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 Post Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 7:20 pm 
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I picked up a MacBook Air with an I5 Core Duo processor, 8 GB RAM and an Intel HD 6000 graphics chip that currently takes 1.5 GB of the system's 8 GB of RAM. I intend to use VirtualBox to setup a Windows 10 install on a 256 GB SDXC SD card that has a potential read rate of 150 MB/sec that is slated to show up 9/1/2021. Since the Intel HD 6000 video leaves 6.5 GB for system usage I plan to assign 3 GB RAM to the Windows 10 virtual machine, possibly 3.5 GB.

LOL! NO, I'm not looking for Apple answers here but rather something dealing with virtual machines in general. Going by the info given in the first paragraph would I be better off doing the Windows virtual Machine install as 32 bit or 64 bit. The USB install media I created will do either. I'm fairly proficient with VirtualBox but have never been sure if a 32 bit guest OS is easier on the host system or if it really makes no difference whether the guest OS is 32 or 64 bit.

Of course I can install one and then the other to see if there is a performance difference but thought someone may have insight that would save me time. :?: :?:

I could use Boot Camp through the MacBook, as it is already included, or Parallels but it seems that neither will allow the Windows install to an SD card. I want the Windows install on the SD card as it will be my data drive. I could do the virtual machine to the system's PCIe SSD but it is only 128 GB. That MAY actually come down the road as I'm inclined to swap out the current Apple PCIe SSD for a larger/faster drive. Yes, the system PCIe drive is in a socket, not hard wired and through a live chat with a Newegg.com rep it seems that swapping out the drive would not void my extended warranty. :)

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 Post Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:56 pm 
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My reply will not be helpful. :-)
I would not expect any real performance difference between a 32 bit and a 64 bit VM of a Windows guest.

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 Post Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 11:42 pm 
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Ran into an issue with VirtualBox on the Apple. The danged thing just would not see my Windows install media as a valid boot device.

Sigh, so I went to Boot Camp and Windows is well into the setup process. Windows install is done and everything is good including Windows activation. I would have preferred to do as a virtual machine rather than a dual boot but this, at least, works...

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 Post Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:01 am 
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I'm starting to think that I like Windows 10 in Boot Camp over having it in a virtual machine. Doing Boot Camp partitioned the system drive for MacOS and Windows which lowered my free space. On the other hand Windows will run better having access to the real hardware of the MacBook than it would running in a virtual machine. Using Boot Camp to install Windows has worked well.

This using Boot Camp DOES make the system a dual boot but it is transparent. Unless I hold down a key to bring up the dual boot menu when the system starts it will boot to the MacOS automatically. I think that I sort of like how it all works.

Anyway I'm now running MacOS or Windows on the MacBook Air at my choice and neither show any issues.

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 Post Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2021 6:57 pm 
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Correction! Dawned om me that I didn't need to read the Windows install media as I could just copy the VM files from my main system. I had to reactivate Windows 11 but it went without issue after entering a different Win 7 product code.

Windows 10 Boot Camp install is gone from the MacBook Air and I'm back to 84.28 GB free space on the system drive along with 126.62 GB free on the 256 GB SDXC card I'm using as a data drive. I guess I no longer need to consider replacing the MacBook's SSD system drive with a larger unit. :)

Sending this with Firefox running on Windows 11 running in a VirtualBox VM on the MacBook Air. :mrgreen:

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 Post Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:30 pm 
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such fun! ;-)

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 Post Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:12 pm 
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sboots wrote:
such fun! ;-)

Very true. :mrgreen:

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