A virtual machine (VM) is a software that simulates a complete computer system, with its own operating system (OS) and applications, within another computer system. A VM can run on a physical machine (host) that has a different OS or hardware configuration, using a software layer called a hypervisor that manages the access to the physical resources.

A VM has many advantages, such as:

• It allows multiple OS environments on a single physical machine. You can run different OSes and applications on the same machine without any interference or compatibility issues. For example, you can run Windows and Linux on the same PC, or run Windows applications on a Mac.
• It reduces hardware costs and improves resource utilization. You can run multiple VMs on a single physical machine, instead of buying separate machines for each OS or application. This way, you can make use of the unused resources of the host machine and save space, power, and maintenance costs.
• It provides flexibility and portability. You can create, copy, move, delete, or restore VMs easily and quickly. You can also migrate VMs from one host to another without any downtime or data loss. You can also use VMs for backup and recovery purposes, or for testing new software in a safe environment.

Creating a VM in UNRAID involved the following steps:

1. Download the Windows ISO you want. Microsoft offeres ISO downloads using the application available on their website.
2. Mount the share as a network drive or use the Unassigned Devices plugin. You can do this by going to the Shares tab on the Unraid web interface, clicking on the isos share, and changing the Export option to Yes. Then you can access the share from your computer and copy the Windows ISO file to it.
3. On the WebUI of the Unraid server, select “ADD VM” under the tab “VMS” and choose Windows 8.1/10/11 as template. You can give your VM a name and a description, and adjust the settings according to your preferences.
4. Assign the cores and the RAM and select the size of the virtual hard disk. You can also choose whether to use UEFI or BIOS boot mode, and whether to use VNC or GPU passthrough for graphics.
5. Select the Windows ISO under ISO. You will also need to select the Virtio driver ISO, which you can download from the VM Manager settings.
6. Follow the steps to prepare the VM bootable virtual drive, create the Unraid bootable virtual disk, find a USB controller to passthrough to the VM, and paste in the USB bus code. The hardware passthrough is optional if you dont need to access physical hardware on the VM.
7. Start the VM and follow the Windows installation process. You will need to load the Virtio drivers from the drive during the installation.

You may be wondering "what is the point of having a VM?" Well here are some things you can do:

• You can try out a new operating system. You can use VMs to test new or beta versions of operating systems, without having to install them on your main system or partition your hard drive. You can also switch between different operating systems easily and quickly.
• You can spin up a new environment for development and testing. You can use VMs to create isolated and consistent environments for developing and testing your software, without affecting your main system or other projects. You can also share and collaborate on VMs with other developers.
• You can back up your existing operating system. You can use VMs to create snapshots of your current operating system, which you can restore in case of a crash or malware infection. You can also migrate your VMs to another physical machine or cloud service, without losing any data or settings.
• You can run legacy or incompatible software. You can use VMs to run old or unsupported software that may not work on your main operating system, without risking any security or stability issues. You can also run software that requires a different hardware configuration or license than your main system.