If you are also running Windows XP on another computer, you can transfer this VHD file to the XP computer and mount it without having to launch Virtual PC or Microsoft Virtual Server. You can install only the Microsoft Virtual Server component and run the command from the command line.
NOTE. If you applied a password to the VHD file using BitLocker on Windows 7, you CANNOT access the VHD file on Windows XP. You will be prompted to format the drive.
Download Microsoft Virtual Server from
http: //www.microsoft.com/dovnloads/details.asps? Famyloid = BS49K7S8-4840-4E67-8DS4-1E6E218AX & Displaylang = EN.
Start the Microsoft Virtual Server installation by double-clicking setup.exe. The initial installation screen for Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 is displayed. Click the button next to Install Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1.
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The license agreement is displayed. Select the radio button “I accept the terms of the license agreement” and click “Next”.
The customer information screen appears. Enter your username and organization. The product key is entered automatically. Click Next.
On the Installation Type screen, select the Custom radio button and click Next.
On the Custom Installation screen, click the button next to the first feature in the list, Virtual Server Service, and select This feature will not be available from the pop-up menu.
Do the same for all functions except VHD mount function. The Custom Setup screen should look like this. Click Next.
The VHD Mount is ready to install. Click Install.
The installation progress is displayed.
When the “Setup Complete” screen appears, click “Finish”.
In Windows Explorer, navigate to C: Program Files Microsoft Virtual Server. In the right pane, hold down the Shift key and right-click the Vhdmount directory. Select “Open Command Prompt Here” from the pop-up menu.
At the command prompt, enter the following line.
vhdmount / p / f
Replace Ҡwith the location of the VHD file you want to attach. Press Enter. You should see a message that the virtual hard disk was connected successfully.
NOTE. For information on the options for the vhdmount command, type vhdmount at the command line and press Enter. A list of available options with descriptions is displayed.
In Windows Explorer, your VHD file appears as a hard drive with a drive letter.
To detach the VHD file, enter the following line at the command line:
vhdmount / u
Replace Ҡagain with the location of your VHD file.
If you still have Windows Explorer open and your VHD selected, you will receive an error message when you try to detach the VHD file. You must either select a different drive or close Windows Explorer.
After the VHD file is no longer in use, you can re-enter the detach command and you should see a message indicating that the VHD has been successfully detached.
This Microsoft Virtual Server component is useful when transferring files between a Windows 7 computer and a Windows XP computer. You can store all your files in one portable file and easily access them on both operating systems.
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