[Windows 8 Development and Hacking] AndresOrue:
Guide to run Windows 8 Pro from a External Disk using a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk)​

I created this guide to have the option to install windows 8 pro in an external disk with the purpose to test it without touching my current disk and also to have the hability to boot from it directly when i connect the disk to my notebook, and when it was disconnected still using my notebook as if it were not installed. It is also useful when you haven't space on your disk and you can not replace it

I use a VHD because i think is the best way to test the new windows 8 using all the capacity the your PC, to difference where you are using a Virtual Machine where only use a part of the capacity of your pc.

Anyway exist many way to do this, this is only one that worked for my and i wanted to share with you.

Thing that need before begin:

you need a External Disk at least 40 GB

booteable pendrive with windows 8 Pro or Dvd

you need to create a VHD disk

Remember backup your information, this guide worked for me and others, that's not mean that works for everybody

Step to Make a USB stick​

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I used "Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool" from Here, I don't explain this because is easy and only you need to follow the step that the app provide

Step to create a vhd disk​

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What is a VHD:

VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) is a file format which represents a virtual hard disk drive (HDD). It may contain what is found on a physical HDD, such as disk partitions and a file system, which in turn can contain files and folders. It is typically used as the hard disk of a virtual machine.

Open Computer Management, select Storage and select Disk Management.

Now you can see all the disk in your Computer.

The picture is only a reference, is not shown the real disk

Select the External Disk

In the right side, there is a option that say; "more action", click there and select "create a VHD".

You'll see a screen like this:

Choose where you want save the vhd disk and the name for the vhd disk. (i personally save it in my external disk)

Now you'll see this screen:

Close Computer Management and open it again to Initialize the Virtual Disk.

Right-click and you new unallocated space and select "new simple volume"

The wizard start, click next

Dont modified the size of the disk and next

Assing the letter and next

Format as ntfs and next

Click finish, now you create a vhd disk to install windows 8

Remember what name you used for the vhd disk and where you saved it.

Step to install windows 8 Pro using a VHD disk​

Restart your computer with your new USB key plugged in and startup your BOOT MENU

Select your USB Unit to run Windows 8 Pro Installer.

Start the SETUP process and click in install now

Stop In the screen that show the hard drive and NOT SELECT THE DISK

Instead hit SHIFT-F10 to get to a console. We want to attach our VHD and install to THAT instead.

In the cmd screen type DISKPART, now attached the VHD with these commands:

DISKPART> select vdisk file=d:\VMs\Win8.vhd
DISKPART> attach vdisk

In my case D but you assign the letter where you have saved the vhd disk.

[B]Tip: Before you enter Diskpart, I recommend "CD x:" to find your actual Storage Device. (X - Multiple possible Drive letters, not the same as when you're in Windows).[/B]

Next, ALT-TAB back over to the list of disks and hit REFRESH, You'll see your VHD show up.

Select it and click on next, Note that installation will warn you that this VHD can't be booted to, go ahead and install to that empty VHD.

Here i let windows install for itself, and that it reboot a couple of time.

Now we come to this screen:

Proceed with installation, personally i used a windows account to get all the functions of windows 8 pro, later you can change to local account.

When you finish you will get into you new Windows 8 Pro booting from your vhd disk

Now when you reboot you will have the new windows 8 bootloader menu:

but here the Problem, remember that i using a external drive, and when i disconnected it windows does not boot anymore or having to do lots of commands to achieve a successful start, forcing you to connect the external disk to boot the computer, to avoid this:

Boot into Windows 7

Run msconfig

In the Boot tab you will see the following:

windows 8 Default OS
windows 7 Current OS

Select Windows 7 and press make default. Now you get this:

windows 8
windows 7 Current OS; Default OS

With this simply step we can use the windows 7 bootloader to Dualboot our pc and no longer requires us to have connected external disk when we only use windows 7.

Any questions you want to ask me I'm here to help you as much as I can. I would be appreciated any comment or suggestion about this guide or simply it like you, let me know about it and press the Thanks Button ;)​