. This VM will be configured from Settings and then the setup file will be provided. Then you perform the installation of Windows XP.

After the installation of VirtualBox, it is recommended to install the VM extension pack of VirtualBox. Without an extension pack, you are limited to fewer options of VirtualBox. By installing the extension pack, you have access to tons of other options that were not valid.

Can I Run Windows XP With a 4 GB RAM PC?

For running Windows XP on any system, it is recommended to have 512 MB RAM memory for Windows XP Home and 1 GB for Windows XP Professional. Having 4 GB of RAM is an advantage to run the OS smoothly and efficiently.

Microsoft recommends having a Pentium 4 or better with 1 GB of RAM and 800×600 screen resolution support for running Windows XP. You are only required to have 25 GB of free storage for Windows XP. Increasing the specs will only make things run smoother.

As compared to Windows XP required, 4 GB is more than enough. You can even run Windows 7 with 4 GB of RAM on your PC.

When was Windows XP released?

Windows XP was released way back in the 2000s. The OS was developing under the codename “Neptune” built on Windows NT Kernel. However; later Microsoft changed the direction of the entire project with the codename “Whistler”.

This was not based on Windows 95 or MS-DOS. After some time, on 24 August 2001, the OS was released for Manufacturing. By 25 October 2001, the OS was publicly available.

Microsoft has released a total of 3 service packs for Windows XP. SP3 of Windows XP was released on 21 April 2008. Windows XP was the successor of Windows 2000 and Windows ME. Later on, the Windows OS was succeeded by Windows Vista.

Mainstream support for Windows XP ended on 14 April 2009. Whereas the extended support ended on 8 April 2014.

Windows XP was a legendary OS that is used by users even today. It has been more than 20+ years and still, there are users who are using the OS and still love it. If you have used Windows 2000 or earlier versions of Windows OS, you will notice how good the OS is.

Not only Microsoft has changed the entire interface, navigation, and icons to make things friendly. But there were also major changes in hardware support too. They have removed support for PC-98, i486, and SGI Visual Workstation 320 and 540. Microsoft made sure that Windows will only run on 32-bit x86 CPUs and devices with BIOS Firmware.

If you have further questions related to downloading Windows XP ISO for VirtualBox or installation related then you can comment down. Any kind of question that catches your attention can be a problem experienced by others. So comment down and I will fix that problem as soon as possible.

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