Use Virtual PC to continue setting up a new Win7 install on new HDD?

[ScreamerUK]

Hi all,

I've just installed Win7 on a new HDD (SSD actually) and was wondering if I could continue the setup while booted into my existing/old Win7 install with Virtual PC, or another solution for that matter!

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[flyboytim]

Slightly confused - you have installed Windows 7 on a SSD, yet you want to continue the setup...

(setup of what, precisely?)

...while booted into... old Windows 7 install with Virtual PC.

Do you mean... no sorry, what do you mean?

http://www.fxxxingcomputers.co.uk

 

[ScreamerUK]

Hehe sorry - I wasn't very clear there was I! When I say 'continue the setup', read 'continue by installing my software (Windows itself is done) and possibly even the drivers if that's possible too'

Thanks!

 

[flyboytim]

The best (and worst!) answer I can give is to try it - It would appear that you are running two different systems - you will soon find out if you run into problems - making mistakes is one of the most effective strategies in the learning process for future avoidance of problems.

http://www.fxxxingcomputers.co.uk

 

[ScreamerUK]

Thanks flyboytim! In that case, can I be cheeky and ask if you know where I might find a tutorial on running a second (new) install of Windows within Virtual PC? I don't want to *convert* it to a VPC image of some kind because once I've installed my main applications into that new Windows install, I'll want to boot into it as normal and delete the old Windows install I'm using at the moment.

Thanks for the replies and help so far.

 

[flyboytim]

In Windows 7 you don't actually need the Virtual PC application as such, since .vhd disk images can be natively booted by the windows 7 bootmanager ("VHD Boot"). EasyBCD is useful to point the bootloader to your NewWin7.VHD.

Here's one of many articles, there are more googlable on MS Technet:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/knom/archive/2009/04/07/windows-7-vhd-boot-setup-guideline.aspx

Let us know how you get on!

http://www.fxxxingcomputers.co.uk