crashnburn4u

Whats the newest hardware that you are running Win 7 on?

@InterLinked ^ Was hoping to have some inputs. Ideally I get a newer laptop - add a big M.2 SSD and drop a Win 8.1 paration or VHD for bare metal boot. If not, then find CPU with Mobo Chipset that does not scream driver issues.

Still hoping to stay on - Any insights / inputs? -

What are latest/ last Gen of CPUs Chipsets (Mobile, Desktop/ Workstation) from Intel AMD still support & can run Win 8.1? As is or Mods w/o W10 push? What are the latest/ last Gen of CPUs Chipsets (Mobile, Desktop/ Workstation) from Intel AMD still support & can run Windows 8.1? officially or with some tweaks? With MS & OEMs not crippling it to push Win 10? Currently and will continue using Win 8.1 as long as possible. Hate Win 10 but will run a side instance VHD for tiny things once in a while. What are the best Laptops / Desktops I could look into? PS: Then what am I reading about Microsoft doing some blocking business? Is that just Windows updates? I can manually download and do cumulative updates every 3 months so I dont mind. What else are they (MS) fiddling with?

I think the following things were done correctly, except a few differences of items from Page 2. Can you see what was wrong/ and what next? Now what on Page 3 Steps would be relevant to me? FYI all details: http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=22323&page=4#entry219437

Have not been able to get it to book off VHD yet. Even tried with BCDboot and with BootICE. Gonna try Windows 10 PE etc/ Win 10 rescue to get the boot info in correctly.

Ok. I went that far and asked you as I was getting confused how to do next steps. Well, it was mounted by previous, so I have mount and dismount few times and same issue with Error Message. Even with unmounted I am getting same error message. Ok. But I am a bit confused on how to execute each of these next steps before hitting VHD WIM BOOT. (Is there any video?) 7. BOOTICEx64.exe from Upper Right Icon - BCD of current system file Z:\efi\microsoft\boot - Professional mode - BootMenuPolicy = Legacy // PS: Did you see the images I shared above as I have done some small differences/ changes. // This is just adding Boot Entry for the existing VHD from Step 6? Right? - // I have used EasyBCD and BCDBoot.exe before... A bit confused by BOOTICE. . How exactly and where to add the Step 7? - Video? 8. Option needed for RAMDISK SVBus driver - In BootIce Use R-mouse to create New element - AllowPrereleaseSignatures - Yes // I have no idea how and where to do this? 9. Reboot and install Win10x64 in VHD with Offline Local Account - Connect to LAN or WLAN for Install of missing Drivers and Activation // Win 10 was already applied by WinNTSetup (I've used DISM /apply from WIM methods before) to VHD right? Booting via the Step 7 boot entry will just do a FIRST BOOT and SETUP - Right? Once all this is over.. shut it down? Then COMPACT using the VHD WIM BOOT app with VHD ... UNMOUNTED? How to make sure it finds it instead of getting lost and pop the error message? PS: Lots of thanks. Grazi!

// This was done, but slight differences: My VHD was single partition one, does not have its own separate "tiny" partition. Assuming yours does? Page 1 1. WinNTSetup - Fresh Install in 25 GB Fixed VHD located on internal SSD / Harddisk using Win10x64 ISO from TechBench - use page 2 Page 2 Create Win10x64.vhd using WinNTSetup x64 for Install of Win10 x64 in 25 GB Fixed VHD 1. Disconnect Internet LAN Ethernet cable - Start up with Windows 10 x64 Or 10XPE and Start WinNTSetup x64 // I did Step 1 from within Windows 8.1 and using WinNTSetup x64 applied (Win10_21H1_English_x64) ISO WIM (E:\sources\install.wim) using following steps to above Single partition VHD. Parameters shown exactly as is: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hj82hy6mluj0083/2021-09-17 15_37_16-WinNTSetup 4.6.5 Wimgapi 19041.1 uEFI Non SecureBoot.png?dl=0 2. In WinNTSetup x64 - location Windows Installation file sources\install.wim - use R-mouse to select Win10x64 ISO file from TechBench 3. Select Boot drive (usually EFI drive Z:) and Select VHD to Create 25 GB VHD located on internal SSD harddisk - VHD is mounted as Drive Y: 4. Choose Win10 Edition - Select desired Tweaks - Disable Hibernate - use Compact:XPRESS4K Mode to reduce the Used Size of Windows 5. Select Unattended Install - for Local Account Select unattend\Win7-10-Select.xml and fill in the form - Option: select to Add Drivers folder 6. Select Setup and select Legacy Boot Menu Style and OK to Install Win10x64 in VHD - choose OK and not Reboot // DONE so far: Not run or done anything with above VHD - No even first initial boot. Zero. // When I run the VHD_WIMBOOT_64.EXE (from folder of version 56) I get this error message and the the UI becomes grayed/ ununsable: Error Message + Drives Info https://www.dropbox.com/s/psieb65w48ufx7c/W10_VHD_WIMBOOT.png?dl=0 (Shows the drives also: C is SSD where 8 GB VHD was created and placed and mounted as Y: ) Rest are attached via USB 3 Hub. Are their connection causing issues? Grayed out UI: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hfht6qn4kddc6av/2021-09-17 15_50_06-VHD_WIMBOOT x64 - APPLY WIM to VHD file - wimlib.png?dl=0 What is being looked for and missing or needs to be pointed towards? // How do I make this happen? I am guessing it also creates the BCD entries? // But I need to "fine tune" something. What? // Which PAGE and what steps would be best to get the above Step 2 done? Yes, I'll probably do that once I get the above Steps done correctly.

So, I executed Page 2 upto Step 6 last night. * Prior to that VHD Script used & executed using .BAT: REM @ECHO OFF PowerShell.exe -NoProfile -Command "& {Start-Process PowerShell.exe -ArgumentList '-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ""%~dpn0.ps1""' -Verb RunAs}" PAUSE $vhdpath = "C:\VHD\W10_21H1.vhd" $vhdsize = 25GB $vhdVolFsName = "W10_21H1" New-VHD -Path $vhdpath -Dynamic -SizeBytes $vhdsize | Mount-VHD -Passthru | Initialize-Disk -PartitionStyle MBR -Passthru |New-Partition -AssignDriveLetter -UseMaximumSize | Format-Volume -NewFileSystemLabel $vhdVolFsName -FileSystem NTFS -Confirm:$false -Force Write-Host "Press any key to continue ..." $x = $host.UI.RawUI.ReadKey("NoEcho,IncludeKeyDown") Write-Host "Press any key to continue ...2 " * Then followed Page 2 Steps upto 6. Right now I have a single partition VHD (Approx 8+ GB of on disk current size) When attached is labeled to mount as Y: ------------------------------- I just realized there's a lot more in your manual than I need or imagined. Which would be nice to have and push the envelope on. What if I do not "need" RAM booting? Is that the same as compacted WIM VHD booting? I truly I just need a smaller compact OS in a VHD - what seems like Page 6 talks about. - Is that essentially linked with RAM booting? If so, then what can I skip/ eliminate from the Manual? -------------------------------- I'll include all the manual magic in the next round of VHD games?

Will do. One last question - related and may be still within the above or just out - hence asking. I still prefer using Win 8.1 - until I get forced off in next year or so. But I will be needing a Win 10 VHD purely for one thing (as they are eliminating Win 7/8 support) - iPhone, iPad backups using iTunes and iMazing (Do not like Apple and all big corps focing cloud / control on us) - And I am hoping to INSTALL them both on to another drive - Maybe the drive that holds the VHD - Maybe via Symlinks or Junctions (for itunes) and direct ext path in iMazing. Now, when I was installing iCloud on iTunes on another older test Win 10 (created via DISM somehow it became Edu instead of Pro/ Ent) it cried about needing Media Feature Pack (as mentioned here) My question being - Is this or some feature or component missing in the Win 10 VHD you've designed in the manual? Is above issue likely or can be avoided? If not, then im good/ safe to go with the above.

Is it possible to make copies of the tiny VHD and use it as a BASE template for experimental use now and then? So if it grows or messes up you just did it to the Copies. Also, been thinking if its possible to attach a Blank VHD as a D Drive to the Mini Win VHD to install or use certain programs etc without bloating the main VHD C drive. And to do all of the above via Native Boot as well as Hyper V

@wimb - Long time since I tried this with an old Win 10. Can this Compact WIM VHD be done with a 2021 release of Win 10? What size does it end up being?

I hate those as well, but never thought of Vomit as an expression but I get the "degeneration" of UI Who that?

I did use SRW I before but an insight on it was that it had more issues being Closed Source and not as updated as Chromium which is open source build and possibly be tweaked to have similar features. Again this is a while back when I was looking at Chrome alternatives and did SRW I, Comodo Dragon, Water Fox, Chromium. Vivalid etc.

Why though? 2012 R2 is same code base as 8.1 and I am running it on 8.1