This download comes as a pre-configured VHD and helps you evaluate the new features of Windows Server 2003 R2, the most productive infrastructure platform for powering connected applications, networks, and Web services from the workgroup to the data cente.
-->By Mark Russinovich
Published: January 21, 2014
Download Disk2vhd(879 KB)
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Introduction
Disk2vhd is a utility that creates VHD (Virtual Hard Disk - Microsoft'sVirtual Machine disk format) versions of physical disks for use inMicrosoft Virtual PC or Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines (VMs). Thedifference between Disk2vhd and other physical-to-virtual tools is thatyou can run Disk2vhd on a system that’s online. Disk2vhd uses Windows'Volume Snapshot capability, introduced in Windows XP, to createconsistent point-in-time snapshots of the volumes you want to include ina conversion. You can even have Disk2vhd create the VHDs on localvolumes, even ones being converted (though performance is better whenthe VHD is on a disk different than ones being converted).
The Disk2vhd user interface lists the volumes present on the system:
It will create one VHD for each disk on which selected volumes reside.It preserves the partitioning information of the disk, but only copiesthe data contents for volumes on the disk that are selected. Thisenables you to capture just system volumes and exclude data volumes, forexample.
Virtual PC supports a maximum virtual disk size of 127GB. Ifyou create a VHD from a larger disk it will not be accessible from aVirtual PC VM.
To use VHDs produced by Disk2vhd, create a VM with the desiredcharacteristics and add the VHDs to the VM's configuration as IDE disks.On first boot, a VM booting a captured copy of Windows will detect theVM's hardware and automatically install drivers, if present in theimage. If the required drivers are not present, install them via theVirtual PC or Hyper-V integration components. You can also attach toVHDs using the Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 Disk Management orDiskpart utilities.
Do not attach to VHDs on the same system on which you createdthem if you plan on booting from them. If you do so, Windows willassign the VHD a new disk signature to avoid a collision with thesignature of the VHD’s source disk. Windows references disks in theboot configuration database (BCD) by disk signature, so when thathappens Windows booted in a VM will fail to locate the boot disk.
Disk2vhd does not support the conversion of volumes with Bitlocker enabled. If you wish to create a VHD for such a volume, turn off Bitlocker and wait for the volume to be fully decrypted first.
Disk2vhd runs on Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and higher,including x64 systems.
Here's a screenshot of a copy of a Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V systemrunning in a virtual machine on top of the system it was made from:
(click image to zoom)
Command Line Usage
Disk2vhd includes command-line options that enable you to script thecreation of VHDs. Specify the volumes you want included in a snapshot bydrive letter (e.g. c:) or use '*' to include all volumes.
Usage: disk2vhd <[drive: [drive:]...]|[*]><vhdfile>
Example: disk2vhd * c:vhdsnapshot.vhd
Physical-to-virtual hard drive migration of a Windowsinstallation is a valid function for customers with Software Assuranceand full retail copies of Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.Software Assurance provides users valuable benefits—please contactMicrosoft Corporation for further information. Windows XP, WindowsVista and Windows 7 installed by Original Equipment Manufacturers(OEM) using OEM versions of these products may not be transferred to avirtual hard drive in accordance with Microsoft licensing terms.
Download Disk2vhd(879 KB)
Run now from Sysinternals Live.
Periodically Microsoft releases the virtual images for the major service pack or OS release. Like at the time of Windows 7 release Microsoft had provided Windows 7 VHD image of Microsoft Virtual PC. The reason of providing VHD images is to help developers to test their applications or websites on different version of internet explorer supplied with each OS.
It has been four months since Windows 7 Service Pack 1 released and today Microsoft has released first VHD image of Windows 7 SP1 along with Windows Vista Sp2 and XP sp3 VHD images. The images are patched with the latest security updates and are otherwise clean installs of the operating system with very few modifications.
VPC images of Windows 7 SP1 are available for download for free at Microsoft download center without any modification. Due to the size of the Windows 7 and Windows Vista VHDs, it is split across several zip files, you’ll need to download all files and uncompress them to the same directory to unpack the VHD file.
You must understand that you will still require activation key and VHD doesn’t pass genuine validation, you may rearm (type slmgr –rearm at the command prompt) which will extend the trial for another 30 days. The login user of Windows 7 Sp1 VHD is password protected with “Password1” as password.
Download Windows 7 SP1 VHD Image Files.
Microsoft Windows 7 Vhd Download
You can download latest version of virtual PC from here.