New tricks to install windows7 into an image file

The Windows 7 we are using now is just a beta version. This version is definitely deleted after the official release. How to safely experience the new operating system without affecting the existing system is a problem that many users will consider. When we install dual systems, there are often cases where the installation software is duplicated and the system is confusing, and viruses may be infected with each other. Therefore, it is the best installation method to make the two systems completely independent. In addition, the installation of the new system is prone to unclean and unclean dysfunction, which brings inconvenience to the installation of the operating system in the future. So, how should we achieve a truly dual-system environment?

In fact, Microsoft has provided us with a good solution - install Windows7 through VHD files!

The VHD file is the image file format of the virtual machine software Virtual PC provided by Microsoft. After a virtual machine is built, a VHD image file is generated (see Figure 1). The backup image generated by Windows Vista's Backup Status and Configuration feature is also a VHD file type (see Figure 2).

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Creating a Windows 7 Image File

The picture is not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Vista's backup image is also VHD

In Windows 7, Microsoft provides a more convenient and fast VHD file management function. We can open the "Start - All Programs - Administrative Tools - Computer Management" command, then go to the "Storage - Disk Management" on the left, then we can click on the "Disk Management - More Actions - Attach VHD" on the right side to load the VHD The file can then be read and written like a normal partition (see Figure 3), and Disk 2 is the loaded VHD virtual hard disk (as shown in Figure 4). We can also create VHD files with disk management. Files so that we can save some personal files to a VHD file, just hide the location of the VHD file to improve the security of the file.

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Read and write operations like normal partitions

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Loading VHD Virtual Hard Disks

However, even more surprisingly, in addition to installing the operating system in VHD files via Virtual PC, we can also directly use Windows 7 on a physical computer. Installed on a VHD file. So, what do we need to do?

First, the preparation for the installation

According to the above introduction, we can find that in addition to Windows7 can be installed to the VHD file, in fact, other operating systems should also can. This is mainly due to the relatively high PE version installed on Windows 7, and the support for VHD files is more perfect. Therefore, we should be able to use the PE made on Windows 7 CD to install other operating systems to VHD files. In order to reduce the complexity of the command line of the installation process, we can first generate a 12GB VPC file in a partition with at least 15GB space through Virtual PC.

Open the Virtual PC program, click the “Settings” button to enter the settings window, select “Hard Disk2”, and click “Virtual Disk Wizard” on the right to start the new VPC file (Figure 5).

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Click the "Next" button in the wizard window that appears, and select the "Create a new virtal disk" button in the window that appears to create a new virtual hard disk (Figure 6);

Click the "Next" button, then you can select "A virtual hard disk" to create a virtual hard disk (Figure 7);

Click the "Next" button, then click The "Browse" button creates a VHD file in the partition (Figure 8);

Click the "Next" button, then select "Fixed Size" to create a fixed capacity virtual hard disk. (Figure 9);

Click the "Next" button to set the hard disk capacity to 13000MB in the window that appears (do not exceed the maximum available space, as shown in Figure 10);

Click the "Next" button and the confirmation will be completed. A VHD virtual hard disk will be created in a short time.

Second, detailed installation process

First, we booted the computer from the Windows 7 installation CD. Then, while the installer is running into the language, time zone, and circulation format, as well as the keyboard and input method settings, press the "Shift+F10" key to open the command prompt window (Figure 11). At this point, we first need to load the image file of the VHD.

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

1.Load VHD Virtual Hard Disk

First, we need to enter the partition management command. Enter Diskpart, this command can provide comprehensive partition management functions, such as partitioning, formatting, scaling partitions, etc. (Figure 12).

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Next, we enter the Select vdisk file=f:Windows7.vhd command, which loads the VHD file to generate a virtual hard disk. After the command is executed, the prompt of DiskPart successfully opened the virtual disk file. will appear (Figure 13).

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Then, we also need to activate the virtual hard disk, the command is: Attach vdisk. The command execution is completed (Figure 14).

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Finally, enter the exit command to exit the command diskpart function.

2. Select Virtual Hard Disk Installation

We can close the command prompt window and start the installation, just follow the prompts as before. When proceeding to the selection of the installation partition, we found that in addition to the partition of the first hard disk Disk0, the partition of the virtual hard disk of Disk2 appeared, and the prompt of the Unallocated Space indicated that the partition was not formatted, so we started to carry out the corresponding Operate (Figure 15).

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Select Disk2, then click "Drive Option (advanced)", then you can click "New" to create a new partition, and then click "Apply" to create a maximum partition (Figure 16). Finally, you also need to click Format to format the changed partition.

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

3. Install Windows7 to virtual hard disk partition

Then, we can install Windows7 to VHD virtual hard disk partition like normal partition (Figure 17).

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).

Three, dual system environment application characteristics

After installing Windows XP and Windows7 dual system, we found that the system can be accessed through the boot menu (Figure 18). This is exactly the same as installing a dual system in a real partition. In addition, the performance of the installed Windows 7 is not affected by the virtual hard disk partition (Figure 19).

Is the picture not clear? Please click here to view the original image (larger image).