Mini 10x64 in VHD

[wimb]

Yes it is all normal.

It is not needed to make Boot entries again, since they were made already earlier for your  VHD. So answer No is OK.

The Format Dialog is needed since you want Apply WIM file on clean VHD (it corresponds to Install of Windows).

So Start Format and then Close.

Succes .... I think it is normal and good that you are a bit concerned at this point.

Edited November 3, 2020 by wimb

[sharicov@gmail.com]

thank  you very much for your support!

Finished all the steps, botting from Ventoy USB with wim plugin, only wim is on the USB, no vhd getting following error on boot:

 

[wimb]

The WIM file is an install.wim file suitable for Apply and is not a bootable WIM file like boot.wim of Win10XPE

Also for making Mini10x64.vhd remember to follow:

1. WinNTSetup - Fresh Install in 25 GB VHD using Win10x64 ISO from TechBench
2. VHD_WIMBOOT - Capture WimBoot LZX and Apply in Compact LZX mode in VHD 
3. Mount VHD with doubble-click and use Win_Reduce_Trusted on Offline Windows
- Reduce in 30 seconds gives Mini 10x64 VHD UsedSize = 1.79 GB
- Capture WimBoot LZX WIM = 1.19 GB and Apply Compact LZX in 3.9 GB VHD
4. Boot with 3.9 GB VHD - Always use the supplied Firewall App Blocker and Enable WhiteList to Allow Internet Browser only
- This is the easiest way to block unwanted internet traffic including Windows Update and prevents the growth of Used Size inside VHD

You have finished now Step 1 and 2

Now it is time for Step 3 and 4

Edited November 3, 2020 by wimb

[sharicov@gmail.com]

Got it, went through steps 3 and 4, everything is working! 

Great job!

Thank you very much!

[sharicov@gmail.com]

Couple of questions:

1. Do I need both wim and VHD files to boot?

2. VHD used size is 6.97GB while vhd file takes 25GB on disk, or 11GB when compressed with NTFS. I shrunk it with disk manager to 7GB but the rest empty space in VHD is not reflected in VHD size, which is still 25GB. How can I make the vhd size to be 7GB?

Thanks in advance

[wimb]

2 hours ago, sharicov@gmail.com said:

Couple of questions:

1. Do I need both wim and VHD files to boot?

2. VHD used size is 6.97GB while vhd file takes 25GB on disk, or 11GB when compressed with NTFS. I shrunk it with disk manager to 7GB but the rest empty space in VHD is not reflected in VHD size, which is still 25GB. How can I make the vhd size to be 7GB?

Thanks in advance

Apply WIM in Compact LZX mode gives VHD that boots independent of WIM
Apply WIM in WimBoot mode gives VHD with pointers to the non variable files in the WIM archive. VHD and WIM are coupled and both needed to boot.

Did you Apply WIM in Compact LZX mode in case of your final result with Used Size 907 MB ?
What is the Size of your WIM file ?  You used Virtual Box for that case ?

After Win_Reduce_Trusted then the Captured WimBoot LZX WIM file is very small e.g. WIM Size = 1.19 GB
Then you can Apply WIM in Compact LZX mode in new Expandable VHD size 3.9 GB suitable for booting Mini10x64 VHD from RAMDISK without needing WIM file.
Booting from RAMDISK requires in advance to Install special SVBus driver and booting from RAMDISK is in MBR mode only using Grub4dos Menu.

More Info: VHD_WIMBOOT.pdf

Edited November 4, 2020 by wimb

[jaclaz]

As a general note, the VHD can be created as a sparse file (on NTFS fileysystem) or created as a "dynamic" VHD.

This way the space taken will be little more than what is actually used (size of contents), BUT you have to consider how - since the file is "growable" and once (partially) expanded cannot be easily re-shrinked - you have to be careful to have enough free space to allow this expansion and be careful on the amount of data you write to it.

The usual approach that I personally recommend is to try with a sparse file (or dynamic ,vhd) and use the system, letting the image grow, then make it a fixed size, as the needed size depends on its actual use.

If you go for the "sparse" file approach you have to know that unless you take special provisions the file cannot be copied/moved unless special tools are used, in case, see:

http://reboot.pro/topic/20487-any-tut-on-expanding-c-partition-on-many-ramdisk/?p=192898

while the "dynamic" .vhd is (externally) a "normal" file (and it can be "compacted" with diskpart).

jaclaz

[sharicov@gmail.com]

Thank you very much, jaclaz. 

My issue is that once I had created fixed size 25GB vhd, even after I shrunk it with disk part it has empty space inside of it and externally vhd file still takes 25GB. Ideally I would like to have one small bootable file (wim or vhd) that can be placed on any USB and booted with aioboot or ventoy. Further file changes can be done in RAM or external file container (can be also vhd file) just like in Linux world (iso + persistent file). 

Still didn't figure out how to do it. 

[jaclaz]

You need to create the ,vhd as dynamic, see here:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/gg252579(v=ws.11)

OR create the fixed size .vhd as sparse file:

https://xenotrope.blogspot.com/2020/04/making-vhd-files-in-qemu-that-work-with.html

jaclaz

[wimb]

VHD_WIMBOOT has RAMDISK Option to Create Dynamically Expanding VHD files which are useful for fast loading into RAM

Sparse files are less compatible for booting as VHD and can loose sparse attribute on copy.

To boot VHD as FILEDISK you can simply use the Captured WimBoot LZX WIM file to Apply in Compact LZX mode on New Created Fixed VHD of Size 3.9 GB

Fixed VHD has the advantage that it does not result in fragmentation of the VHD file when more internal space is used.

3. Mount VHD with doubble-click and use Win_Reduce_Trusted on Offline Windows
- Reduce in 30 seconds gives Mini 10x64 VHD UsedSize = 1.79 GB
- Capture WimBoot LZX WIM = 1.19 GB and Apply Compact LZX in 3.9 GB VHD

    

 

Edited November 6, 2020 by wimb

[wimb]

Update Download:  Win_Reduce_Trusted-36

In folder Win_reduce\Add_to_UserPath the Desktop and SendTo Links for using LibreOfficePortable and VLC and PStart are given
And folder Documents contains the required Utilities for using external drive with Programs as Drive Y: comparable as done in Win10XPE
Win_Reduce_Trusted will auto add these items when Add Folders and Files checkbox is Selected

The folder Add_to_USB_Y is not used by the program, but contains the Structure that is expected at the external Drive that gets Drive Letter Y:
It is required to Manually copy the tagfile CDUsb.y to your external Programs Drive
The CDUsb.y tag when found is used by Set Drive-Y Link on Desktop to Set External Drive as Drive Y:
Also you can Manually Add PStart as given and VLC and LibreOfficePortable and other Programs to your external Drive e.g. USB-Drive

Portable VLC 64-bits - Download vlc-3.0.11-win64.7z from http://ftp.videolan.org/vlc/3.0.11/win64/
Copy the content of vlc-3.0.11 to VLC folder on external Programs Drive

Download LibreOfficePortable from https://www.libreoffice.org/download/portable-versions/
More Portable Apps
https://portableapps.com/apps/office/libreoffice_portable
https://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=599
 

More Info: Reducing Win10 and older OSs footprint

 

Edited November 15, 2020 by wimb

[wimb]

Update Download:  Win_Reduce_Trusted-36  and  VHD_WIMBOOT 

Manual:  VHD_WIMBOOT.pdf

Win_Reduce_Trusted-36 is suitable to Reduce Windows 7/8/10 x64

to make Mini 7/8/10 x64 in VHD with UsedSize about 2 GB whch can be used for booting from RAMDISK or as FILEDISK

Win 7/8 requires to install wofadk.sys driver as done by WinNTSetup using mode Compact:NONE

More Info on Mini 7/8 x64 in VHD

 

Edited November 16, 2020 by wimb

[sharicov@gmail.com]

FYI Uploaded Win Reduce Trusted to Yandex Disk, it says file contain virus.

Message from cloud provider:

Name: Win_Reduce_Trusted-36.zip

Size: 8.4 MB

Modified: 16.11.2020 09:41

The file is infected with a virus.

[wimb]

Update Download:  Win_Reduce_Trusted-36

I have removed the file imdiskinst.exe which was giving the false positive warning at Yandex Disk

[wimb]

Mini_10x64.vhd is booting as FILEDISK from USB in UEFI Secure and in MBR BIOS Legacy mode

also when located on Ventoy NTFS drive using ventoy_vhdboot.img

VHD of 3.9 GB has UsedSize = 1.75 GB

  

Edited November 19, 2020 by wimb