Using VHD Boot to run the Windows Developer Preview

Shannon Fritz has just made a nice post that describes how to setup the Windows Developer Preview build to boot off of a VHD on a system that is already running Windows 7:

https://blog.concurrency.com/infrastructure/dual-boot-windows-8-from-vhd-using-windows-setup/

This is a great way to try out the build on your native hardware, without having to repartition your computer / destroy your current setup.

Cheers,
Ben

Comments

• Anonymous
  September 15, 2011
  "without having to repartition your computer / destroy your current setup."... With the exception of removing the ability to go into hibernation mode

• Anonymous
  September 15, 2011
  "With the exception of removing the ability to go into hibernation mode" It prevents the Win 8 installation from going into hibernation mode, yes, but it doesn't prevent your current set-up from going into hibernation mode.

• Anonymous
  September 15, 2011
  Does this mean that I can hibernate a VHD booted Windows 8? Have you tried this? @Ben, will the WIM2VHD Script be updated to support Windows 8? I can convert the WIM, but the VHD doesn't boot.

• Anonymous
  September 15, 2011
  See here: "What is not supported for native boot when using VHDs?" technet.microsoft.com/.../dd440865(WS.10).aspx The article was written for Windows 7 but probably applies to Windows 8 as well. I haven't tried it but I'll give it a go at home tonight.

• Anonymous
  September 16, 2011
  @Nelviticus I know this in Windows 7. It would be useful to hibernate in Windows 8 when booted from VHD.

• Anonymous
  September 20, 2011
  I'm posting this from a vhd-booted installation of Windows 8. I've just been through all the power settings and hibernation doesn't appear under any of the options, so I assume it's disabled when booting from vhd just as it was under Windows 7.