A VM is a virtualized instance of a computer that can perform almost all of the same functions as a computer, including running applications and operating systems. Virtual machines run on a physical machine and access computing resources from software called a hypervisor.

A virtual machine is a computer file, typically called an image, that behaves like an actual computer. It can run in a window as a separate computing environment, often to run a different operating system—or even to function as the user's entire computer experience—as is common on many people's work computers.