#FRESH WINDOWS INSTALL ON NEW SSD UPGRADE#
#FRESH WINDOWS INSTALL ON NEW SSD WINDOWS 7#
#FRESH WINDOWS INSTALL ON NEW SSD SERIES#

Boot into Windows 7 (for example, one of my bootable VHDs of Win 7).For these steps, IвЂ™ll assume I have a Windows 7 VHD with some cool demos on it called Win7MIX11.vhd. Sometimes I have an existing VHD that is ready to go and I want to copy it to my computer and run it off the metal. This process creates boot records for me, so I donвЂ™t need to create entries using BCDEDIT in the boot record manually which is nice.ДЄdd an Existing VHD to Boot off the Metal The installation of Windows 7 will happen on the VHD I just created and boot right off the metal. Of course, I have to choose the partition I just created. I can now proceed with installation, making sure I choose a custom installation when promoted.This brings me back to the Windows 7 install screen which is waiting for me. Then I exit from DISKPART and exit from the command prompt by typing exit,and exit.In the command windows, I enter the disk partitioning utility.This is where I will create a VHD and then install the OS onto it. Once Windows Setup begins and prompts me to begin the installation, I press SHIFT-F10 to get to a command prompt.If installing from the network, after reboot press F12 (if thatвЂ™s my shortcut key to LAN install) and select the boot OS option.If installing Windows 7 from USB, I make sure the USB is plugged in and the bios is set to enable USB boot.If installing from DVD/CD, I make sure the media is in the drive and the bios is set to boot from the optical drive.

First, I need to have an OS to install.

In fact, I donвЂ™t ever want to do this again to the drive because it wipes it completely clean (have I repeated that enough times yet? Can you tell I am very careful?) These steps only need to be done once to clean the drive fresh. This cleans my hard drive and sets it up for my 1st VHD that will boot off the metal. Install Windows 7 On a Completely Clean Drive, with No Existing OS

#FRESH WINDOWS INSTALL ON NEW SSD UPGRADE#

They are pricey, but IвЂ™ve been able to upgrade to an SSD and give my laptop new life. I have found that the performance differences of running off a traditional drive vs. Use these steps at your own risk, I am not responsible for the outcome. NOTE: This post contains a lot of command line operations that are if typed incorrectly can wipe a hard drive, lose its data, and make it unrecoverable. This creates a VHD on the metal, on you hard drive without needing a host OS. ItвЂ™s very flexible and since the VHDs boot from the metal they are run very fast! Or I can install a new OS to a brand new VHD from a DVD, USB or network install. This allows me to copy VHDs on my hard disk, add them to the boot record and run. I like this technique so I donвЂ™t have to rely on a base OS. I also use create differencing disks (IвЂ™ll get into that in another post). The advantage of this is there is no host OS, you can have as many bootable VHDs that fit on disk, and they can be copied on and off the disk at will.

#FRESH WINDOWS INSTALL ON NEW SSD SERIES#

To be very clear, these steps are for taking a brand new hard drive or wiping a hard drive clean, and then installing a series of OSвЂ™s on VHDs that will boot from disk. Boot to any of my VHDs and copy others on, or take some off.Copy existing VHDs to my physical drive and make them bootable.Install a fresh OS to a new bootable VHD with no host OS on the computer already.These steps describe steps that enable a few scenarios for me that allow me to: The idea is simple: take a clean drive with no host OS and add or remove bootable VHDs as needed.

Recently IвЂ™ve changed all of this on my laptop after a coworker took the time to show me a way with more flexibility (thanks Paul Stubbs!). IвЂ™ve always enjoyed using VHDs but I generally had a host OS first, then installed a bunch of VHDs that I made bootable. I love the performance gains I get by using bootable VHDs.

Fresh windows install on new ssd