How to Create a VHD in Windows 10 if Disk Management not Working?

A Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) in Windows 10 works like a separate drive that helps you store data, install another operating system, or run virtual machines without changing your main system. It is a practical way to test software, manage multiple systems, or create backups in an organized and secure environment. However, sometimes the built-in Disk Management tool may fail to create a VHD due to system errors or limitations. In such cases, using reliable software like AOMEI Partition Assistant can make the process much easier. It offers a simple and effective way to create, manage, and use VHDs smoothly, even when Disk Management is not working properly.

How to create a VHD in Windows 10?

Disk Management in Windows 10 can create a VHD because it is designed to handle basic disk and volume operations, including creating, attaching, and detaching virtual hard disks. However, it sometimes fails due to system restrictions, permission issues, or limited support for certain VHD formats. When this happens, users may face errors that prevent the process from completing smoothly.

Step 1. Right-click the Start menu and select Disk Management to open the tool.

Step 2. In the top menu, click Action and choose Create VHD.

Step 3. Click Browse to select a location to save the VHD file, then enter a file name.

Step 4. Choose the VHD or VHDX format and set the virtual disk size as needed.

Step 5. Select Fixed size or Dynamically expanding based on your preference, then click OK.

Step 6. After the VHD appears in Disk Management, right-click it and select Initialize Disk to start using it.

This method is quick, safe, and ideal for creating a virtual drive for backups, testing, or extra storage.

What to do if you can not create VHD in Windows 10 with Disk Management?

Creating a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) in Windows 10 can sometimes be tricky when using the built-in Disk Management tool. Users may encounter errors like “A Virtual Disk Provider for the specified file was not found,” which usually happens when Windows cannot access the components required for virtual disk operations. Common causes include incorrect file paths, insufficient permissions, or a stopped Virtual Disk Service. While checking the file location, ensuring read and write access, and restarting the service can sometimes help, these steps do not always solve the problem, especially for users less familiar with system settings.

In cases like this, AOMEI Partition Assistant offers a reliable and convenient solution. It allows users to create, attach, and manage VHD or VHDX files smoothly, avoiding the common errors that can occur in Disk Management.

The software has a clear and intuitive interface suitable for both beginners and advanced users. Beyond virtual disk management, it also supports resizing, cloning, and merging partitions without losing data, making it easy to manage both virtual and physical drives from a single platform. Using AOMEI Partition Assistant ensures a smoother, faster, and more flexible way to work with VHDs, whether for testing software, running multiple operating systems, or creating secure backups, even when Windows’ built-in tools face limitations.

If you want to create a VHD, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1. Click the tab "Virtual Disk", you will see 3 options available for VHDs: create VHD, attach VHD, and detach VHD. Select the "Create VHD" option after clicking the "Virtual Disk" tab.

Step 2. You can specify the virtual disk location and size. 

Optionally, you can click the "Advanced" option to set the virtual hard disk format and type. (By default, the VHDX format and the Dynamically expanding type are checked.)

Virtual hard disk format: VHD and VHDX are supported. 

For VHD, it supports virtual disks up to 2040GB in size.

For VHDX, it supports virtual disks larger than 2040GB in size. (Up to 64TB) This format is not supported in operating systems earlier than Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012.

Virtual hard disk format: Fixed size and Dynamically expanding are supported.

For fixed size, the virtual hard disk file will be allocated its maximum size when it is created. So it will take much longer to create.

For Dynamically expanding, the virtual hard disk file will grow to its maximum size as data is written to it. (Recommended)

Click "Browse" to select a location to create the VHD. Please enter a file name for the virtual disk and click "Save".

Step 3. Once the virtual disk location and size are set up, you can click "OK" to start creating the VHD.

Step 4. After the reload process is finished, you will see that the VHD has been created successfully. It will be attached automatically.

You can also view the VHD in Windows Disk Management.

The created VHD will be uninitialized so it is empty without any data or file system. To make it useful, you need to initialize the disk, create a partition, and assign a drive letter.

You can initialize the drive in Partition Assistant.

Or, initialize it in Windows Disk Management.

Then, you can create a partition and assign a drive letter for the partition. Finally, you can use the VHD normally. 

Conclusion

A Virtual Hard Disk in Windows 10 acts like a separate drive, allowing users to store data, run virtual machines, or test software without affecting the main system. While Disk Management can create and manage VHDs, it may sometimes fail due to system errors, permission issues, or format limitations. In these situations, AOMEI Partition Assistant offers a reliable and user-friendly alternative. The software allows users to create, attach, detach, and manage VHD or VHDX files easily, even when Windows’ built-in tools encounter problems. It also supports advanced features like resizing, cloning, and converting partitions, making virtual disk management smoother and more flexible. If you are a Windows Server user, please choose the Windows Server edition.