For instance, if you are using a Mac computer you can run Windows programs inside a Windows virtual machine on the Mac computer. Virtual machines are often used for running software on operating systems that software wasn't originally intended for. This means that nothing that runs on the virtual machine can impact the host computer. Virtual machines are sandboxed from the host computer. It is basically a way to create a computer within a computer.Ī virtual machine runs in a window on the host computer and gives a user the same experience they would have if they were using a completely different computer. A virtual machine is a program you run on a computer that acts like it is a separate computer.