Testing new apps / updates in Windows 11


Bree said:
Yes....

If your .vhdx is a clone of an existing Windows install, then just mount the .vhdx and use one of the bcdboot commands at Step 11 of the tutorial.

I quadruple boot one of my machines, its installed Window 10 and three .vhdx for various Insider builds of Windows 11.

View attachment 79407

I'm currently booted into its DEV build to get today's update.

View attachment 79408
Click to expand...
A question for you @Bree what size are your VHDXs?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22631.3810/Windows 11 RP 24H2 VM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    Intel Celeron N4000 @ 1.10GHz Gemini Lake 14nm
    Motherboard
    LENOVO LNVNB161216 (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB Ram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 600 (Lenovo)
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio Intel Display Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    512GB Western Digital WDC PC SN530 SDBPMPZ-512G-1101 (Unknown (SSD))
    Keyboard
    Laptop Keyboard
    Mouse
    G5 Gaming Mouse
    Internet Speed
    50mbps/50mbps
    Browser
    Chrome/Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 RP 24H2 VM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    Intel Celeron N4000 @ 1.10GHz Gemini Lake 14nm
    Motherboard
    LENOVO LNVNB161216 (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB Ram
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 600 (Lenovo)
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio Intel Display Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Mouse
    G5 Gaming Mouse
    Keyboard
    Laptop Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    50mbps/50mbps
    Browser
    Chrome/Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Griff79 said:
A question for you @Bree what size are your VHDXs?
Click to expand...
Each .vhdx file is physically about 20GB, but they are all set up as expanding vhdx, so each one is a virtual drive with a capacity of 64GB. It is important to make sure that there is enough free space on the partition holding an expanding vhdx for it to expand to its maximum size while booted from. I have about 50GB free space on the partition, so I have to regularly clean up the Windows installed in each vhdx. Then boot from another OS, mount the vhdx, defragment it, then compact it using Diskpart.

If the free space gets too low a native boot vhdx will BSoD at boot with the stop code: VHD BOOT HOST VOLUME NOT ENOUGH SPACE.

bsod-not-enough-space-png.25588
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.
Bree said:
Each .vhdx file is physically about 20GB, but they are all set up as expanding vhdx, so each one is a virtual drive with a capacity of 64GB. It is important to make sure that there is enough free space on the partition holding an expanding vhdx for it to expand to its maximum size while booted from. I have about 50GB free space on the partition, so I have to regularly clean up the Windows installed in each vhdx. Then boot from another OS, mount the vhdx, defragment it, then compact it using Diskpart.

If the free space gets too low a native boot vhdx will BSoD at boot with the stop code: VHD BOOT HOST VOLUME NOT ENOUGH SPACE.

bsod-not-enough-space-png.25588
Click to expand...
Thank so much for the insights @Bree much appreciated 🙏
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22631.3810/Windows 11 RP 24H2 VM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    Intel Celeron N4000 @ 1.10GHz Gemini Lake 14nm
    Motherboard
    LENOVO LNVNB161216 (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB Ram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 600 (Lenovo)
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio Intel Display Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    512GB Western Digital WDC PC SN530 SDBPMPZ-512G-1101 (Unknown (SSD))
    Keyboard
    Laptop Keyboard
    Mouse
    G5 Gaming Mouse
    Internet Speed
    50mbps/50mbps
    Browser
    Chrome/Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 RP 24H2 VM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    Intel Celeron N4000 @ 1.10GHz Gemini Lake 14nm
    Motherboard
    LENOVO LNVNB161216 (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB Ram
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 600 (Lenovo)
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio Intel Display Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Mouse
    G5 Gaming Mouse
    Keyboard
    Laptop Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    50mbps/50mbps
    Browser
    Chrome/Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
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