Windows 7: Can I Install Win7ULTx64 to a VHD on a Laptop with Win7HPx86 ??

Brink · 18 Oct 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

Hello cyberbiker,

Sorry but no to the VHD. Only an installed Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise edition supports booting from a VHD. Your Win7HPx86 doesn't.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2953-virtual-hard-drive-vhd-file-create-start-boot.html

You may not need to format your currently installed Win7HPx86 to be able to dual boot it with Win7ULTx64. If you like, post back with a screenshot showing the full layout of your Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc) window to see what your options may be.

Brink,

Is this really true?????

WIN7HP compared to Windows 7 ULTIMATE

Volume boot sector is the same
BOOTMGR is the same
BCD is the same structure

From there it can load Windows 7 x86 (all versions), Windows 7 x64 (all versions), vista, winxp, other bootloaders etc. Even VHD!

But win7HP cannot start if loaded from VHD
Ulitimate can, so I think it should work.

Hello Ron,

I'm afraid so. You must have Windows 8 Pro or Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate or Enterprise installed on the computer to be able to boot from any VHD you like.

Kaktussoft · 18 Oct 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

Hello Ron,

I'm afraid so. You must have Windows 8 Pro or Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate or Enterprise installed on the computer to be able to boot from any VHD you like.

Now I understand (I hope). It's bootmgr that allows or disallows the boot from vhd. Correct?

So win7ultimate bootmgr file is different.... never noticed that

Brink · 18 Oct 2012

I'm not exactly sure what allows or disallows it, but those are the only two editions that support booting from a VHD.

cyberbiker · 18 Oct 2012

Thanks for the suggestions, all. I went with primary drives rather than VHD using a free (for home use) disk utility named Minitool Partition Wizard. It was great! It deleted the D drive, unhid the Fat32 restore partition and moved it, increased the C drive to 223GB then recreated a 59.44GB D drive for OS experimentation. It even performed its own reboot to fix the C drive. never seen that before- an amazing disk utility.
MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition - CNET Download.com

Here is the new disk layout:

Brink · 18 Oct 2012

You're most welcome cyberbiker. I'm glad that we could help.

Kaktussoft · 19 Oct 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

I'm not exactly sure what allows or disallows it, but those are the only two editions that support booting from a VHD.

Read this fully Native VHD Boot is available in all versions of Windows 7 | TechRepublic

Kari · 19 Oct 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

I'm not exactly sure what allows or disallows it, but those are the only two editions that support booting from a VHD.

Read this fully Native VHD Boot is available in all versions of Windows 7 | TechRepublic

Some misunderstandings here? I have always understood it so that you can boot from vhd on any Windows 7 edition except Starter but the OS on that vhd must be Ultimate or Enterprise?

Brink · 19 Oct 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

I'm not exactly sure what allows or disallows it, but those are the only two editions that support booting from a VHD.

Read this fully Native VHD Boot is available in all versions of Windows 7 | TechRepublic

Interesting. I'll have to do some more testing again myself since I'm not so sure about that. I have always thought that all Windows 7 editions can create and attach a VHD, but only the Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise editions support booting from a VHD.

Kaktussoft · 19 Oct 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaktussoft

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

I'm not exactly sure what allows or disallows it, but those are the only two editions that support booting from a VHD.

Read this fully Native VHD Boot is available in all versions of Windows 7 | TechRepublic

Interesting. I'll have to do some more testing again myself since I'm not so sure about that. I have always thought that all Windows 7 editions can create and attach a VHD, but only the Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise editions support booting from a VHD.

Virtual Hard Drive VHD File - Create and Start with at Boot

To be able to NATIVE boot from vhd you need :

have the Windows 7 bootmgr (that can boot from vhd)
have Windows 7 bcdedit

That's all you need let it boot from vhd.

But if bootmgr loads, the native vhd must know how to access "itself". All Windows 7 versions are capable to do it... it's not a driver issue!

only Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate can boot from VHD... all other Windows 7 have blocked it.

Sure vista works as native boot from vhd???? Never tried it

Brink · 19 Oct 2012

Ok, here are my findings.

Quote:

All Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 (except Windows 8 RT) editions support booting from a VHD.

You must have either Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8 Pro, or Windows 8 Enterprise installed on the VHD to be able to boot from the VHD natively.

Windows 7: Can I Install Win7ULTx64 to a VHD on a Laptop with Win7HPx86 ??

Can I Install Win7ULTx64 to a VHD on a Laptop with Win7HPx86 ?? problems?