Your final step in the process of setting up a virtual machine and guest operating system is to install Virtual Machine Additions. This component provides features to improve the integration of a virtual machine running a Windows or OS/2 operating system.

Virtual Machine Additions includes the following features:

• Drag and drop
• Folder sharing
• Integrated mouse
• Optimized video drivers
• Time synchronization
• Clipboard sharing
• Improved operating system performance
• Dynamic resizing of the virtual machine window, which automatically adjusts the size of the guest operating system desktop
• Sound driver compatible with Windows Vista

Virtual Machine Additions is available for the following versions of Windows:

• Windows 98 Second Edition
• Windows 2000 Professional
• Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
• Windows XP Professional
• Windows Vista Business
• Windows Vista Enterprise
• Windows Vista Ultimate

Virtual Machine Additions is included with Virtual PC 2007 so you do not need to download any additional software. However, you do need to install it within each guest operating system.

To install Virtual Machine Additions:

1. Open Virtual PC Console.
2. Double click the appropriate virtual machine.
3. Log onto the guest operating system with an administrative account.
4. From the Action menu, click Install or Update Virtual Machine Additions.
5. Click Continue to confirm your actions.
6. Click Next when the Virtual Machine Additions InstallShield Wizard appears.
7. Click Finish
8. Click Yes to restart the virtual machine.

With these steps complete, you now have a fully functioning guest operating system running inside a Virtual PC 2007 virtual machine.

[tags]virtual pc, virtual machine[/tags]