16 Create a Windows 11 Desktop
Mathew J. Heath Van Horn, PhD
Microsoft’s Windows 11 Desktop is one of the most popular operating systems for home, school, and work. Most people have installed the desktop software at some point. However, installing Windows as a VM has a few unique challenges, minor, but worthy of addressing. In this chapter, we explain how to create an official Windows 11 Desktop VM as well as an unofficial version of Windows 11 that is stripped down to use much fewer resources.
Phase 0 – Professional Alignment
Enterprise networking begins with understanding how individual devices work together to provide reliable communication. In this chapter, you will build your first complete network in GNS3, connecting routers, switches, and end devices into a functioning topology while developing the foundational skills used to design, deploy, and troubleshoot larger enterprise networks.
DCWF Work Roles
The knowledge and skills developed in this chapter align with the following Department of Defense Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF) work roles:
- 511 – Network Operations Specialist
- 441 – Network Services Specialist
- 531 – Systems Administrator
NICE Work Roles
This chapter supports competencies associated with the following NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity work roles:
- Network Operations Specialist
- Network Services Specialist
- Systems Administrator
Professional Skills
By completing this chapter, you will begin developing the ability to:
- Construct a functional network topology using virtual networking devices.
- Connect routers, switches, and endpoint systems into a working network.
- Organize and document network diagrams using industry conventions.
- Validate network connectivity between interconnected devices.
- Use GNS3 to visualize and troubleshoot network topologies.
- Interpret packet captures to better understand network communications.
What You’ll Be Able to Do
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
- Build a complete network topology in GNS3 using common networking components.
- Connect network devices according to a logical network design.
- Verify communication between devices using standard networking tools.
- Capture and analyze network traffic with Wireshark to observe packet flow.
- Organize and label a network topology to improve readability and maintenance.
- Prepare a baseline network for more advanced enterprise networking exercises.
Learning Objectives
- Create a Windows 11 VM
- Create a Tiny 11 VM
Prerequisites
Deliverables
- None – this is a preparatory lab that supports other labs in this book
Resources
- Most students at colleges and high schools can download Windows (with a license key) through Azure for Education. Ask your instructor for details or a copy of the Windows Server iso file.
- Windows 11 (without product key)
- Tiny 11
Contributors and testers
- Anthony Rizza
Phase I – Creating a Windows 11 VM
The Windows 11 installation requirements are quite substantial. However, these requirements barely allow Windows 11 to run. Our experience suggests that 8GB of RAM and 100GB of storage are necessary to use Windows 11 effectively. When we build the VM, we’ll go for the bare minimum. After all, if the minimum wasn’t good enough, it wouldn’t be the minimum!
- Download the Windows iso
- Select the download
Figure 1 – Download Windows 11 - Select the language
Figure 2 – Select Language - Select the 64-bit Download
Figure 3 – Confirm 64-Bit Download
- Select the download
- Create a new VM using the Windows 11 iso file
- Start Oracle VirtualBox Manager
- Select ‘New’
Figure 4 – Select New - Name the VM “Windows 11”
- Select the folder you want to save the VM
- Use the ISO image you just downloaded
- Select “Skip Unattended Installation.”
- Press “Next”
Figure 5 – Complete the information for the VM
- Hardware – Use defaults – Press “Next”
Figure 6 – Select hardware - Virtual Hard Disk – Use defaults – Press “Next”
Figure 7 – Virtual Hard Disk - Confirm settings – Press “Finish”
Figure 7 – Confirm settings
- Start the VM
- Press any key to boot from CD or DVD. If you miss this, it will give you a menu to reselect the ISO you downloaded earlier
Figure 8 – Press any key to boot - Select language settings
Figure 9 – Select language settings - Select keyboard settings
Figure 10 – Select keyboard settings - Install Windows 11 and agree that everything will be deleted
Figure 11 – Install Windows 11 and agree to the deletion notification - Select “I don’t have a product key”
Figure 12 – I don’t have a product key - Select Windows 11 Education and press “Next”
Figure 13 – Windows 11 for Education - Accept the notice and license terms
Figure 14 – Accept license terms - Select the default location and press “Next”
Figure 15 – Select installation location - Select “install”
Figure 16 – Select install - Select the country and press “Yes”
Figure 17 – Select country - Select keyboard and press “Yes”
Figure 18 – Select keyboard - Skip the “add a second keyboard layout”
- Press any key to boot from CD or DVD. If you miss this, it will give you a menu to reselect the ISO you downloaded earlier
- When you get to the “Let’s set things up for our work or school,” you need to modify Windows 11
- Navigate to the soft keyboard from the VM top menu bar
Figure 21 – Shift + F10 - Press the Shift button and the F10 button to open the CLI screen. (If this doesn’t work you can try first clicking on the window to ensure the focus is on the window we are working with, then pressing “Shift” and “F10” and “fn”)
- Once the black CLI screen opens, you can close the soft keyboard
- Disable Windows 11 internet requirement by typing
OOBE\BYPASSNRO
The VM will reboot and return you back to the screen
- Use the soft keyboard to press Shift-F10 again
- Type
ipconfig/release
- Close the CLI and continue clicking through the screens
- When you get to “Let’s connect you to a network,” select “I don’t have internet”
- At the “Who’s going to use this device?” enter “Student” and press “Next”
Figure 23 – Who is going to use this device - Enter a password (we use Security1) and press “Next”
Figure 24 – Enter a password - Confirm the password
- For the security questions, we answer “student” for each of the three questions – this is a test VM, not a production VM, and shouldn’t be used as such
- Turn off all the privacy settings and press “Accept”
Figure 25 – privacy settings
- Disable Windows 11 internet requirement by typing
- Navigate to the soft keyboard from the VM top menu bar
- Now wait while Windows finishes setting up.
Phase II – Install Tiny 11
Tiny 11 is an unauthorized version of Windows 11 and is not supported by Microsoft. It has been stripped down to work with fewer resources than the full version of Windows.
- Download Tiny 11 (scroll down to the download options)
- Select the download
Figure 26 – Download Tiny 11 24H2 - Select the education version
Figure 27 – Download Tiny 11 Education
- Select the download
- Create a new VM as we did in Phase I. Remember to click “Skip Unattended Installation” and use the default settings.
- Start the VM
- Everything is similar to the installation of a full version of Windows Desktop, including the Shift+F10 commands
- Once installation is complete, you can power off the machine and adjust the RAM to 2GB and 1-core processor. It will run ok
Career Connection
Every enterprise network begins with a well-designed topology. Whether deploying a small branch office or a global corporate infrastructure, network professionals must understand how routers, switches, and endpoint devices interact to provide reliable communications. The skills developed in this chapter mirror the planning, deployment, documentation, and validation tasks performed by network administrators and systems engineers as they build and maintain production networks. Although the example uses a familiar home-style network, the principles you learn directly apply to enterprise environments where careful planning and accurate documentation are essential to successful operations.
End of Lab
