Today I have installed windows 8 beside windows 7 on my laptop in a VHD file..
Here is a STEP by STEP Guide to what I have done.
Intro: There are several ways to install multi OSs, the easiest way is to simply install the 2nd OS from inside the 1st one on another partition BUT there is a chance for any of them to mess with the other one’s files...another way is to install the 2nd one inside a virtual machine using virtual PC/VM ware or any other VM Software BUT this won’t give us full hardware performance on the guest machine …
SO
In order to get full hardware access and performance … and don’t let any OS mess with the other.. We will install the OS on VHD file and boot from it.
Prerequisite:Note: In this example Windows 8 Developer Preview along with its download links are used. The ios file and download links will of course change on Feb. 29, 2012. 1.Download “
Windows 8″ iso file
Download it
from this link OR
here is a link for Windows 8 Developer Preview with developer tools English (4.83GB), 64-bit (x64)
2. Download
Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool from this link (this is a tool by MS to make bootable Flashdisk or DVD out of ISO files, Released for users who purchase windows online from windows store)
3. Get a 8.5 Double layer (single sided) DVD or 16 GB Flash disk
Steps: 1. Creating Bootable Flashdisk / DVD
• start installing
Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool • in the installation process you will pass throught four steps •First: Selecting ISO File (select the ISO file u just downloaded in the prerequisists)
• Second: Choose DVD or USB Device , the media you want to put the installation files on.
• Third: Select the Flash memory partition OR the DVD Drive.
• Fourth: Wait for Formatting / installation on your media (±10 minutes)
2. Making a VHD – Virtual Hard Disk – File
• Open up CMD -
commmand prompt - with
Administrator Privileges • Run MS diskPart tool by typing “
diskpart” and hit enter
• create a VHD File in windows using the following command
DISKPART> create vdisk file=d:\Windows8Dev.vhd type=expandable maximum=50000 Note: your can change “d:\Windows8Dev.vhd” to your preferred directory and 50000 to a diffrenet size (but not less than 30000 -30GB-)
• select the VHD you just created
DISKPART> select vdisk file=d:\Windows8Dev.vhd • Now attach that VHD to windows
DISKPART> attach vdisk • Create a primary partition on it
DISKPART> create partition primary 3. Booting from Flash memory / DVD and Proceed to the installtion process of windows 8
• Restart your computer and change your boot order to the flashdisk/dvd
• once you computer starts installing windows 8, Press
SHIFT +
F10, you will get a CMD window
• Type the 2 commands commands of selecting and attaching the vhd
DISKPART> select vdisk file=d:\Windows8Dev.vhd DISKPART>attach vdisk • Once you reach the Partition selection window “Where do you want to install windows ?”
You will find another Disk with 1 partition in the partitions list (with the size you have made in the first step)
• Choose that partition, and proceed the normal installation process of windows.
4. Finally..
• After the installation process, you will find the boot menu consists of 2 items “Windows Developer Preview” and “Windows 7″
• inside windows 8 there is an extra partition C, this is the emulated partition of VHD
• inside windows 7: your normal partitions without any extras, the file at d:\Windows8Dev.vhd will be about ±10 GB at first installation.
