The password Microsoft assigned to this virtual machine is 'Passw0rd!' You won't need it for starting the VM, which will automatically log you in, but you might need to supply it when configuring the OS or installing software. Microsoft recommends 'setting a snapshot when you first install the virtual machine which you can roll back to later.' The Windows OS in this VM expires after 90 days. For example, for VMware you'd extract the files into a dedicated folder, then launch the file named 'MSEdge - Win10.vmx'. If using macOS, you might be unable to extract the zip file's contents unless you download a file extractor such as The Unarchiver.Īfter downloading and extracting the archive, follow the steps appropriate for your virtualization software to start the VM. Select 'MSEdge on Win 10 (圆4)' and pick the virtualization platform that matches the one you have:

Go to the Microsoft Edge page for downloading virtual machines. If you don't have a licensed version of Windows for your virtual machine, you can download a free Windows 10 VM from Microsoft. You'll want snapshots when examining malware, so you can revert the VM's state to start a new investigation or backtrack an analysis step. The free versions don't support snapshots. If using VMware Workstation, you'll need the commercial version: Workstation Pro for Windows and Linux or Fusion Pro for macOS. If you want to set up a headless server for your lab, you'll probably like VMware vSphere Hypervisor (formerly called ESXi), which is also free.

VirtualBox and Hyper-V are good free options. Install virtualization software that you feel comfortable configuring and troubleshooting.

Step 4: Isolate the Analysis VM and Disable Windows Defender AV.Step 3: Update the VM and Install Malware Analysis Tools.Step 1: Install Virtualization Software.

If you'd like to start experimenting with malware analysis in your own lab, here's how to download and set up a free Windows virtual machine:

Virtual test box for windows 10