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How to install Windows Server 2008 R2 in virtual machine?
After reading my post How to create new Hyper-V virtual machine?, you realized that playing with virtualization and virtual machines doesn’t have to be very difficult. You just have to follow few easy steps and there it is, you have your virtual operating system. But wait! We still don’t have virtual operating system. We have our virtual machine and empty virtual hard disk created, now we need to install Windows Server 2008 R2 (or any other supported operating system). This process is also very simple. Let me show you…
After creating new Hyper-V virtual machine, you’ll see it in virtual machines list in Hyper-V Manager. Now, right-click on it and select Start.
Because while creating virtual machine we selected to use DVD ROM as installation media, you must have Windows Server 2008 R2 DVD in your DVD reader. Of course, we could select to use ISO file or any other method, and you can do that during the creation of virtual machine or later in virtual machine settings. So, installation from DVD will start, and now we’ll follow very easy procedure. This procedure is the same as installing Windows Server 2008 R2 on bare metal computer, I think everyone is familiar with this so I won’t write much about it.
In type of installation Window, select Custom (advanced), because we need to install a new copy of Windows.
After selecting the disk for installation (this is the disk with maximum size of 127GB that we have created while we were creating virtual machine), Windows installation will start. It will reboot once, and at the end, you’ll have your Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual operating system ready.
Notes:
- After installation, my advice is to shut down Windows Server 2008 R2, then to copy-paste .vhd file to create “backup”, so you don’t have to install Windows every time you need new copy. Always have one “untouched” .vhd file, and every time you need new operating system, just copy-paste this file and attach new copy to new virtual machine.
- If you just want to test Windows Server 2008 R2, and you don’t want to bother with it’s installation, you can use 180-day Windows Server 2008 R2 Virtual Hard Drive Images for Hyper-V. These images are already prepared .vhd files with Windows Server 2008 R2 installed on it. You just have to create new virtual machine and attach this .vhd file to it. To logon to the machine, use the following credentials: Username: administrator, password: Pass@word1 (Administrator account).
- If you would like to know how to use .vhd file to boot computer with it, read my post Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 boot from VHD.
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By Ilija Brajkovic | September 7, 2009
Tags: hyper-v, R2, tutorial, virtualization, windows, windows server 2008
Category: R2 | View Comments
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