Digital Navigator: Run Android 4.0 Ice-Cream Sandwich on PC

Now everyone must know the Hype thats going all around about the Android Operating System from Google. Now you might plan to buy a Android powered Smartphone or Tablet, but the question is will you be able to operate it without any difficulty as a average user or will you corrupt the entire system? Well need not worry now. Here is a Guide to run the same Android, that runs on a smartphone, on your very own PC!

Don't worry about messing up your PC since we are going to run Android in a Virtual Environment. In a Virtual Harddisk which is just like any other file on your PC. It is completely isolated from your PC Operating System.

First things First:
Now before starting anything, you need to have certain things (Files and Applications) which are freely available over the internet (Total Download Size about 360MB)
1)The Android ISO Image (185MB)
Download it here (File Name: android-x86-4.0-RC1-asus_laptop.iso )
OR
Download Directly

2)Virtual Box (88MB : To run Android virtually without affecting anything on your PC)
Download it here

3)Java Development Kit (JDK) (80MB)
Download it here

Ok now that you have downloaded all the necessary files. Install 'Virtual Box' and the 'JDK'.

Now Lets Start :

Step1: Setting Up

-Run the VirtualBox application
-Select 'New' at the top
-Press 'Next' at the Wizard Screen
-Now Enter the Name for your OS (Here I have named it as Android ICS)
-Set the Operating System (OS) to 'Linux' and the version to 'Other Linux'

-On the next Screen set the RAM size to 512MB or more (I'm setting 1000MB)
-In the next Screen Tick the Start-up Disk and Select 'Create new hard disk' and on the next screen select 'VDI'
"".vdi is just an extension for the VirtualBox application's Virtual Harddisk""
-Now select 'Dynamically allocated' so that you never run out of memory while running android
""Dynamically Expand Storage means the size of the virtual harddisk created expands if necessary""
-Virtual Disk Location and Size : Select the location and name the hard disk (Here I have named it as Android ICS.vdi); Set the hard disk size to 1 GB (It increases automatically if necessary)
-Next>Create>Create

Step2: Advanced Settings
-Select 'Settings' at the top
-System > Boot Order > First will be the harddisk and next will be the CD/DVD ROM (See the Image for Reference)

-Display > Video Memory > 128 MB or the maximum your system permits
-Storage > Empty > Choose a Virtual CD/DVD Disk Drive (Small CD icon on the top Right) > Locate the 'android-x86-4.0-RC1-asus_laptop.iso' file which you downloaded.

"" Now in the mid-screen 'Empty' beside the CD icon changes to 'android-x86-4.0-RC1-asus_laptop.iso'""

That's it, now press OK and you'll be back at the home screen which now looks like this:

-Now Right Click on Android ICS and Select 'Create Shortcut on Desktop' and close Virtual Box.

Step 3: Installing Android to the Virtual Harddisk you just created
-On the Desktop, double click the shortcut you just created.
-Now you can run Android without installing it on the harddisk just like you run Linux Distros from a Live CD/DVD

OR

-Select 'Install Android-X86 to harddisk'
-Create/Modify Partitions
-Select 'New '> Primary > Set size to '1024' and press Enter> Select 'Bootable'> Select 'Bootable' >Then select Write > Type 'YES' and press Enter > Quit
Now it should look like this:

- Select 'sda1 Linux VBOX HARDDISK' > ext3 > YES > Install Boot Loader Grub: YES > Install /system directory as read-write: YES
"" This will install Android on the Virtual Harddisk 'Android ICS.vdi'""

Step 4: Running Android on PC!!!
-Just Select 'Run Android-X86' on the next Screen

That's it Folks. Now you have the Android Operating System running on your PC...
You can only Use Your Keyboard to Operate.

In the next set of screens set the language, date, time and other things as you do it in your smartphone.
Explore the Andriod World. Check out Each and Every bit of the OS and get ready to get yourself an Android ICS Powered Device.

For settings and other things check the android-x86 documentation here.

Checkout all Android Devices on Digital Navigator

To power off just press the close button on the top right.

To run again, double-click the shortcut and select Android-x86 4.0-RC1

Well folks Just Enjoy your new Android OS. Thank You.