Tech Tip of the Day: How to mount a virtual hard drive (VHD) in Windows 7

Description: This article describes how to mount a virtual hard drive (VHD) in Windows 7.

1. VHD is a file extension in Windows that stands for Virtual Hard Disk. It is a publically available image format specification that allows the encapsulation of an entire hard disk in one file. It is capable of hosting several formats such as NTFS, FAT, exFAT and UDFS and may be used as a boot drive by programs such as Microsoft's Virtual PC. One may wish to access the contents of a virtual hard drive without actually booting it up. This is natively possible in Windows 7 by mounting the image to appear as another hard drive.
   
   
2. To mount a virtual hard drive in Windows 7 click on the Start orb.
   
   
   
   
3. Click Control Panel.
   
   
   
   
4. Click System and Security.
   
   
   
   
5. In the Administrative Tools category click Create and format hard disk partitions.
   
   
   
   
6. Click the Action menu and select Attach VHD.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. A new window will open. Click the Browse button.
   
   
   
   
8. Browse to the location of the VHD file, select it and click Open.
   
   
   
   
9. The path will now appear in the Location box. Click OK.
   
   
   
   
10. The VHD file now appears as a new hard drive attached to the next available drive letter in Windows Explorer.
    
    
    

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Tech Tip of the Day: How to format a drive using the Command Prompt in Windows 7

Description: If formatting a drive through Windows is unsuccessful, the Command Line becomes a very useful tool to complete the process.

1. Open the Elevated Command Prompt by going to Start » All Programs » Accessories » Right-Click on Command Prompt and click Run as administrator. A prompt will appear for Administrator Access. Click Yes to allow.
   
   


2. Once in Command Prompt, type in Format X: (X being the drive to be formatted. If it’s a removable drive, make sure it is connected) and hit Enter. A confirmation will appear. Hit Enter again.
   
   
   
   


3. The formatting will begin. Depending on the size of the drive, it could take quite some time. The ETA is determined by the percentage completed.
   
   


4. Once completed with the format, it will allow the Volume Label to be set or changed. To change it, type in the label desired. To proceed or skip, hit Enter.
   
   


5. The format has now been completed and will display a summary of the drive. To exit, click the X in the top right corner, or, type Exit into the Command Line.
   
   

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Error 0xC004F061 Upgrading to Windows 7 with a Clean Install

After formatting the hard drive and attempting a clean install using a Windows 7 Retail Upgrade disc, you receive error 0xC004F061.

1. Unfortunately, with a Windows 7 upgrade disc, it must recognize an eligible version of Windows on the hard drive to do an upgrade.
2. You will need to install either Windows XP or Windows Vista on the hard drive prior to doing the Windows 7 Upgrade disc installation.
3. You can achieve the same result as a clean install by choosing the Custom installation option.
4. This is best performed by booting to the installation disc and then choosing Custom as the installation option.

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