Last Updated: 03 Jun 2020
If you want poke around the Internet a bit more safely but don't want to use a separate computer, you can use a virtual machine with a VPN to do so. If you're running Windows 10 Pro, Microsoft's Hyper-V makes it very simple to get up and running with a Ubuntu and ExpressVPN in well under an hour.
- ExpressVPN account (30 days free via my referral link).
- Windows 10 Pro (not tested in Oracle Box).
- Open Start.
- Search for Turn Windows features on or off and click the top result to open the experience.
- Check the Hyper-V option.
- Enable Hyper-V on Windows 10
- Click the OK button
- Click the Restart.
- Open Hyper-V Manager via the search bar.
- Under the “Hyper-V Manager” section, right-click the computer name, and select the Quick Create option.
- Hyper-V Manager quick create option
- Select Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (this will get updates for 5 years).
- Click the Create Virtual Machine button.
- Once you complete the steps, the Hyper-V wizard will proceed to download and create the new virtual machine.
- In the Hyper-V Manager, right click on the Ubuntu machine and press Connect... then press Start.
- Continue to setup the VM. Enter vm and virtualmachine as the username/password. You will use this combination to log into the machine and install software
- The Machine will reset and you will be greeted with box that has a sliding resolution scale (go to next section)
- Click Show options
- Select Local resources. Click More.
- Select the drive(s) that you want to use on the virtual machine and click Ok.
- Select Save my settings for future connections to this virtual machine back under the display tab.
- Click Connect.
- You will be greeted with blue and grey login screen. Enter inv/investigator as the username/password.
- Sign into your ExpressVPN account on the Ubuntu desktop using Firefox or Chrome at expressvpn.com. Save your activation code to a notepad.
- Click Download for Linux at the top. It should automatically pop up with a download box. If it doesn't, choose Ubuntu 64 bit.
- After it downloads, double click on it and install it by clicking the green Install button. You may be prompted to put your password in that you entered during account setup for the OS.
- When complete, open a Terminal (looks like a screen with a >_ icon) by going to the grid in the lower left hand corner and typing Terminal at the top search bar.
- Type in “expressvpn activate” (without quotes) and press enter.
- Paste your activation code when prompted and press enter. Note that it will not display anything when you do so.
- Say no (press n and then enter) to diagnostics
(all commands done via terminal. Do not do these sequentially. Use as needed.)
- To enable: expressvpn connect
- To disable: expressvpn disconnect
- To see available locations: expressvpn list all
- To connect to a specific location: expressvpn connect [short code from left column on the out of command above] Example: expressvpn connect usny (you have to disconnect before switching)
- Save and reconnect to the last used location: expressvpn autoconnect true
- If you close HyperV/your VM without disconnecting from the VPN first, there is no way back in other than resetting the VM, so be sure to disconnect from ExpressVPN first
- Copy/paste works while connected to the VPN
- You move files by going to the shared-drives on your desktop and pasting the files into a folder (typically, you’ll want to go to C:\Users\YourName\Documents)