Virtual Hard Disk - Create and Attach VHD

Brink · 11 Mar 2010

karlsnooks said:

Brink,
Would there be anything to gain from assimilating some of the info in this series into your excellent tutorial?

Hello Karl,

We already have separate tutorials here for these.

Boot from a VHD using Windows 7

and

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

kepin · 11 Mar 2010

Kari said:

Hello Kepin, welcome to the Seven Forums.

I see no reason why not, as long as you remember the vhd is a file, a virtual hard disk and not a physical HD and you don't keep it on the OS partition. If your vhd is located on the partition you format, you lose everything saved on that partition including your vhd.

You can backup and even use Windows Easy transfer to copy your files to vhd.

Kari

karlsnooks said:

As Kari pointed out, a VHD is a file. If you format the drive containing this VHD file, then the VHD file is gone.

You can copy the VHD file to anywhere you desire. You can then use DiskMgmt.msc to "mount" the VHD whenever you need it.

Thanks a lot for your information. In my case, I only have 1 drive for OS (C: 250GB) so i need to create a Virtual HD (assign 150 GB become D:), initialize it first that I copy the vhd file from C: to my new virtual D: (any directory). So, when I re-format the c: drive I will still have my virtual D: (along with data stored in it) am I right?

Kari · 11 Mar 2010

You are right. Personally, I would not do that. If the second partition is used to store a vhd which in its turn is your main backup storage, I would apply one of my main principles regarding backups: to be sure your backup is as safely stored as possible always use a separate disk, not a partition on the same disk.

Everything can happen, HD's get broken. If your one and only HD no longer works, you' might lose not only your system but also the partition containing the backup vhd. That's why I sincerely recommend you to get a second HD. Both internal and external HD's cost today so little it is in my opinion the best thing you could do.

Of course, with a second partition or HD, whatever you choose, you no longer need to setup a vhd to store your backups so this is a bit like a Catch-22 situation

Please notice the above mentioned is my personal opinion. Other members may think differently.

Kari

Ivan05 · 11 Mar 2010

Well, looks like I'm going to have to go the dual boot route. No 64-bit drivers for the SCSI card. Thanks everyone for the help.

Kari · 12 Mar 2010

Ivan05 said:

Well, looks like I'm going to have to go the dual boot route. No 64-bit drivers for the SCSI card. Thanks everyone for the help.

Ivan, as I told you here XP Mode is always 32-bit, even if you run it on a 64-bit Windows 7. So if you are installing new hardware like that SCSI device you've mentioned to be used in XP Mode, you must use 32-bit drivers.

Kari

glassjaw · 29 Jun 2010

hello, i tried the following steps on how to create a VHD, on the first trial i succesfully created a .vhd file, but then i heard a beep. when i watch on the folder where i made the .vhd file, it disappeared i dont know why. after then i get this errors

Im sorry if im too far away or you dont seem to understand but, Im not that good when it comes to these things, about tweaks.

I really need to know this Virtual Drive. And btw if i had created a VHD, how can I make it not to disappear after i reboot?

Brink · 29 Jun 2010

Hello Glassjaw, and welcome to Seven Forums.

This is normal as per the red WARNING box at the top of the tutorial. Attached VHDs like this are only temporary.

If you have a qualifying edition of Windows 7, then you might consider using Windows Virtual PC and create a VHD for a virtual machine with it to use instead.

Windows Virtual PC - Create Virtual Machine

Hope this helps,
Shawn

glassjaw · 05 Jul 2010

Windows Virtual PC? is it an Application?
And if i had successfully created one virtual drive how can i make it stay still? To make it not to disappear after i reboot?

Brink · 05 Jul 2010

Glassjaw,

Yes, Windows Virtual PC is a free virtualization program by Microsoft used to create VHD files to use with virtual machines instead that now go away after a restart. :)

glassjaw · 06 Jul 2010

hehe , thanks , but my windows 7 is not genuine my uncle installed this OS when i got my second hand PC, what other programs does the program to create VHD's? do i need to run the XP mode to make the VHD? and make it stay still even after reboot?