Just a query -- Sandbox or multiple vhdx (physical) files


jimbo45

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Hi folks
Now that it's a doddle to create / update Windows installs on physical vhdx files -won't you get far better performance and an infinitely better testing scenario by using a full Windows install as a vhdx file. Then you can mess around with hardware etc etc - and if it all goes pearshaped simply copy a backup .vhdx file and start again. You don't even need any special backup software - simply save your vhdx files on any hdd / ssd - even external ones.
 

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Hi folks
Now that it's a doddle to create / update Windows installs on physical vhdx files -won't you get far better performance and an infinitely better testing scenario by using a full Windows install as a vhdx file. Then you can mess around with hardware etc etc - and if it all goes pearshaped simply copy a backup .vhdx file and start again. You don't even need any special backup software - simply save your vhdx files on any hdd / ssd - even external ones.
Well for sure use of native boot vhdx files is now great, especially for Insider versions, but one has to recognise that doing so does not ring fence (sandbox) you from the host OS, and there is a risk the host OS could get corrupted or infected, so as a minimum, the host OS should be backed up using Macrium Reflect or similar.

You are correct that no special software is needed to back up a vhdx file, but I sometimes use the Macriun Reflect Home File and Folder backup tool to backup my vhdx files simply to save space.
 

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Well for sure use of native boot vhdx files is now great, especially for Insider versions, but one has to recognise that doing so does not ring fence (sandbox) you from the host OS, and there is a risk the host OS could get corrupted or infected, so as a minimum, the host OS should be backed up using Macrium Reflect or similar.

You are correct that no special software is needed to back up a vhdx file, but I sometimes use the Macriun Reflect Home File and Folder backup tool to backup my vhdx files simply to save space.
Hi there
You actually have to work quite hard at "Breaking" it.

Create one complete disk say with one EFI partition (plus optionally one unformatted msr one 128mb) with the rest of the disk having just VHDX1, VHDX2. VHDX3 files, Now define these vdisks as single ntfs formatted partions (single partitions no efi or boot partitions) ) and install windows to each via dism /Apply-Image and update the bootloader (bcdboot) for all these systems.

Then if you boot say OS "1" you will see "C" (windows running install -- i.e host OS) and a "D" drive which will show the various vhdx files.

If you try and delete the vhdx file you are actually running from then you'll get an error - file in use or equivalent. You can of course delete the other files - or even attach them as vdisks and then delete or muck about with the files within them but the actual "Host" OS itself is pretty secure.

You can break it in the normal way a user can "break" a classical windows OS by corrupting data etc but that's not specific to running Windows from vhdx files rather than the standard way.

The trick is not to do any standard "classical Windows install's" but to have the single boot EFI file and all the windows installs on vhdx files on the rest of the disk / space.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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Hi there
You actually have to work quite hard at "Breaking" it.

Create one complete disk say with one EFI partition (plus optionally one unformatted msr one 128mb) with the rest of the disk having just VHDX1, VHDX2. VHDX3 files, Now define these vdisks as single ntfs formatted partions (single partitions no efi or boot partitions) ) and install windows to each via dism /Apply-Image and update the bootloader (bcdboot) for all these systems.

Then if you boot say OS "1" you will see "C" (windows running install -- i.e host OS) and a "D" drive which will show the various vhdx files.

If you try and delete the vhdx file you are actually running from then you'll get an error - file in use or equivalent. You can of course delete the other files - or even attach them as vdisks and then delete or muck about with the files within them but the actual "Host" OS itself is pretty secure.

You can break it in the normal way a user can "break" a classical windows OS by corrupting data etc but that's not specific to running Windows from vhdx files rather than the standard way.

The trick is not to do any standard "classical Windows install's" but to have the single boot EFI file and all the windows installs on vhdx files on the rest of the disk / space.

Cheers
jimbo
Nope - you personally have to work hard maybe, but do not underestimate of people to mangle stuff inadvertently. Also who knows what damage can be caused by getting some malware.

I used to know a lass who had an uncanny ability to break software even by accident. She was the first person I asked to test things LOL.

My point is a native boot vhdx can access host drive and cause issues. Probability is low but not zero.
 
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My Computer

System One

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    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
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    ASUS Vivobook 14
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    I7
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    Yep, Laptop has one.
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    16 GB
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    Integrated Intel Iris XE
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    Realtek built in
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    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
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Nope - you personally have to work hard maybe, but do not underestimate of people to mangle stuff inadvertently. Also who knows what damage can be caused by getting some malware.

I used to know a lass who had an uncanny ability to break software even by accident. She was the first person I asked to test things LOL.

My point is and native boot vhdx can access host drive and cause issues. Probability is low but not zero.
Agreed - but I have a feeling that if people know how to manage using vhdx files then in theory they should be competant enough to avoid that issue --I agree with your point of course as "D" is essentially the Host drive and you get full access to it.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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If you want to get crazy, force your main install and your vhdx install to have the same computer sid, then you can symlink most of your appData folders across both installs. Gives you a secondOs to play with, or optimize for different purposes, while still acting mostly like your main OS.
 

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If you want to get crazy, force your main install and your vhdx install to have the same computer sid, then you can symlink most of your appData folders across both installs. Gives you a secondOs to play with, or optimize for different purposes, while still acting mostly like your main OS.
Why wouldn't you just clone host OS to a vhdx file as I do?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
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    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
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    Yep, got one
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    Yep, got one
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    Stella Artois
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Why wouldn't you just clone host OS to a vhdx file as I do?
Exactly -- takes just a few mins even on older hardware. !!!

Cheers
jimbo
 

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Wanting to keep the application state synchronized between the different OS installs. Basically separating out OS vs App vs Data.
Some apps also limit the number of installs - whatsapp/signal for example.

Cloning your main OS is certainly the easiest way to match sids and get started.

Also helps save a bit of space, which is esp handy if you are doing this on a laptop.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W11/10/vhdx
You are correct that no special software is needed to back up a vhdx file, but I sometimes use the Macriun Reflect Home File and Folder backup tool to backup my vhdx files simply to save space.
In addition to my HDD backup drive, for my laptop that goes out and about with me I also like to have a bootable MR rescue USB with the latest image on it so I can do a restore 'in the field' if required.

That's OK for its W10 install, that only really changes each Patch Tuesday. But this machine also natively boots the 22621 RP build as a .vhdx. That changes frequently, sometimes twice in a week. So I exclude it from the MR image and back it up separately to the USB using 7-Zip. Fo a full restore I restore the W10 system image first, then use its installed 7-Zip to unzip the .vhdx.

As this USB is a standard Fat32 format, both MR and 7-Zip are set to make backup sets of as many 4GB files as required. I've done a restore or two by now, seems to work well.
 

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    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 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.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB 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, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
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    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
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    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.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB 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, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

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