Get a Windows 11 development environment

Start building Windows applications quickly by using a virtual machine with the latest versions of Windows, the developer tools, SDKs, and samples ready to go.

Download a virtual machine

We currently package our virtual machines for four different virtualization software options: VMWare, Hyper-V (Gen2), VirtualBox, and Parallels. These virtual machines contain an evaluation version of Windows that expires on the date posted. If the evaluation period expires, the desktop background will turn black, you will see a persistent desktop notification indicating that the system is not genuine, and the PC will shut down every hour.

Expiration date: July 15, 2024

The evaluation virtual machine includes:

  • Windows 11 Enterprise (Evaluation)
  • Visual Studio 2022 Community Edition with UWP, .NET Desktop, Azure, and Windows App SDK for C# workloads enabled
  • Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 enabled with Ubuntu installed
  • Windows Terminal installed
  • Developer mode enabled

File hashes

Name Length (bytes) File Hash - SHA256
WinDev2404Eval.HyperV.zip 22947676843 42FF4A7A8D3D0AD8B739705830F01AA06E5ADE56A05553677B3F9C6A255BFFCA
WinDev2404Eval.Parallels.zip 21907827044 5FE7E9054F83D0BB7129F78CE9E0E9770328EBC355E581E53E08618693F157BE
WinDev2404Eval.VirtualBox.zip 23201160423 D1270E7DDFB7B343D81BC29D55972CD8CA00417C863FFD9FD3ADDE75BA829CF2
WinDev2404Eval.VMWare.zip 24822900753 174B1A7862BB37E4E3F923BEC786A3560773D89ECA2AD2AA7ACB9DD3E4D6F659

Note

By using the virtual machines, you are accepting the EULAs for all the installed products listed above

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements for the VM?

The VM will require a minimum of 8GB of RAM and at least 70GB of disk space.

What is the user password for these VMs?

There is no password set up for the user account. However, some software, especially those used to connect remotely to the VM, may require a password. In those cases, you will need to set up a password for the user account first before using that software.

Is it possible to activate the Windows license in these images for long term use?

No, these VM images use Windows Enterprise Evaluation Edition and do not support activation with a product key.

Is it possible to get an ARM version of the VM?

Unfortunately, we don't have an ARM version available at the moment. We understand that this may be disappointing news, but we don't have any short term plans to create these. However, we're always open to feedback and suggestions from our users and will take them into consideration when planning future updates.

I see strange rendering quirks when using these VMs on Virtualbox. Known issue?

Yes, we have noticed that there are some rendering quirks when using VirtualBox to run these developer images. The Start menu may also look different than expected. We are currently investigating this behavior. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience and understanding.

I've downloaded and booted the VM within the evaluation window, but the VM claims the evaluation license has already expired. Help?

Assuming the image is running within the evaluation window, Windows should ultimately fix itself. To fix it immediately, please run the Windows Activation Troubleshooter.

Is it possible to get an evaluation image without extra software installed?

Yes, you can get evaluation images here:

https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-10-enterprise
https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-11-enterprise


Your feedback can help us build great products. Please send your feedback to WinDevVMFeedback@microsoft.com