Dual booting inside a VMWARE Virtual Machine.  

I decided (more out of academic interest than need) that I would setup windows 10586 in a vm on VMWARE, and also Insider version.

Problem was I could not find anyway of doing this. You could install first version, but how to install second version, as you automatically boot to the installed version?

I looked on various sites including Macrium, and I saw dual booting was possible, but all videos referred to windows, linux where you can install linux as dual boot within windows.

Some sites said it was not possible but I was sure if you could modify boot files with linux there had to be a way with two windows installs.

I am sure it can be done using pre-prepared virtual hard drives and initially jumping to a command prompt to attach vhds etc. I did not want to do that as you cannot upgrade OS in vhds.

So I had a ponder, and my good old friend Macrium Reflect Free came to mind.

So I installed 10586 in a vm, installed Macrium Reflect Free, and used that to create a boot entry, unsure if this would work in a vm.

To my surprise, it worked first time. So now it was a simple case of:-

1) creating an image backup of an existing install 10 pro, home, Insider, 8 or even 7. I put this on a large usb flash drive.

2) shrinking c drive in vhd to create enough space (could have expanded drive instead)

3) restart vm, booting into Macrium and restore C drive partition only (not system partitions) from backup to unallocated space.

4) use Macrium 'fix windows boot problem'

I am sure there are other maybe quicker ways, but this allows you to use setup versions etc, and was easy to do once I worked it out.

What I can do now is share files between each OS version without having to store externally to the VM as I would have to do if installs were separate instances.

So here it is:-

You can even combine two individual virtual machines to a single dual boot vm. In Hyper-V this is extremely easy, you just copy the .vhd or .vhdx file of the other vm to your first vm, mount it and add to boot menu (adding a VHD to boot menu for native boot: Hyper-V - Native Boot VHD - Windows 10 Forums)

You are using VMware, a .vmdk file. That needs first to be converted to .vhd file but then it's easy. See this tutorial on our sister site Seven Forums for converting a VMDK file to VHD and adding it to native boot: Windows 10 - Test Try with No Risk, No Install - Windows 7 Help Forums (Part One steps 2 & 3 for tools needed, Part Three for converting VMDK to VHD, Part Four to add it to boot menu).

Kari

Kari said:

You can even combine two individual virtual machines to a single dual boot vm. In Hyper-V this is extremely easy, you just copy the .vhd or .vhdx file of the other vm to your first vm, mount it and add to boot menu (adding a VHD to boot menu for native boot: Hyper-V - Native Boot VHD - Windows 10 Forums)

You are using VMware, a .vmdk file. That needs first to be converted to .vhd file but then it's easy. See this tutorial on our sister site Seven Forums for converting a VMDK file to VHD and adding it to native boot: Windows 10 - Test Try with No Risk, No Install - Windows 7 Help Forums (Part One steps 2 & 3 for tools needed, Part Three for converting VMDK to VHD, Part Four to add it to boot menu).

Kari

Thanks - and I am certain you can do similar in VMWARE as I said, but key problem (afaik) is you cannot do build upgrades to installs in a vhd. This is a limitation of vhds (afaik) not VMs themselves.

cereberus said:

Thanks - and I am certain you can do similar in VMWARE as I said, but key problem (afaik) is you cannot do build upgrades to installs in a vhd. This is a limitation of vhds (afaik) not VMs themselves.

Just to clarify: You can upgrade Windows on a VM, but not when its virtual hard disk is used in native boot. If upgrade is launched when VHD of the VM is used in native boot, you just get this:

I use two of my W10 virtual machines almost exclusively for native boot, to be able to use real physical hardware with them. Only when I need to upgrade them to next build I launch them in Hyper-V.

They are both activated when native booted because of my hardware digital signature, not activated when using them as VM in Hyper-V but luckily you can upgrade Windows 10 even if it's not activated.

Kari said:

Just to clarify: You can upgrade Windows on a VM, but not when its virtual hard disk is used in native boot. If upgrade is launched when VHD of the VM is used in native boot, you just get this:

.

Yes - that is what I meant - you have stated it more clearly. It is a shame you cannot upgrade on a virtual drive - that is why I went through the Macrium route installing as "native boot" as it was easy to do, and the installs are upgradeable..

I do not have PRO hence VMWARE.

Read the first sentence in the original post:

I decided (more out of academic interest than need) that I would setup windows 10586 in a vm on VMWARE, and also Insider version.

Edwin said:

Oops!

You & Jimbo both should understand that.
You both are two of the biggest "Hmmmm, what if I...." members here:)