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

Hi, All

I created a VHD-File to install Win7 as described above:

Create vdisk file=c:\windows7.vhd maximum=100000 type=expandable

I thought that diskpart will create a file with a maximum size of 100GB but the file size should grow after installing the OS and other useful SW.
Actually I have installed about 15GB of stuff, so the size shown in Vista / Win 7 should be reported as that size.
But Win7 reports the file is about 100GB in size and a lack of free disk space in the underlying Vista installation.
I looked in Win7 diskpart and it reported the VHD-file as expanable. But the real behaviour is like fixed (the maximum space is allocated at the time of creation, no growth).

Has anyone out here made similar experiences, the behaviour differes from my expectations made based von Virtual PC and VMwares VHDs.
Is there a possibillity to shrink the file into realistic dimensions?
What about Hypernation when using a VHD - Is it possible and does it make sense?

Thanks in Advance and Greetings from Switzerland

Oblomow58

Oblomow58 said:

Does anyone here has similar experiences?

It depends on where you are looking for the size. If you have booted the VHD file, then it shows 100 Gb - when you look at the drive or at the VHD file. If you have booted an other operating system – for example you real Vista – then the VHD file shows the real occupied disk space; e.g. 15 Gb.

Oblomow58 said:

Is there a method to shrink the VHD?

I only knew one program that can do this: "VhdResizer". It's freeware, but you must register to download it. With "VhdResizer" you can resize a VHD file or change from fixed to expandable vice versa.

Brink said:

I find that it's usually best to backup anything on the VHD that you did not want to lose, then delete it and create a new VHD file the size that you wanted instead of trying to shrink an existing one.

Just this is what "VhdResizer" do: Creates a new VHD file and copies all content.

Thanks for your fast repies,

You are right: When booting Win7 RC from the 100GB expandable VHD it reports the boot partition 100GB with 12GB used. This results in a warning (low free disk space on the Vista Boot drive where the VHD-file resides. The size of the VHD on the Vista drive is reported as 100GB).

But when looking the same thing from inside of Vista the VHD is just some 13GB and not the 100GB as reported.

So I got exactly what I wan't and it is not necessary to be in sorrow on the low disk space problem.

Oblomow58

Hey guys,

Is there any difference in performance If I install Win7 in this way? Will it give the same performance as the actual installation will do? Any short comings of running OS in this way?

Actually I was about to do dual-boot with Vista but Then I hit this thread and I feel if there's no change in performance then I'll go for it as every 2 weeks w get a new Win7 build

Regards
Mukul

In the meantime I have installed Virtual PC Beta and Virtual XP and tried to register VHD-Files with
%windir%\system32\vpc.exe
or
%windir%\system32\VPCWizard.exe
or
%windir%\system32\VPCSettings.exe

It does not make any difference, explorer shows the MAXIMUM (100GB) value of the EXPANDABLE VHD-File (20GB actually used) and warns me that the underlying Vista Partition is critical in low free disk space.

How did you register VHD-Files to displayed correctly?

Best Regards, Oblomow

Yes I did. It works very well, I write this from inside Win7 installed on the expandable VHD.
Installing Virtual PC Beta and Virtual XP did not change anything on the display of the underlying Vista Partition (just 7% free disk space).

There is no default application for VHD files defined after Virtual PC's installation.
I tried to define (alternatively)
vpc.exe
VPCSettings.exe
VPCWizard.exe
as default application for vhd-file types but this did not change anything on the display of the Vista Partition (nearly full) and the Win7.vhd (Expandable but shown at the Maximum).

I open the disk management msc several times and refreshed to view of the disks.

Do you have any other idea?

Thanks in Advance

Oblomow58