Windows 8.1 Pro native boot?

[eatup]

Win 7 only supports native booting from a vhd file for the enterprise & ultimate editions only. Do the same restrictions apply to Win 8.1? Can Win 8.1 Professional be booted natively?

 

[KYHI]

You can boot VHD from any version of windows 7 and above

to boot VHDx you need to use windows 8 boot files

C/P

In Windows® 7 and Windows® 8, a virtual hard disk can be used as the running operating system on designated hardware without any other parent operating system, virtual machine, or hypervisor

 

[eatup]

I'm aware of that. I'm also aware (read somewhere) that native booting from vhd is only a feature of Win7 enterprise/ultimate. Meaning, yes, any version of Win7 can native boot a vhd, but only enterprise/ultimate 7 will work within the vhd itself. Is this assumption correct, and have they soften things wrt to Win8.1 to include all editions installed within the vdh(x)?

 

[whs]

How to Create Windows 8 VHD for Boot to VHD using simple, easy to follow steps - Harold Wong's Blog with Geekie Thoughts and Insights - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

 

[eatup]

^See? Even he installs the enterprise edition of W8 to ithe VHD. I doubt W8.1 Pro will work if it is installed as a vhdx which is why I'm asking this question...

So again, my guess is yes, Win 8.1 Pro will boot a W8 enterprise VHD but not a W8 pro VHD! Can anyone confirm?

From: Native VHD Boot is available in all versions of Windows 7 - TechRepublic

I also discovered that if you install Windows 7 Ultimate onto a VHD, you can boot just fine. However, if you install Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional onto a VHD, the install will work fine, but when you attempt to boot either version from a VHD you will receive the error message License Error - Booting from a VHD file is not supported on this system.
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.
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So it appears that the Native VHD Boot feature is available in all versions of Windows 7, but that only Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate can boot from VHD.

 

[KYHI]

I have tested windows 8 / 8.1 Core and Pro VHD's - so the answer is YES,

You should test for yourself..

 

[eatup]

.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

This is all fine and good providing there's a WORKING "C" or boot drive in the computer. Is it possible to create a BOOTABLE VHD that runs totally from an EXTERNAL device -- even if there's no HDD / SSD in the computer at all. (Sort of like a "Windows to go").

Cheers
jimbo

 

[KYHI]

Yes...
Create your VHD onto the USB Drive
Apply your windows image to the vhd (apply install.wim)
then run bcdboot to create the VHD boot files..

for x86 VHD use cmd > bcdboot M:\Windows /s U: /f BIOS
for x64 VHD use cmd > bcdboot M:\Windows /s U: /f ALL

(Assume the mounted VHD Drive letter = M and the USB Drive = U)

This is a diskpart Create_VHD.txt file to create an Expandable, 15GB Max Size VHD on C drive - with a preassigned Drive Letter M:

rem -- Create_VHD.txt --
create vdisk file="C:\Test.vhd" Maximum=15360 Type=Expandable
attach vdisk
automount disable
create partition primary
online volume
format quick fs=ntfs label="Test Label"
automount enable
assign letter=M
exit

Here is a create_VHD.cmd file to run the above diskpart.txt file (Both files need to be in the same folder as the cmd looks for the txt)

rem -- Create_VHD.cmd --
cd /d "%~dp0"
DISKPART /s Create_VHD.txt
Exit

 

[Kari]

This from an Eight Forums tutorial http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2393-windows-8-vhd-create-boot-dual-boot.html:

   Warning

All Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 (except Windows 8 RT) editions support booting from a VHD.

You must have either Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8 Pro, or Windows 8 Enterprise installed on the VHD to be able to boot from the VHD natively.

Kari

 

[KYHI]

Well considering my VHD's are from windows 8.1 CORE iso's
And activated with a windows CORE key..
I would have to disagree with the provided information..

One is free to test for the results though..

And there is even a program that will do all the work for you > WinToUSB - Install & Run Windows/WinPE on a USB drive!

In the newest version you can clone current Windows OS (Windows 7 or later) to a USB drive as a Windows To Go Workspace

Or it could be done manually as above prior in this thread..

 

[Kari]

I simply posted a link to a tutorial of ours, and quoted one warning from the said tutorial. That's all I am saying. As all my Windows editions regardless of the version are Pro, Ultimate and Enterprise, I have never tested booting from other edition vhds.

 

[eatup]

Native booting is da bomb! As long as it's on the same physical machine, you can have an infinite number of copies of your vhd on it for all kinds of testing purposes, and all of them will remain activated on the same license! Source: Myself tried and tested it...

 

[xbliss]

I am not finding a way to get Win 8.x to Native Boot VHD on a Surface Pro 3. Any pointers?