Trying out Windows 11

Bree · Feb 18, 2024

Try3 said:
I'm having to restart my VHDX attempt. My first attempt created a defective VHDX.

There are many ways to create a usable vhdx, and I've tried most of them. You could copy an existing .vhdx from a Hyper-V VM, for example. My most recent one was made for my System One so I could dual-boot its RTM 23H2 (aka General Availability Channel) with the Insider Release Preview Channel build. Being a W11 Home machine it has no Hyper-V. I created a .vhdx using Disk Management's Action > Create VHD. Then I mounted the .vhdx and used Macrium Reflect to restore the PC's latest system image direct to the vhdx. Finally, as I'm not signed up as an Insider, I booted to the vhdx and used the offlineinsiderenroll/OfflineInsiderEnroll.cmd script on GitHub to switch it to the Release Preview Channel.

Try3 said:
I had found an earlier post of yours that refers to a script somebody had written that made Version updates possible for VHDX but if I don't even have to bother with that all should be well.

That script was for bypassing the system checks when Windows Update tries to install a Feature Update on an unsupported device, such as the laptop I referred to in post #18. The simplest solution of course is to boot the vhdx on a supported device. :wink:

I first came across that script in post #74 here: KB5033735 Windows 11 Insider Canary Build 26002.1010 (23H2) - Dec. 5

Try3 · Feb 18, 2024

Bree,

I'm still working through creating the VHDX [it failed once].

What baffles me is that, in the two tutorials I think I need to use,

Try3 said:
Create VHDX file - ElevenForumTutorials
...
Native Boot Windows 11 VHDX - ElevenForumTutorials

I cannot see how the VHDX gets populated with an OS.

Bree said:
Then I mounted the .vhdx and used Macrium Reflect to restore the PC's latest system image direct to the vhdx

Oh, right.

Bree said:
The simplest solution of course is to boot the vhdx on a supported device.

My target device is non-compliant.
I read you & others discussing possible future bypass techniques and will keep my eye on those discussions as we get nearer to 24H2.

Bree said:
I first came across that script in post #74

As for that script, I don't know if that will be a viable bypass method for 24H2, given the changes that you are discussing. If it is going to be viable, I'll have to bother you again because I do not understand the originator's explanation of the method to be used.
Since my source [Windows 11] computer is fully compliant & will always have the same applications as the target [Windows 10 with VHDX dual-boot] computer, I would happily restore the latest source computer's system image every year to the USB drive that will house the VHDX file every year to achieve Version updates.

Create VHDX [fixed size 100GB] now at 28%,
Denis

cereberus · Feb 18, 2024

Try3 said:
I cannot see how the VHDX gets populated with an OS.

Denis

Several ways.

1) boot from usb installation drive, at at first screen press shift+f10 to get to command prompt. The run following command example (adjust drive, path, name as appropriate)

Code:

diskpart
select vdisk file=E:\mypath\myvhdx.vhdx
attach vdisk
exit
exit

then carry on installing in normal way.

2) Clone main drive to vhdx using Macrium Reflect or similar.

3) use dism to install to vhdx (tutorial in W10 tutorial show basically how to do this).

Try3 · Feb 18, 2024

Thanks for that.
I expect I'll use #2, restoring a system image, so I don't have a ton of applications to install and settings to set.

Create VHDX [fixed size 100GB] now at 40%,
Denis

Bree · Feb 18, 2024

Try3 said:
My target device is non-compliant.
I read you & others discussing possible future bypass techniques and will keep my eye on those discussions as we get nearer to 24H2.

I will be keeping a keen eye on those discussions too, and adding to them (hopefully). But one thing is already apparent, your CPU must support the PopCnt instruction else it cannot run 24H2. See my post #25 here for how I checked all my systems: Microsoft's upcoming change could block off Windows 11 CPU requirements bypass on old PCs

Try3 · Feb 18, 2024

Bree said:
one thing is already apparent, your CPU must support the PopCnt instruction else it cannot run 24H2

Yes, it does. I checked it using the test you suggested a few days ago [well, that I read a few days ago].
My current main computer is also non-compliant but also passes that SSE4.2 test. I'm not really expecting problems updating it to Windows 11 late next year.
The awkward computer is a tablet with an integrated keyboard that has an irremovable option during boot to boot into the long-since removed Android. The best I can ever do it set it to automatically chose Windows.

Create VHDX [fixed size 100GB] now at 54%,
Denis

cereberus · Feb 18, 2024

Try3 said:
Yes, it does. I checked it using the test you suggested a few days ago [well, that I read a few days ago].
My current main computer is also non-compliant but also passes that SSE4.2 test. I'm not really expecting problems updating it to Windows 11 late next year.
The awkward computer is a tablet with an integrated keyboard that has an irremovable option during boot to boot into the long-since removed Android. The best I can ever do it set it to automatically chose Windows.

Create VHDX [fixed size 100GB] now at 54%,
Denis

If you had used dynamically expanding, it takes about 10 seconds or less.

Try3 · Feb 18, 2024

Bree said:
I created a .vhdx using Disk Management's Action > Create VHD

Is that just another way in to the procedure in
Create VHDX file - ElevenForumTutorials
or is it different / are its results different?

Create VHDX [fixed size 100GB] now at 62%,
Denis

Try3 · Feb 18, 2024

cereberus said:
If you had used dynamically expanding, it takes about 10 seconds or less.

Yes. I did that the first time. When I tried again I thought I'd try what Brink described as the best option for efficiency.

Thanks,
Create VHDX [fixed size 100GB] now at 63%,
Denis

Bree · Feb 18, 2024

Try3 said:
Is that just another way in to the procedure in
Create VHDX file - ElevenForumTutorials
or is it different / are its results different?

Disk Management's Action > Create VHD takes you directly to Step 7 of that tutorial, except you'll then have to click 'Browse' and choose the drive for the vhdx. From that point on the process is identical.

Bree · Feb 18, 2024

Try3 said:
Yes. I did that the first time. When I tried again I thought I'd try what Brink described as the best option for efficiency.

Disk access can be slightly slower with a dynamic vhdx, but in practice I don't really notice that.

Try3 · Feb 18, 2024

ArthurDent said:
Trying out Windows 11

Art,

I have to thank you for making me decide to have another go.
You know what they say, seventeenth time is a charm.
It worked-works.
I'm now using Windows 11 on my tablet-with-integrated-keyboard-that-looks-like-a-very-small-laptop.

~~I'm now pratting about with restoring the drivers that I had backed up before starting the job.~~ Completed

Are you going to be trying this yourself?
In essence the procedure is,
1 Backup drivers on target computer.

[Both these are the same.]

Backup and Restore Device Drivers - TenForumsTutorials

Backup and Restore Device Drivers - ElevenForumTutorials

2 Create VHDX file - ElevenForumTutorials
3 Mount the VHDX file by double-clicking on it [to make it a drive] and restore an image of all partitions of the desired Windows 11 system into the mounted VHDX file.
4 Copy or move the VHDX file to the target computer [in my case, I made the VHDX on the USB stick that I then moved back to its permanent home in the target computer so there wasn't even any need for copying anything anywhere].
5 Native Boot Windows 11 VHDX - ElevenForumTutorials
6 Boot to the Windows 11 system

Resist all temptation to respond to error messages at this stage. The absence of the correct drivers can cause all sorts of mayhem.

7 Restore drivers on target computer.
8 Sort out things that were set up for specific hardware - remember you have effectively made a clone of the source computer.
- In my case, I have the very useful MS garage utility MouseWithoutBorders in use on my computers but it is now trying to use the ComputerName of the computer whose image I restored to the VHDX so the the other computers are calling it a liar and I'll have to work throug it s proper setup procedure.
- There might be other examples of network things not working correctly because it's pretending to be its source computer.
9 I don't know. It's late. I'm knackered. I'm overjoyed that I've got Windows 11 working on this awkward computer.
10 Await the next Cumulative update. I will not really believe that this computer will play ball until I have seen updates work correctly.
11 Await the next Version update [24H2]. I will not really believe that this computer will be useful in the future until I have seen, at least, the 24H2 Version update work correctly.

Thanks Bree & cereberus [left-head only]

Night, night,
Denis

[Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 Build 22631.3155 running on my Chuwi Hi10 Pro tablet-with-integrated-keyboard-that-looks-like-a-very-small-laptop]

Try3 · Feb 19, 2024

Art,

I am not going to be able to help you with your experiments.

I have given up.

My awkward computer has reported a few driver problems but will not let me replace drivers / go to the Intel site to search for drivers or even disable hardware.
It has even stopped showing the boot up menu so I cannot even choose to go back to booting Windows 10.
Things that it could do two minutes ago it can no longer do.

The dustbin looms,
Denis

Bree · Feb 19, 2024

Try3 said:
I have given up.

My awkward computer has reported a few driver problems.....
....Things that it could do two minutes ago it can no longer do.

The dustbin looms....

I'm sorry to hear that, though with a device that was hard-wired to run Android I can't say that I'm really that surprised. At least it wasn't a wasted exercise, you have practised some new skills you could employ elsewhere.