Choosing the right computer:
- First of all, you need a computer which supports Hyper-V. So be careful while buying your laptop/computer. Make sure that it supports virtualization and Hyper-V. You can check it by pressing Windows and X and then choosing Command prompt Admin. Type systeminfo to see details and ensure virtualization and Hypervisor are present.
- Your O.S. should be Windows 8 Pro and not normal Windows 8. Even if your hardware (BIOS) supports virtualization and Hyper-V - you will not be able to enable Hyper-V under Windows features. (If you have an existing computer which supports Hyper-V but runs Windows 8, you can have it upgraded to Windows 8 Pro for $99.99. I had my Windows 8 upgraded to Pro a few months back for $14.99 during an offer which is expired now. For student's account - it is $69.99. I will let you know i f I see any current offer.)
Enable Hyper-V:
- At the start screen type "Turn Windows features....". You will see an option "Turn Windows features on or off". Click that will take you to a prompt. Select "Hyper-V" and click OK.
Windows Features - If you don't see "Hyper-V" listed under Windows Feature then
- Make sure Virtualization and Hyper-V are enabled. Shut down your computer. Turn it back on and keep pressing F10 (It might be different based on computer manufacturer) to access BIOS setup screen. Make sure both virtualization and Hypervisor are enabled.
- Check your system configuration. Ensure that it has Windows 8 Pro and virtualization and Hypervisor are present and enabled.
Setup Hyper-V:
Now we need to setup Hyper-V so that we can connect to internet. Go to start window and type "Hyper... " to find and access Hyper-V Manager. Click on "Virtual Switch Manager" to the right of the screen.
Give a name to your Network and select "Internal Network". Click OK.
Now we need to bridge connection between your WiFi adapter and this new switch. Go to start screen and type "Network and Sharing... " to find and access Network and Sharing Center. Go to adapter settings and hold CTRL key to select your new internal switch and WiFi adapter. Right click and click "Bridge connection". This will create a new Network bridge.
Create a Virtual Machine:
Create a new VM by click on New at top right. Give VM a name and choose "Generation 1" on next screen. Enter adequate memory. Choose the switch connection you made earlier. Leave OS installation for now as we will do that as next step.
Create a new VM by click on New at top right. Give VM a name and choose "Generation 1" on next screen. Enter adequate memory. Choose the switch connection you made earlier. Leave OS installation for now as we will do that as next step.
Install Windows 2012 evaluation copy:
Download Windows Server 2012 evaluation copy from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh670538.aspx. It is an ISO file, so you would need to use ISO buster or something to extract files.If internet speed is good, download file inside your VM, however you can also mount this file after downloading it to local machine. Go to Media --> DVD Drive --> Insert Disk and point to your Image file. Click on setup exe to install.
Download Windows Server 2012 evaluation copy from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh670538.aspx. It is an ISO file, so you would need to use ISO buster or something to extract files.If internet speed is good, download file inside your VM, however you can also mount this file after downloading it to local machine. Go to Media --> DVD Drive --> Insert Disk and point to your Image file. Click on setup exe to install.
Install SharePoint 2013 evaluation copy:
Download SharePoint 2013 evaluation copy from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh973397.aspx. Again it is a Disk Image file, so you would need ISO buster to convert this to ISO image. You can then either extract it insider your VM or mount it using Media --> DVD drive --> Insert disk. Click on prerequisite installer first. After the installation is complete, you will see the success message like the one below.
Once prerequisite installation is complete, go to setup exe and install it as single server stand-alone. For trial purpose you can just use Administrator account. Go to Start screen and access Central Admin as shown below.
Download SharePoint 2013 evaluation copy from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh973397.aspx. Again it is a Disk Image file, so you would need ISO buster to convert this to ISO image. You can then either extract it insider your VM or mount it using Media --> DVD drive --> Insert disk. Click on prerequisite installer first. After the installation is complete, you will see the success message like the one below.
Once prerequisite installation is complete, go to setup exe and install it as single server stand-alone. For trial purpose you can just use Administrator account. Go to Start screen and access Central Admin as shown below.