Know How to Create & Mount VHD & VHDX on Windows 10?

Have you seen any file with extension .vhdx or .vhd? Do you know which type of file it is? There are many users who have seen .vhdx or .vhd files on their Windows computer system but still, they are not familiar to it. Thus, in the below-mentioned section, a complete guide related to VHD and VHDX is explained. Moreover, we are also going to introduce a stepwise process to create and mount VHD / VHDX file on Windows 10 Operating system.

Let Us Explore More About VHD and VHDX in Brief!

Basically, a virtual hard disk (VHDX or VHD) is a file on Windows 10 operating system that acts as a physical hard drive but the difference is that this is a file stored on a real disk. The extension of the file is .vhdx or .vhd. The user can use either format that is .vhdx or .vhd for a virtual drive and can store any files, including documents, videos, pictures, boot files, and an entire OS installation.

The major difference between .vhd and .vhdx is that the .vhdx file supports a maximum size of 64 TB and provides better performance. On the other hand, VHD adds extra storage to a Hyper-V virtual machine and supports other OS installations.

Complete Guide to Create, Setup, Mount and Dismount VHD and VHDX on Windows 10

In this section, we are going to explain a complete process to create, setup, mount and dismount VHD and VHDX on Windows 10.

Steps to Create VHDX or VHD on Windows 10

1. First, you need to open Start and then search for Disk Management.
2. After that, click on Action >> Create VHD option.

3. Now, press the top result to launch it.

4.Go to the Browse button and then locate the folder on which you need to store the virtual disk.
5. Enter the name for the drive in the File name field.
6. In the Save as type field you have to select Virtual Disk files (*.vhdx) or select Virtual Disk files (*.vhd) if you want to create a VHD file.
7. Now, press the Save button.

8. Specify the size of the drive in megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), or terabytes (TB) under Virtual hard disk size.
9. Now, you have to select VHDX option under Virtual hard disk format.

Note: You can also select the VHD format if you want to create VHD file in Windows 10.

10. Next, under the Virtual hard disk type, select the Dynamic Expanding option.

Note: If you have selected VHD in the previous step, then select the Fixed Size option.

11. Finally, hit the OK button

After the creation of VHD/VHDX, let us know how to set up a VHDX or VHD on Windows 10.

How to Mount VHDX or VHD on Windows 10

The VHD or VHDX created using the above steps is empty without any data or file system. Now, to make it useful we have to initialize the disk, create a partition and format the drive.

1. You have to right-click on the newly created drive button on the far left side and click the Initialize Disk option.

2. After that, you need to select the disk from the list and check the MBR (Master Boot Record) option.
3. Click on the OK button.

4. Now, right-click the Unallocated space and select the New Simple Volume option. Click on the Next button.

5. After that, you have to specify the size of the partition and click on Next.

6. With the help of the drop-down menu, select the drive letter you want to assign to the drive and click Next to proceed to mount VHD / VHDX file in Windows 10 OS.

7. Now, you have to make sure to use the options given below under the Format this volume with the following settings section:

• File System – NTFS
• Allocation unit size – Default
• Volume label – Use the name of the drive file
• Enable file and folder compression – If not required do not select it
• Perform a quick format – It formats the drive quickly

8. Click on the Next and then Finish button.

Now, the VHDX or VHD will be initialized, partitioned and formatted. The VHD will automatically mount and you can access, save files using File Explorer.

Attach Virtual Hard Disk

1. Open Start and search for Disk Management.
2. Now, you have to hit the top results to launch it.
3. Navigate to the Action button and then Attach VHD option.

4. After that, you have to go to the Browse button and locate the .vhdx or .vhd file and then click on the OK button.

Dismounting VHD and VHDX on Windows 10

To prevent data loss it is important to save any files and applications located in the VHDX or VHD file before dismounting or detaching it.

1. First, you have open Start and then search for Disk Management.
2. Now, you need to click the top result to launch the experience.
3. After that, right-click the drive button and select the Detach VHD option.

4. Make sure that you are detaching the correct drive and then click on the OK button.

Summing Up

Still, most of the users are unaware of the main purpose of VHD and VHDX. Thus, in the blog, we have explained the complete concept of VHD and VHDX. Moreover, we have also discussed the step-wise process to create, set up, mount and dismount VHD and VHDX on Windows 10 Operating system in a hassle-free way.