Traditionally, if you wanted to test a new "Insider Preview" or a risky piece of software, you had to shrink your C: drive and create a new partition—a nerve-wracking process if something goes wrong. With a VHD, your entire second OS lives inside a single file on your existing drive. If you’re done with it, you just delete the file.
This is the safest method as it runs entirely isolated from your host system.
Do you already have a installed (e.g., Hyper-V, VirtualBox)?
Finish the wizard and start the VM. Complete the standard Windows setup.
If you need a permanent, fully licensed Windows 10 VHD and cannot use the 90-day developer evaluations, creating your own from an official Microsoft ISO is the best approach. Step 1: Download the Windows 10 ISO Windows 10 Vhd Image Download
Always choose VHDX unless you specifically need backwards compatibility with legacy virtualization software or older versions of Windows Server. How to Set Up and Run Your Windows 10 VHD
Once you have downloaded or created your Windows 10 VHD/VHDX file, you can run it using a hypervisor. Hyper-V is built into Windows 10/11 Pro and Enterprise. Setting Up in Hyper-V
(Replace D: with your ISO drive letter and V: with your VHD mount letter)
Restart your computer. You will see a boot menu allowing you to choose between your main OS and your Windows 10 VHD. Important Security Warnings Traditionally, if you wanted to test a new
After downloading the VHD image, follow these steps to create a virtual machine:
IT administrators use pre-configured images to test group policies, deployment scripts, and corporate software compatibility. Where to Download Official Windows 10 VHD Images
Windows on VHD requires proper activation:
(do not pick Hyper-V’s own export unless you want a VM package). This is the safest method as it runs
Method A: Running inside a Virtual Machine (Hyper-V or VirtualBox)
2. Creating a Custom VHD via the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
Name your VM and choose (preferred for Windows 10). Assign memory (minimum 4096 MB recommended).