VirtualBox is flexible enough to handle many types of 32-bit and 64-bit configurations. If you need to run a 32-bit version of XP in a 64-bit host, you can do that without any problems.

Although we're using Windows 7 64-bit as our base OS, VirtualBox runs on nearly any OS, and these tips and tricks are applicable to any serious VirtualBox setup.

If you’re on a 32-bit version of Windows, you can install Snow Leopard instead. For more info, check out the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.

The VirtualBox makers have described the process for Windows and Linux users in a FAQ post, and I've described the virtual-Windows-inside-Linux process in more detail in our guide to running ...