Boot from a VHD using Windows 7

Well I coppied my Win7Beta.vhd(that boots fine) to GenCode.vhd

then I tried the above to see if I could boot from my copy, when I do the entire machine reboots before I even see anything.

The first Win7Beta boots fine still and Vista.

Any ideas where I may have went wrong


C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=C:
path \bootmgr
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {ecc68358-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
displayorder {ecc68359-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
{current}
{ecc68360-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {ecc68359-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
device file=[C:]\Win7Beta.vhd
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Win7Beta
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {ecc6835a-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice vhd=[C:]\Win7Beta.vhd
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {ecc68358-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
nx OptIn
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows Vista
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {0dbf36ef-0ae6-11de-80d3-f53a3b2b7793}
nx OptIn
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {ecc68360-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
device file=[C:]\GenCode.vhd
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description GenCode VHD
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {ecc6835a-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice vhd=[C:]\GenCode.vhd
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {ecc68358-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
nx OptIn

gencode said:

Any ideas where I may have went wrong

I don't see any error.

But you can try following step-by-step and reboot after each step:
Make a backup of your bcd database:
bcdedit /export "c:\bcd.old"
Later on you can import it with:
bcdedit /import "c:\bcd.old"

1. delete "recoverysequence" and "resumeobject". Perhaps these parameters belongs to your old "Win7Beta.vhd". I don't have them.
bcdedit /deletevalue {ecc68360-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187} recoverysequence
bcdedit /deletevalue {ecc68360-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187} resumeobject

2. change "device" to "vhd=". In my bcd database "device" AND "osdevice" are identically:
bcdedit /set {ecc68360-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187} device vhd=[C:]\GenCode.vhd

3. delete "nx OptIn". I don't have it.
bcdedit /deletevalue {ecc68360-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187} nx

4. delete "inherit". I don't have it.
bcdedit /deletevalue {ecc68360-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187} inherit

5. delete "recoveryenabled". I don't have it.
bcdedit /deletevalue {ecc68360-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187} recoveryenabled

6. add "detecthal". I have it.
bcdedit /set {ecc68360-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187} detecthal Yes

Well I did get it working, I have normal partition Vista and a Win7 vhd
When I was running bcdedit I was actually using the Vista sessoin to make the bcdedit /copy to gencode.vhd.

Thinking that may be the problem I deleted my bcdedit copy entry
Then I rebooted to Win7 vhd
cmd out and ran the bcdedit /copy again and all was fine.

Not 100% sure if it was because I was doing it in the vista partition but anyhow its good now.

Thanks unawave for the reply, but I already did this about the same time you replied.

Once again thanks!

Can you boot to Vista and then post the new created part of bcdedit (part with "GenCode.vhd")?
I would like to see the differences.

Well here it is, looks pretty much the same, wierd thing is device is pointing somewhere else, the Vista one was like that too but I had changed it to the gencode.vhd jsut to try, but that does not seem to affect it.

this one was made in Win7

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {ecc68361-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
device file=[C:]\Win7Beta.vhd
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description test
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {ecc6835a-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice vhd=[C:]\GenCode.vhd
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {ecc68358-0dfb-11de-a1bf-b400729aa187}
nx OptIn

Old, not booting:
device file= [C:]\GenCode.vhd
osdevice vhd=[C:]\GenCode.vhd

New, booting:
device file= [C:]\Win7Beta.vhd
osdevice vhd=[C:]\GenCode.vhd

I don’t know why this works. "device" and "osdevice" are different.

I have something read about "master" and "clone" vhd files.
That means: You can create several clone vhd files which all based on the same master vhd file. If you than make changes on the master vhd file the clone vhd files are also effected.

So I don't know if you have a real independent second installation or if you have a second (clone) installation "GenCode.vhd" which based on a master installation "Win7Beta.vhd".


You can test this:

• Boot Vista
• Rename "Win7Beta.vhd" e.g. to "Win7Beta-x.vhd"
• Reboot (you will get an error, because "Win7Beta.vhd" doesn't exist)
• Boot "test" (means your "GenCode.vhd")

Does this work?

Hi unawave,

> You can test this...
Yes, I changed it and the boot screen said corrupt boot or something, and let me go past that error with only the other 2 items listed.

Also when I tried to set it to the right
device file=[C:]\GenCode.vhd

Then I started to get back to my fisrst issue, where teh system just reboots before I ever see even a windows loading screen.

....so, I changed it back to
device file= [C:]\Win7Beta.vhd
and all is well again.

One would think maybe I am just booting the same VHD and don’t know it.

Well that’s not the case cause the c: directories are different and apps installed are different, i.e. I installed fiddler on one and not the other, and 2 directories are on one and not the other.

It seems to work as is, but its odd.

It seems I am right and you don't have independent installations.

But perhaps I am wrong with "master" and "clone". Microsoft called it "parent" and "child".
See here:
Frequently Asked Questions: Virtual Hard Disks in Windows 7
"What happens if the parent VHD of a differencing child changes?"

Good explanation:
Innovative Technology Weblog » Native VHD in Windows 7

hi guys
just wanted to add my 5 cents hereyou know you can do the boot from vhd thing even if u currently have xp(this way you dont messup your partitions or xp)
cool stuff