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

[cyberbiker]

I own two Windows 7 retail licenses: Home Premium and Ultimate. Windows Home Premium 32-bit (Win7HPx86) is on my laptop. I need to try to test some 64-bit drivers, before reformatting and switching exclusively to Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (Win7ULTx64).

Can I create a VHD (virtual hard disk) onto which to install Win7ULTx64 on a laptop with Win7HPx86 on it?

If not, can I reformat and create two hard partitions, then reinstall Win7HPx86 on one and Win7ULTx64 on the other?

 

[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.

 

[cyberbiker]

Thanks, Brink, but you're ahead of me by a few days. Can't send the image yet. The new Asus 1025CE I am speaking of (replacing a dead 1005PE) has been purchased and is enroute to the US from Canada so they are saying it will get here (after customs) around the 11 Oct. The 320GB hard disk comes partitioned with with a ~100GB C drive and ~220GB D drive (approx).

I already own the Win7 licenses and will upgrade the RAM to 4GB and the OS from Win7Starter to Win7HPx86 when it arrives. Then I want a dual boot to test the Intel Atom N2800 processor (with integrated GMA3650) to play with x64 graphics drivers to try to find one that works. All the other hardware handles 64-bit with no problem.

Since the 320GB hard disk comes partitioned, a VHD isn't really necessary.

If I find a Win7ULTx64 driver solution, I'll take Win7HPx86 off and begin testing Win8RPx64. If not, I'll replace Win7ULTx64 with Win8RPx86 and begin evaluating that.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Intel drivers are well tested and extremely stable. There's no need to try and play around with them. Just use the latest official ones. Besides, you get 30 days to trial anything in Windows 7 before activating anyway.

 

[cyberbiker]

Unfortunately, Deacon, Intel forced a flawed entry of its Atom Cedar Trail processor. Though it was 64-bit and Intel had touted its ability to handle x64 operating systems, it never wrote x64 drivers for the GMA3650 the Cedar Trail N2800 processor incorporates. The chip was included in several netbook models, only for the computer manufacturers to be left hanging without x64 drivers.

Instead of being a cutting edge achievement in low energy usage processor, the sloppy and misleading release of the Cedar Trail processor tarnished the names of Intel, Imagination Technologies and the computer manufacturers who depended on it. The extended delays in release and the current flawed product have caused the netbook market to weaken considerably and computer manufacturers to move to new designs and other processors... a gross and harmful blunder by Intel.

Users are left settling for x86 or wandering about to find an x64 driver that works in our 10" netbooks. As processors, storage, graphics and battery life have improved, education, government and business users (a huge part of Microsoft's market) have been delighted to travel with smaller laptops, whether around the world or just around campus. Moving back to 11.6", 12.1" or larger laptops is the wrong direction and a loss of profits by computer manufacturers and Microsoft will reflect it.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Users are left settling for x86 or wandering about to find an x64 driver that works in our 10" netbooks.

Since these are netbooks we are talking about, how many, if any, actually support 4 GB of memory? None that I've considered went above 2 GB, so there really wasn't much of a reason to consider x64.

Given the power of a netbook, in terms of what it can handle, I wouldn't call it settling for a netbook user to have to run x86. It's still Windows 7, and Windows 8 offers an x86 version as well, if one would want to upgrade.

 

[cyberbiker]

That was why 3 or 4 netbook manufacturers included the Cedar Trail this year. They wanted a netbook that was an improvement on what had existed. Intel promised it and, after extended delays, didn't deliver. As I mentioned, education, business and government users want a small computer (10") with a long battery life (7.5 hours on wifi) that travels easily and handles business, financial and video applications well. My 2009 Asus 10" 1005PE with 2GB of RAM did that pretty well. The 1025CE will do it better.

With a 4GB RAM module in a 1025CE and Win7HPx86 it shows a usable RAM of 2.99GB. It needs Win7x64 to use 4GB.

The 1025CE has a Windows Experience Index of 3.5 broken down as follows:
Processor: 3.6
Memory (RAM): 5.6 (with 4GB RAM)
Graphics: 5.9
Gaming graphics: 3.4
Primary hard disk: 5.9

Here are two more owners who confirmed the same numbers.

Curio (1025CE 2GB RAM):
3.6 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 3.4 | 7.3 (SSD upgrade explains the bump in the last value)
Amazon.com: Curio's review of ASUS 1025CE-MU17-PR 10.1-Inch Netbook (Met...

1025ce owner at Asus 1025CE review - best 10 inch EEE PC so far, but...
3.6 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 3.4 | 5.8

 

[cyberbiker]

Hello cyberbiker. 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.

Took the Asus 1025ce a while to get through Customs. Below is a screenshot of the 4 partitions on the 320GB hard drive. The netbook currently only has Windows 7 Starter.

I tried to unhide (mount) the 15GB volume, but when I right clicked on it in Disk Manager, the choice to assign a letter to it was greyed out. That volume has the OEM restore files.

What I would like to do is move the 15GB restore drive or create a new one to contain the restore files, then change the 100GB C and 183GB D drive to 223GB and 60GB, respectively so I can use the 60Gb D partition for various OS tests. I tried to shrink the D drive, but could only do it to 93GB due to some hidden file blockage. Even If I could have shrunk it to 60GB, I would not have been able to expand the C drive because of the position of the 15Gb restore drive.

What is the best way to keep the restore partition (or move it), but end up with a 223GB C and a 60GB D partition? I will be installing Win8x32RP on the D drive, then putting Win7HPx64 on the C drive.

Image of hard disk partitions:
VolumeStructure_Asus1025ce.png picture by pbiz0 - Photobucket

 

[Brink]

You're screenshots are not working, could you upload and post them again?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

From the other link, it looks like you could use a free program like Partition Wizard to move space from the D partition to the C partition.

 

[Kaktussoft]

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 WIN7 ULTIMATE

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

From there it can load win7 x86 (all versions), win7 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.

 

[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 WIN7 ULTIMATE

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

From there it can load win7 x86 (all versions), win7 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]

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]

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

 

[cyberbiker]

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]

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

 

[Kaktussoft]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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

To be able to NATIVE boot from vhd you need :

• have the win7 bootmgr (that can boot from vhd)
• have win7 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 win7 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 win7 have blocked it.

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

 

[Brink]

Ok, here are my findings.

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.