Need to know how to make a virtual drive? Discover step-by-step methods to get a virtual drive and manage virtual storage effectively with professional tools.
VHD or VHDX is a powerful file format that acts exactly like a physical hard drive. It allows users to store files, install operating systems, and create isolated environments without the need for additional hardware. Learning how to get a virtual drive is a fundamental skill for anyone looking to optimize their computer’s organization or perform safe software testing.
In this guide, we will explore the various methods to get a virtual drive on your Windows system, ranging from native system utilities to professional third-party software designed for advanced disk management.
Before we dive into the technical steps, it is important to understand the practical benefits of virtual storage. Knowing how to make a virtual drive gives you the flexibility to manage data in a modular way, making it easier to move entire disk environments between different computers.
🧐 Virtual drives are commonly used for:
Windows provides a built-in utility called Disk Management that allows users to create and manage virtual storage. This method is the standard way to get a virtual drive without downloading any extra files, though it requires a few manual steps to initialize the disk.
If you want to use the system tool, follow these instructions:
Step 1. Right-click the Start button and select Disk Management from the list. Click on the Action tab in the top menu bar and select Create VHD.
Step 2. Choose a location on your physical drive to store the VHD file. Set the virtual disk size and choose between VHD (up to 2TB) or VHDX (supports larger sizes and power failure resiliency).
Step 3. Once created, the new drive will appear as "Unallocated" space. Right-click the Disk number (e.g., Disk 2) and select Initialize Disk.
Step 4. Right-click the unallocated space and select New Simple Volume. Follow the wizard to assign a drive letter and format the drive. You have successfully learned how to make a virtual drive using native tools!
While Disk Management is functional, many users find its interface technical and its features limited when it comes to resizing or converting virtual volumes. To get a virtual drive with more efficiency and advanced control, a professional third-party tool is highly recommended.
AOMEI Partition Assistant is a premier Windows computer management software designed to simplify complex disk operations. It is widely recognized for its "Virtual Disk" management capabilities, allowing users to handle virtual hard disks with the same ease as physical SSDs. This software is particularly useful for users who need to perform advanced tasks like cloning a physical partition to a virtual disk or resizing virtual partitions without data loss.
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 a 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.
Then, you can create a partition and assign a drive letter for the partition. Finally, you can use the VHD normally.
Once you know how to get a virtual drive, you must also know how to maintain and remove it properly. Unlike physical drives, virtual drives exist as files (with .VHD or .VHDX extensions) on your physical storage.
If you no longer need the drive to appear in "This PC," you can right-click the drive in Disk Management and select Detach VHD. This unmounts the drive but keeps the file intact. If you want to delete it completely, detach it first, and then manually delete the.VHD file from your file explorer. Using a tool like AOMEI Partition Assistant ensures that the file system remains healthy throughout these mounting and unmounting cycles.
Learning how to get a virtual drive is an excellent way to enhance your computer's productivity and security. Whether you choose to get a virtual drive via the built-in Windows Disk Management or use the more robust and user-friendly AOMEI Partition Assistant, you now have the tools to manage your data like a professional. By following this guide, you can ensure your virtual environments are created correctly and managed efficiently.
1. What is the difference between a virtual drive and a physical drive?
A physical drive is the hardware inside your computer, while a virtual drive is a file stored on that hardware that behaves like a separate disk. When you get a virtual drive, it appears in "This PC" just like a USB or SSD, but its data is actually stored within a .vhd or .vhdx file.
2. Does a virtual drive take up space on my hard drive?
Yes. When you follow the steps for how to make a virtual drive, you must specify a size. If you choose "Fixed Size," it takes up that space immediately. If you choose "Dynamically Expanding," it starts small and grows as you add files to it.
3. Can I install Windows on a virtual drive?
Absolutely. Many users get a virtual drive specifically to install a second version of Windows for testing. This is known as "Native VHD Boot" and allows you to run an OS without affecting your primary system files.
4. Is AOMEI Partition Assistant safe to use for virtual disks?
Yes, AOMEI Partition Assistant is a highly reputable disk management tool. It provides a safer and more intuitive way to get a virtual drive and manage partitions compared to the basic Windows command-line or Disk Management tools.
5. How do I make my virtual drive reappear after a restart?
By default, Windows may not auto-mount virtual drives after a reboot. You can go back into Disk Management, click Action > Attach VHD, and select your file to make it reappear. Professional users often use scripts or AOMEI tools to manage these connections more efficiently.