Features of creating virtual disks and their application. Review of the free version of Virtual CD Virtual disk of Win 10

Hello admin! My computer has one hard drive divided into two volumes. On the first partition (C:) Windows 8.1 is installed, and on the second partition (D:) I want to install Windows 10, but not just like that, but on a VHD virtual disk. Please explain how to do this quickly and easily? I read on the Internet that on a simple hard drive you can place a dozen virtual disks and you can actually install an operating system on each of them!

How to install Windows 10 on a virtual disk using a program WinNTSetup

Hello friends!

First, I’ll tell you what a VHD virtual hard disk is and why our reader wants to install Windows 10 on it.

Secondly, I’ll introduce another hero of today’s article, this is a utility WinNTSetup, capable of creating virtual VHD disks and installing operating systems on them.

Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) is a file format that has a structure identical to a hard disk. In simple words, the operating system perceives virtual diskVHD is like a regular hard drive, but the disk VHD has several advantages, the most important of which allows several operating systems to simultaneously reside on one partition of a regular hard drive!

For example, we have a hard drive installed in our computer; in order to install five operating systems on this hard drive, it must first be divided into five partitions, but this is not at all necessary to do when using virtual disks. We will simply take and create five virtual disks on any hard disk partition VHD and install different Windows on them. We can do all this without leaving the operating system!

I propose to move from theory to practice and create a VHD virtual disk using the utility WinNTSetup, then the same utility will install Windows 10 directly onto the virtual hard disk, everything is quick and simple.

• Note: If you like to solve various computer problems, then WinNTSetup will come in handy more than once, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the descriptions of how the program works.
• Another article for you on this topic.

Preparing for work

Let's look at Disk Management on my computer.

The hard drive is divided into three sections.

1 . Hidden partition System Reserved (Reserved by the system, volume 350 MB) containing Windows 8.1 download files.

2. Disk (C:) with Windows 8.1 installed (there is an ISO image of Windows 10 on the desktop).

3. The new volume (E:) is a file dump. On it we will create a virtual VHD disk on which Windows 10 will be installed.

Note: Before starting, be sure to create a backup copy of the boot storage (BCD), in case, after using Windows 10, you decide to delete it, because after removing the system, the choice of operating systems ( Windows 8.1 or Windows 10) will remain upon boot.

Editboot CD (BCD) storage and removing unnecessary entries is very simple, but it is even easier to deploy a backup copy. For more details on this question, be sure to read it.

Windows 10 ISO image

Before starting the WinNTSetup program, find an ISO image with Windows 10 on the drive (C:) and copy all the distribution files to a folder or double-click on the ISO image with the left mouse and connect it to the virtual drive (if you are working on Windows 8.1).

My Win 10 image is located right on my desktop.

Windows 10 ISO image connected to virtual drive (D:)

It's WinNTSetup's turn

Download WinNTSetup can be found on my Yandex.Disk using the linkhttps://yadi.sk/d/xLGkpAOzhXCPcor on the official website

http://www.winntsetup.com/?page_id=5

Unzip and run the executable file of the WinNTSetup_x64.exe program (if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows).

In the main WinNTSetup window, specify the install.wim file located in the D:\sources folder of the Windows 10 distribution.

Click Select.

Select the file with the left mouse install.wim and click Open.

The Windows 10 bootloader is selected automatically by the program - Z: (the first partition, System Reserved, reserved by the system, volume 350 MB, hidden and does not have a letter).

Create a VHD file on which Windows 10 will be installed. Click the VHD button.

If you create a dynamically extensible the size of the VHD virtual disk, then after installing Windows its size will be small (several megabytes), but during operation it can grow to gigantic sizes and when data is deleted from it, the size will not decrease, this is a little inconvenient. It is worth choosing this type if you do not plan to work for a long time in a system installed on a VHD disk, but just want to experiment.

If you create a fixed size virtual disk VHD and select its size of 50 GB, then a virtual disk of exactly this size 50 GB will be created; when filled with files, its space will be filled, and when deleted, it will be freed, that is, everything is the same as in the case of a simple hard disk. I'll choose this option.

I indicate the size of the VHD file to be created and click on the View button.

In the Explorer window that appears, I indicate the location of the virtual disk to be created on the partition (E:), also give it the name Windows 10.vhd and click Save.

DAEMON Tools Lite is one of the best programs for creating and DVD emulation, creating virtual optical drives from CD image files.

DAEMON Tools Lite is a program that allows you to emulate optical drives (up to four) and play almost any disc image in them (mdx, mds/mdf, iso, b5t, b6t, bwt, ccd, cdi, cue, nrg, pdi , isz). Virtual devices are recognized by the operating system as real physical drives. Added support for APE images. Added a new virtual drive type for basic emulation - DT. Includes SPTD.

It is similar to working with real drives and real CD/DVD disks, but the speed of data access is much higher.

Using DAEMON Tools Lite you can create ISO, MDS, MDF and MDX images of original physical disks. A large number of different image types are supported. It also allows you to use images previously created using other programs.

Images can be compressed or password protected.

Integration with Windows, which allows you to mount images directly from the Explorer context menu.

Ability to use the command line for automation.

Full support for Windows 7. Gadget for Vista and Windows 7 for easy access to the capabilities of DAEMON Tools Lite.

DAEMON Tools Lite is free to use at home for non-commercial purposes. During installation, you must specify the activation of the free license.

Virtual disk devices have become indispensable in conditions of stress testing new functions of the latest operating systems, special encryption (for example, using the BitLocker algorithm) and studying new features and peculiarities of operating systems. It is important to understand that everything described above must function in an isolated environment in order to avoid damage to the operating system settings, malfunctions in the registry settings, and violation of the integrity of the OS. All this becomes possible thanks to virtual drives created in the Windows 10 operating environment.

What is a virtual HDD? This is an isolated disk device, which in its external structure is no different from a standard drive, on which you can install additional operating systems, software, DBMS and other files. This is a standard VHD file, which, thanks to the mounting procedure (that is, installation or attachment to the file structure of disk drives - this operation is carried out without the help of any additional software) in the Explorer looks like a standard auxiliary disk partition.

Essentially, the algorithm for mounting a virtual device can be similar to the method for connecting an ISO image to the system. But the main difference here is the ability to record and use other methods of exploitation. Keeping in mind that a virtual hard disk is just a regular external file stored on a disk drive, you can easily move it to another PC and use it there.

Methodology for creating a virtual hard disk

The principle of creating a virtual disk drive has not changed at all since Windows 7 and 8. The only difference is that in the “eight” you have the ability to install a VHD file on the system by simply double-clicking on it: after clicking it will instantly be connected as an HDD and it will be associated with a specific letter. To launch the disk drive manager in the system, as always, we will use the key combination Win+R and the team diskmgmt.msc.

An alternative option is to right-click on the Start button (or the Win + X sequence) and select the “Disk Management” option in the context menu.

The disk drive management snap-in starts. This is where all the steps involved in creating and managing virtual devices, as well as mounting and installing them, are performed.

To create a virtual partition, select the logical device on the basis of which the virtual disk drive will be created. Next, go to the top menu by selecting the option “Action” -> “Create virtual HDD”(note that right here, very close, is the “Connect virtual disk drive” option; it will come in handy if you want to move a VHD from one PC to another).

As a result of such simple manipulations, the main form of the wizard for creating virtual disk drives will appear on the screen. Here you need to specify the location of the VHD file, its size (as for this parameter, its value must be at least 3 MB) and one of the formats provided to choose from: fixed size or dynamically expandable. To make it clearer, here are a few words about the differences between the formats: with a fixed size, the storage capacity is always static, that is, unchanged; even if the partition itself is empty, it will strictly occupy a clearly specified volume on the hard drive. A dynamic device, in turn, is more flexible and will occupy the volume on the drive that corresponds to the size of the files written to it.

When all the preliminary settings have been specified and you click OK to confirm your selection, a new device will appear in the disk space structure. If necessary, the Microsoft Virtual Disk Drive HBA driver will also be installed.

As a next step, we need to initialize the HDD we created by right-clicking on the new virtual disk and selecting “Initialize disk”.

During initialization of the disk device, we actually have to specify the partition style used to mark up the disk space: MBR or GPT. In Windows family operating systems, it would be more appropriate to specify the MBR style, since it is this style that is used in all environments above the designated generation.

The last step towards creating a virtual disk in Windows 10 is to generate a simple disk volume that will be attached to the virtual device. To create a volume, use a special step-by-step wizard, which will complete the entire procedure for creating a virtual disk. First, we will be asked to specify the volume size, which is based on the value we specified earlier at the stage of allocating disk space to the virtual device. It is logical to specify the same size as the first time, since otherwise not all of the disk space you allocated will be used for its immediate tasks.

One of the most important actions in the wizard is the association of the virtual drive with a logical device, that is, in fact, a letter that will act as the name of the disk.

The next iteration is formatting the disk partition. If you don't want to format it right now, you can do it later, in Explorer. However, it makes sense to prepare the entire disk for use, so select a file system and volume label.

This brings the whole procedure to an end. The wizard’s work is also completed, and now we can work with the virtual disk as with a regular disk drive: write files to it, store information, install operating systems, create a RAID array and anything else that comes into your head.

How to delete a virtual disk in Windows 10?

If you are done testing the new utility, you may want to remove the device from the environment. How to do it? First of all, let's delete the volume corresponding to the new virtual device. Before performing this operation, make sure that all the necessary information is copied to a safe place, so that if you delete the volume you will not lose any valuable data.

Right-click on the virtual volume and select the “Delete Volume” option.

Now we see that the disk partition is missing, and we can detach the disk device. Right-click on the designation of the disk itself and select “Disconnect virtual HDD” from the menu.

We confirm the operation on the next dialog mini-form and disconnect the virtual drive from the hard drive structure.

The virtual device is now detached, but it is still stored at the address you specified when creating the disk. We go to the folder we need in the file explorer, find our virtual disk there, and delete the corresponding VHD file completely manually - everything is as usual.

How to install Windows 10 on a virtual disk?

After the virtual hard drive has been created, you have the right to do whatever you want with it: install any programs, test services, set auditing and local policies, and, of course, install a new operating system (even Windows 10). How to do this, you ask? Yes, just like installing an OS on a regular hard drive. When installing a distribution kit from a disk or flash drive, before the procedure for copying system files, you will be asked to select the logical partition to which this copying will be carried out. Among all the other devices on the hard drive, our newly created disk will be available, and you can install the OS directly on it without changing anything else in the parameters and settings of the virtual HDD. If desired, its volume can also be expanded by resorting to the services of the same “Disk Management” snap-in.

If you prefer to use third-party software for such operations, we recommend using emulators such as Oracle VM VirtualBox or Virtual PC from Microsoft to create virtual disks. All of these software products have an expanded arsenal for working with virtual disks, and working with them here is as easy as in the standard Windows shell.

Last week we asked you to share your favorite disk image tools, then we rounded up the five most popular responses for a vote. Now we"re back to highlight your favorite. DAEMON Tools led the pack by a comfortable margin with 40% of the vote.

Softpedia.com DAEMON Tools Lite is a software solution that will impress you, especially thanks to its advanced features that can deal with virtually all image formats on the market. Reliable application that creates virtual drives on your computer, providing you with the possiblity to emulate CDs and DVDs for instant access.

PCWorld.com If you spend a lot of time swapping and hence waiting on CDs or DVDs to mount, Daemon Tools Lite is worth its weight in gold. Even if you don"t, it"s a program you should download to keep in your bag of tricks--you"ll find a use for it eventually.

Download.com The advantage is that you can burn the images you"re using with DAEMON Tools Lite right away or just test an image before burning it to see if it was created correctly. DAEMON Tools Lite works with most image formats.

Filecluster.com Pros
- Small and highly stable program.
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Software.Informer.com DAEMON Tools Lite manages to be more comprehensive and feature-rich than many of its competitors. And that's quite remarkable, especially considering that DAEMON Tools Lite is free while many of its competitors are not.

downloads.tomsguide.com As a disc imaging tool, Daemon Tools Lite"s free nature automatically makes it a lot better than many competing applications simply because it offers most of what they offer at the vastly reduced price of free.

www.techadvisor.co.uk When you have a disc that you know you"ll need to access regularly, then, DAEMON Tools Lite allows you to create an image in just a couple of clicks. This then shows up in its Image Catalog for speedy reloading later, and you can put the real disc away.

techgyd.com Daemon Tools Lite is one of the best software for emulating and organizing your disc images. The software is very easy to use and fulfills all your disc related requirements. The virtual drives support is amazing.

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A lot of users of personal computers on the Windows platform often ask questions - what are virtual disks and how to create virtual disk. To increase the awareness of our readers on these issues, in this article we will try to fully cover the topic using specific examples.

Also in our article we will look at what is virtual hard disks and where they are used. After familiarizing yourself with the material, our readers will be able to easily create virtual hard drives and image disks in ISO format, as well as mount them onto a virtual device and burn them to DVD without any problems.

Virtual optical drive and its applications

The main purpose of a virtual disk drive is mounting images optical disks. To understand in detail why it is needed, we will look at an example where an image of a disk in ISO format will be mounted on a virtual DVD-ROM. For this example, we will use the Windows 10 operating system.

A nice thing for owners of computers with the Windows 10 operating system is that it already has a virtual DVD-ROM installed. Therefore, Windows 10 owners will not have to use third-party programs to mount images.

To mount an optical disk image into a virtual DVD-ROM, we need the image itself. For example, we will use image with the Linux operating system Ubuntu. You can download the image of this operating system on its official website http://www.ubuntu.com. In our example we will use the image 64-bit Ubuntu version 15.10, which has a size of 1.1 GB.

Having downloaded the image, you can begin to mount it directly. To do this, right-click on the image file to open the context menu.

The mounted “virtual disk” can be opened and all its contents copied.

As you can see from the example, we mounted an image from the Ubuntu OS on a virtual DVD drive. Essentially, we were able to do almost what we do with a regular and optical disc when we insert it into a DVD drive and open it, only in our version all the components are virtual.

Creating a laserdisc image

In the previous example, we looked at how to open an image disk in a virtual DVD drive. Now let's deal with the situation when you need to create an image of an optical disk. To create an image, we will need the DAEMON Tools Lite program, which must be downloaded and installed. It is also worth noting that in addition to creating different image formats, DAEMON Tools Lite can also mount a huge number of formats into its own virtual DVD drive. After installing the program DAEMON Tools Lite In Explorer you will notice a new drive named ""

This “” is precisely the drive of the program in question DAEMON Tools Lite. In this example, we will create an image of the original installation DVD with the Windows 10 operating system. To make an image from the installation DVD with ten, insert it into the DVD drive. Now let’s run the utility and go to the “ New look».

In the utility window we find the button “ Create an image from disk" and press it. These actions will take us to the image creation window.

In this window, you can select the DVD drive from which the ISO image will be created, and also select the location to save it.

We will also select the image ISO format and confirm the creation by clicking the Start button, which will start creating a DVD image with Windows 10.

After creation, we will receive an ISO image file named “J_CCSA_X86FRE_RU-RU_DV5.iso”, which can be mounted or written to a regular disc and installed a new Windows using it.

The example shows how easy it is to burn an image for a virtual DVD-ROM using DAEMON Tools Lite. In the same way, you can burn images for all licensed Windows discs, be it XP or Vista. In addition, you can record images of games or software that will not run without a disc. In addition to the program DAEMON Tools Lite I would like to recommend other popular utilities that can create and allow you to open images of optical disks:

• Alcohol 120%;
• Gizmo Drive;
• WinCDEmu.

It is especially important to use these utilities on an OS that does not have built-in virtual DVD drives, for example, in OS Windows XP. In addition to XP support, each of these programs, including DAEMON Tools Lite, will be able to burn ISO images to DVD disk. In addition to supporting the ISO format, these utilities can mount other formats, including their own, which can be written to regular discs.

Virtual hard disk

A virtual hard disk is quite often used by IT specialists, as it allows them to solve many problems with backup, virtual machines and testing of various operating systems. Virtual hard disk is a container file that simulates the file structure of a hard drive.

Since such a disk is a file, it is therefore usually stored on a physical HDD or SSD. Starting with Windows 7, users now have the ability to create and mount a hard disk directly in the operating system.

Let's look at an example of creating a virtual hard disk using Windows 10. First, let's go to the " Execute"using the key combination Win + R and type the following command in it: diskmgmt.msc

This command will take us to the Disk Control Panel.

To create a new virtual HDD, you need to go to the " Action / Create virtual hard disk", which will open a window to create such a disk.

Starting with Windows 10, it became possible to create a disk with the format " VHDX" Unlike the "VHD" format, the " VHDX» can create containers up to 64 terabytes. Let's make our 100 GB virtual hard disk in the new format " VHDX", and also set the switch to dynamic creation mode, in which our disk will grow as it fills.

After setting the parameters of our hard drive, press the OK button, which will allow you to write it to the specified folder on the screw. Once created, the output will be a virtual hard disk named “virtual disk.vhdx”. From the image below you can see that our disk was automatically mounted, but it is still not visible in the system.

For the system to see our VHDX disk, it must be initialized. This can be done by right-clicking on the VHDX disk and selecting “ Initialize disk».

In the window that appears, do not change anything and click OK.

Now the simplest thing left is to select a file system and letter for our disk. To do this, go to it and select the item “ Create a simple volume».

After this, a wizard will launch in which you need to assign a drive letter and select a file system. After completing the wizard, the virtual hard disk will appear in Explorer.

From the example it is clear that creating a virtual HDD using OS tools is very simple, so we hope that you will no longer have the question of how to create a virtual hard disk. I would also like to note that with the created VHDX disk you can do the following operations:

• Encrypt it using BitLocker;
• Install an additional OS on it;
• Move and open it on another computer;
• Connect it to a virtual machine.

Computers based on the Windows XP operating system, which is still quite popular, do not support VHD drives. But don’t be upset, because in the utility we reviewed earlier DAEMON Tools Lite there is support for VHD disks and it Fully compatible with Windows XP.

Using a VHD disk in a virtual machine

Let's create a virtual machine based on the Windows XP operating system using the VirtualBox program. At the stage of creating a virtual machine for XP, you will be asked to create or attach a virtual hard disk, which will be used to install Windows XP on it.

At this stage we can attach a VHD disk, which we will create using Windows 10. Therefore, we will try to attach our 30 GB VHD container, which we made in ten. After creating the virtual machine, you can view the attached VHD disk in its settings.

If there is little space in the virtual machine on XP, you can always attach new VHD virtual hard disk. Besides, you can connect containers with various file data to the virtual machine for XP. In the same way, you can use virtual machine from other software products. For example, VHD containers can be installed on VMware Workstation products.

Bottom line

From the material reviewed, it is clear that the use of virtual drives and hard drives helps solve many problems much better, especially since even a novice PC user can figure out how to create them. We hope that our material will help our readers better understand the question of how to create a virtual disk and how to use it for work.

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