Dual boot Windows 8.1 on Windows 7 using Virtual Hard Disk (VHD)

Image has been scaled down 51% (505x316). Click this bar to view original image (1024x640). Click image to open in new window. Many of you may know the way to dual boot Windows 8.1 on Windows 7 by creating a new partition. However that way has some disadvantages and more risky than the way I will show in this post. By creating a new partition means you will have to backup your data before partitioning then shrink the volume to create a new partition. Forget that way, just simply create a Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) on your current local disk. By following these below steps you will find it more easier to have a dual booting Windows 8.1 on Windows 7 without partitioning. I. Creating The VHD 1. Press Windows key + R, and type in diskmgmt.msc 2. It’ll take you to the Disk Management window. Navigate to Action > click Create VHD Image has been scaled down 24% (505x398). Click this bar to view original image (664x522). Click image to open in new window. 3. At Location field click Browse > choose drive C:  > in file name field type Windows8 > click Save  At Virtual hard disk size field set the size not less than 20 GB.  At Virtual hard disk format: choose Fixed size > click OK to create VHD Image has been scaled down 24% (505x399). Click this bar to view original image (663x523). Click image to open in new window. 4. After creating, the new VHD now will appear in the list. Right click on the VHD > select Initialize Disk Image has been scaled down 25% (505x399). Click this bar to view original image (668x527). Click image to open in new window. 5. Choose MBR (Master Boot Record) > click OK Image has been scaled down 24% (505x399). Click this bar to view original image (663x523). Click image to open in new window. 6. Right click on the VHD > select New Simple Volume Image has been scaled down 25% (505x401). Click this bar to view original image (665x528). Click image to open in new window. 7. Click Next to go to the screen below then assigns VHD with a specific letter, on my computer, I chose H. You can choose any other letter depends on your demand and remember that choice. Image has been scaled down 24% (505x401). Click this bar to view original image (663x526). Click image to open in new window. 8. Now you need to format the partition with NTFS file system. I also change the Volume label to Windows 8. Image has been scaled down 2% (505x393). Click this bar to view original image (513x399). Click image to open in new window. 9. When it finished, you will have a new VHD like this Image has been scaled down 22% (505x337). Click this bar to view original image (647x431). Click image to open in new window. II. Download the script Install-WindowsImage 1. Go to MSDN to download the script  Image has been scaled down 21% (505x391). Click this bar to view original image (636x492). Click image to open in new window. 2. Click Agree and save the file to the disk C: Image has been scaled down 24% (505x301). Click this bar to view original image (663x395). Click image to open in new window. 3. Navigate to C: drive > right click on the downloaded file > select Properties > click on the Unblock button. III. Installing Windows 8.1 on the VHD 1. Mount the ISO file of Windows 8.1 to a virtual drive. I use UltraISO Premium Edition to do that, if you want to have it, check out my post here. Image has been scaled down 39% (505x144). Click this bar to view original image (826x235). Click image to open in new window. 2. Type in Start Menu search box “Windows Powershell” > right click on the Windows PowerShell > select Run as administrator. 3. Type in “Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned”  > type “Y” and press enter to accept. Image has been scaled down 28% (505x233). Click this bar to view original image (701x323). Click image to open in new window. 4. Type “cd c:\” to turn to the root of the drive. 5. Then type  the following command: .\Install-WindowsImage.ps1 –WIM G:\Sources\Install.wim –Apply –Index 1 –Destination H:\ Image has been scaled down 38% (505x201). Click this bar to view original image (813x323). Click image to open in new window. Pay attention to the drive letter I highlighted.  Please replace them with the drive letter of the drive you mount the ISO image and the drive of VHD you created. Image has been scaled down 48% (505x295). Click this bar to view original image (961x560). Click image to open in new window. 6. Then press Enter and wait some minutes for the progress to be done. Image has been scaled down 38% (505x201). Click this bar to view original image (813x323). Click image to open in new window. 7. Type in Start Menu search box “cmd” > right click on the cmd > select Run as administrator. 8. Type “bcdboot.exe H:\Windows” Please replace the drive letter H: above with the drive letter of the VHD you created. Image has been scaled down 26% (505x256). Click this bar to view original image (677x342). Click image to open in new window. 9. When it says “Boot files successfully created”, now restart your PC and enjoy dual boot Windows 8.1 on Windows 7 without creating a partition.

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