Installing Windows 10 to a VHD

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I came across this rather interesting blog which gives detailed installation instructions on how to install Windows 10 TP to a VHD.

http://hyrokumata.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/installing-windows-10-technical-preview.html

I found it interesting as it introduced me to the world of VHD’s and also worked 1st time.

I now have a triple boot scenario of W7/W8/W10 without having to create a new partition for W10.

I’m pretty sure there are other ways of accomplishing the same thing, if you know, please share!

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Brownie,

I also installed 10 on my laptop into a VHD using instructions from LifeHacker. Worked great. :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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I also installed 10 on my laptop into a VHD using instructions from LifeHacker. Worked great

RG
I like the idea that brownie’s link has of actually booting the VHD, I may try that again (tried it on my old system w/ an XP VHD and it never worked, maybe I needed something the old bios did not support). BTW I find my test install of W7 w/ a couple of utilities has half filled my 250 Gig SSD .

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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BTW I find my test install of W7 w/ a couple of utilities has half filled my 250 Gig SSD .

Wavy,

They must be some whopper utilities. I had two installs (different partitions) of Win 7 HP SP-1 one with office 2010 Pro full install the other with Office 2003 Pro full install and Quick Books, both had all my other normal programs including MS Money, FF w/addins, Malwarebytes Pro, WSE, Chrome w/Chromecast software, etc. I still had room for my shared data partition. I’m just sayin’… :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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install Windows 10 TP to a VHD.

http://hyrokumata.blogspot.co.uk/201…l-preview.html

I am a bit confused, nothing new there. That proceedure seems to boot the W10 install iso from disk but where is the Install part??

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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I am a bit confused, nothing new there. That proceedure seems to boot the W10 install iso from disk but where is the Install part??

The imagex command installs the Windows image into the VHD and Windows completes the installation when you boot to the VHD.

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I have been meaning to get back and look at just what is taking up so much space and…
well I miss remembered; the facts: 57 gigs out of 238 is used. Still a lot for a month old system if you ask me! The big culprits are hiber and page files: ~28 GBs . I am breathing a sigh of relief, I don’t want to shell out for a bigger ssd just yet. I will be looking into bbearen’s techniques ,for when I do the keeper install. The page file is likely set too big by default and the hiber file will be deleted as it will be unused.

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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The imagex command installs the Windows image into the VHD and Windows completes the installation when you boot to the VHD.

Ah ha ! Thanks Browni

Here is another way…

Drew is that available w/ W7 Home edition?

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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For that you use Microsoft VPC. Free download.

Likely I will just stick w/ VirtualBox and maybe the VHD boot option just for kicks.;)

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Came across a problem with using the method in my OP, for some reason you cannot upgrade to a new release of the O/S.

Technet link

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Came across a problem with using the method in my OP, for some reason you cannot upgrade to a new release of the O/S.

Technet link

This is standard for ALL VHD installations. Microsoft does not allow upgrades over VHDs. Therefore, you must do a clean install when the new preview is released.

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Drew,

It updated just fine once I found out you didn’t do it through Windows Update but rather via:
PC Settings | Update and Recovery | Preview Builds {thanks Joe!}.
:cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Drew,

FYI: I mixed my terminology up a bit. I’m actually using a VM {Virtual Box}(which of course has a VHD) but I just thought I’d straighten that out since someone else had pointed it out to me. :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Oh. Yeah, well, this seems to be between things going fine that way, a VM but, not so fine using the VHD method. So, yes, you realise that is what is trying to be determined when I though you were using the VHD method. No worries.

IF anyone IS using the VHD method to run their Windows 10, have you hit a snag doing Build update or not?

Some people are saying they get, “Can’t update to a virtual hard drive” when using the VHD method; but, we, already, know that it goes fine w/ a VM, VirtualBox, Hyper-V, VMWare, Microsoft VPC, et al.

Cheers,
Drew

Updates work differently inside a Virtual Machine since Microsoft sees this as a real computer. There is definitely a difference between running in VMs and native VHDs. I do a lot of testing in VMWare Workstation, but I prefer booting to native VHDs.

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