Here We will create a vhd(Virtual hard disk) and boot it in windows 7.
This a good way to virtualise your testing environment having native support for hardware i.e full acceleration from your cpu and gpu and also no complex partitioning.
Or you can just try out Windows 8 without having to install it in a virtual machine.I myself use it keep a 32 bit windows 7 environment.
There are many articles out there but most of them have some use of command line.
Here we will completely avoid command line.
Windows editions which can be booted off vhd
*Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise(32 and 64 bit)
*Windows Server 2008(both)
*Windows 8 Developer Preview(both)
Tools:
1.GImageX:Needed to apply windows image to vhd(
Download GImageX 2.0.17 Free - A graphical user interface for the ImageX tool from the Windows Automated Installation Kit - Softpedia)
2.EasyBCD:To edit windows bootloader(
Download EasyBCD 2.1.2.156 Free - A handy tool for tweaking your system - Softpedia)
Step 1:Creating and attaching vhd
(i)Right click my computer and select MANAGE.
(ii)In the left Pane Click Disk Management.
(iii)Click Action on menu bar and select 'create vhd'.
(iv)Browse to the folder where you want to save your VHD.For this tutorial I am assuming D:\Seven.vhd to be the vhd.
(v)Select virtual hard disk size of choice.For Windows 7 I recommend 15-20 GiB.
(vi)Select Dyamically Expanding or Fixed size.I prefer Dynamically expanding.Be sure If u select Dynamically expanding
then the drive in which your vhd resides has free space greater than the size of your vhd.
(vii)Click OK.
(viii)It will be automatically attached.You will see a new disk with black border.It is offline right now.
Right click on left where it has its name something like Disk1 or Disk2.Then select initialise.Its online now.
(ix)Right Click under black border and select 'New Simple Volume'.Click Next on the new Window.Select partion size.
If you are not into much partitioning leave the field as it is.Click next.Assign a drive letter.I will assume it to be G:\.Click next.
(x)Select 'Format this Volume'.Leave the file system and allocation size as they are.Give it volume label as per your choice.Click next.
(xi)Click Finish
Now you will see a new disk in your my computer whose letter is G: or whatever letter you assigned in step (ix).
Step 1 is finished.
Step 2:Applying Windows image
(i)Get GImageX from the link given.Extract it.
(ii)If you have dvd of the windows edition you want to boot, insert it now.If you have iso image mount it.Considering you have mounted
your dvd or iso on F:\.
(iii)Navigate to where you extracted GImageX.Go to \install\x86 or \install\x64 according to which windows version you are using right now.
(iv)Launch GImageX.exe.Select 'apply' tab.
(v)In the source field browse to F:\sources\install.wim
(vi)In the destination browse to G:\
(vii)If your dvd or iso has multiple edition of windows,then click on 'Select'.Make sure you select the image which is supported for booting.Now Click Apply.
Wait for it to finish.
Step 2 complete.
Step 3:Editing Windows bootloader for new entry
(i)Get EasyBCD from link given.install it and launch it.
(ii)Click 'Add New Entry'.Under 'Portable/External Media' select 'Virtual Disk'.Give any name in the 'Name' field.
(iii)In Path browse to your vhd.In my case D:\Seven.vhd.Click 'Add Entry'.
Step 3 done.
Reboot your PC.You will now get two options to boot.First one is Your current Windows Installation.
Second one is VHD installation.Select second one and press enter.Windows will now configure your installation.
Enjoy.
NAtive vhd boot in Windows 7
Linear Mode
