I recently got a new System 76 machine running Pop OS, and I sometimes use Adobe Premiere Pro and other creative applications. I'm considering running Windows 11 Pro in a virtual machine (VM) but have a few questions. Is it possible to run Windows 11 in a VM from a file on an internal NVMe drive formatted with EXT4 that's not the OS drive? I want to make sure I can still use that same drive with my host OS, Pop OS, when the VM isn't running. I also have a Samsung T7 SHIELD USB drive coming soon. Would it be better to run the VM off that USB drive instead?
2 Answers
If you're thinking about using QEMU/KVM, that’s a great choice! You can store a disk image on any writable filesystem. Whether it's a USB drive, SATA, NVMe, or even SD card on a USB connection, it should work just fine. Just keep in mind that the performance might vary depending on the type of drive you choose.
Yes, you can definitely place the VirtualBox disk image on a different drive. Just make sure it’s formatted correctly so that your VM software can access it without issues.
True, but make sure to use a fast connection for better performance. If you go for USB, aim for at least USB 3.0.