Windows 7 Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta support booting into the OS via a VHD file attached to Virtual PC/Server or Hyper-V.

The first step is to create the virtual hard disk (VHD) of Windows 7 Beta. Right-Click on “Computer” and select “Manage.” From there expand “Storage” and right-click on “Disk Management” and select “Create VHD.” The following dialog box will appear:

You can also use the command prompt to create the VHD file.

Once you have created the VHD file, boot your machine with the Windows 7 DVD in the dvd drive and choose “Install Now,” then press SHIFT+F10 to get the command prompt. Type the following:

When you return to the installation procedure, you will see a 20GB partition, select this. It will warn that you cannot boot from it - disregard this message - you can! Continue the install.

When you boot up, it will make Windows 7 the default boot option. You can change this using bcdedit.

This is great for installing multiple copies of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 on a machine or storage area network without creating multiple partitions. The VHD files are then portable and able to be used on other servers and machines using Hyper-V or Virtual PC/Server.

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2. How to Install Windows Server 2003 R2 enhancements on Windows Server 2003 SP1
3. Slimming down Windows XP Pro SP2 Install
4. How to install PHP ISAPI on Windows 2008 IIS7 x64
5. Windows 7 Beta Download Direct Link from Microsoft

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