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Booting from VHD
1. MultiBoot with VHD
So this guide explains how to install and boot an OS in a VHD file from your own HW (Windows 7).
Why this ?
In my case I have a laptop (Intel-VT , 64bits ready) running Windows 7 x64 with Virtual PC, and I
would prefer to boot different configuration (Windows 7, Windows 2008 R2 etc … ) directly on my
hardware in keeping clean my based OS.
Also using Virtual PC Virtual PC isn’t enough for me because I cannot run 64 bits Guest OS.
Also useful to test hardware or if you don’t have Intel-VT
Material needed :
Recommended Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2
The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows® 7
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=696DD665-9F76-4177-A811-
39C26D3B3B34&displaylang=en
The Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise (here the link to a trial)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/trial-software.aspx
Part 1 : Creating an (empty) VHD
Launch Computer Manager
Goes into Storage
Click Disk Management
Right click disk managment and createVHD
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2. Create by examples as follow
Right click on your new disk to initialize it :
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3. Initialize as follow:
Right click on the new “unallocated” partition to format it
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4. Follow the wizard BUT change Drive letter to X (or remember the letter) and assign a Volume
name ie :
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5. When you have done, you should have this :
You are ready for Part 2 : Installing WAIK & Preparing the VHD
Get your Windows 2008 DVD (or Windows 7 if you target to obtain Windows 7)
Copy from the DVD (in directory: sources ) the file called install.wim
Install Windows Automated Installation Toolkit (WAIK) on you PC (see download link at the
beginning of this doc.)
Launch the command prompt and goes into the appropriate folder of the WIAK, in my case
because an Intelx64 : “C:Program FilesWindows AIKToolsamd64>”
!!! Don’t forget to lunch the prompt with ADMINISTRATIVE privilege even if you are logged
with admin privilege (right click on the shortcut and “run as administrator” )
From now you need to adapt directory and the x: drive if you didn’t follow the same as me.
Run the Following command : “imagex /info c:preparationinstall.wim”
This command will list all edition of the product available in the install.wim
You will see a “section” called “<image>” (<Image index= x> and <image>)
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6. In my case I’m interested by the enterprise edition and I noted that the index value for this is “3”
I will execute the following command to “upload” my dta in the VHD:
imagex /apply c:preparationinstall.wim 3 x:
Notice that I have parameters “3” that correspond to the Edition that I want.
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7. At this point you have a VHD ready to boot (ie in Hyper-V). In our case we do not want to run-it by
Hyper-V but directly from my laptop, that mean that we have a next step to finalize the job:
modifying the “bootmenu”.
Part 3 : Customizing the boot menu
First have a look at your actual boot configuration by using the command : “bcdedit ”
Run bcedit .exe
Here’s mine
To facilitate the job, we will “clone” one entry (the actual) :
bcdedit /copy {current} /d "Windows 2008 Enterprise"
As result you will get a {Guid} that will have need for command that will follow (note the guid)
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8. We have now to set appropriate properties to the new entry by using these 3 commands with the
Guid you get previously (note the correct syntax in the print screen below):
bcdedit /set <guid> device vhd=”path to you VHD”
bcdedit /set <guid> osdevice vhd=” path to you VHD”
bcdedit /set <guid> detecthal on
Now you can look again the Boot config by using : bcdedit /v
And if you are lucky reboot your PC and you will have a prompt asking wich OS to boot : your
previous by default with 30sec delay, or the new one from the VHD.
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