[How To] Install Win7/8 on VHD/HDD on the fly without DVD or USB

[aviv00]

hey

if u want to try windows 8 without messing ur main os and not have to burn dvd or usb drive this is nice guide to help u

steps to install on VHD

0. u will need few apps

EasyBCD

Gimagex

1. first lets create vhd with "Computer Management" @ Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Administrative Tools, right click on disk management and choose create VHD, create 15gb its enuf for testing, after its mounted format it

2. use Gimagex to apply/deploy the image of windows, install.wim, the windows 8 image is in iso u downloaded, at sources dir

3. with easybcd create new virtual disk entry

that's it

steps to install on HDD a bit difficult

0. we need few apps

EasyBCD [Optional]

Gimagex

and Windows PE/Setup [any version will help windows vista / 7... ]

we need windows PE so we can boot the system to another OS and be able to move few OS dirs

[needed if u have old OS if not skip to step 2]

1.lets boot the system with windows PE / windows setup of any kinda [6.x] and open CMD.exe with

shift + F10

we need to move few dirs like:

Windows, Program files, ProgramData, Users, Program Files (x86)

Example how to move

Move "Program files" c:\windowsOLD\

after we move all the current OS dirs to windowsOLD lets

2.from windows PE\Setup launch cmd.exe with shift + f10 then run gimagex.exe, deploy the image as we did with VHD [ check step 2 in VHD guide]

[needed if didn't have old OS installed before]

3. now we gonna use windows recovery that with windows setup disk or wim

to recovery the OS if u didnt have any OS before

Tips

1.

u dont need to have windows setup on dvd

u can add boot.wim [that include setup boot] to boot menu with easybcd and then boot to it [much faster booting then dvd]

2.

if u like to change back to ur old OS and dont have to format u just have to do this again but now move the dirs of windows 8 to windows8 dir and move back windowsOLD dir to c:\

Problems ?

if u get problem with winload.exe that not digital signature

overwrite bootmgr and bootmgr.efi in c:\ dir with new version of windows 8 setup disk

Edited May 14, 2012 by aviv00