Could using native VHDX simplify workstation replacement?

Question

I only recently discovered that booting natively to a VHDX file is possible in Windows 10. Most of the articles I've read suggest that booting to VHDX is handy for dual-boot configurations. I wonder, though, whether it would make replacing hardware easier.

According to the thread "Windows 10 VHDX Native Boot:"

You cannot move a native boot VHD to another physical machine unless you run sysprep.exe with the generalize switch

Sysprep can be run up to eight times on a single image. If I replace a workstation that boots natively to a VHDX file, can I move that VHDX file to the new computer?

Answer 1

Hi，

The Windows image file applied to the VHDX has to be generalized if you move the VHDX to another machine.
You could run Sysprep with general switch to remove computer-specific information from your Windows installation and capture the image using a .WIM file, then apply the generalized .WIM file to the VHDX. Not sure why the eight times limit conerns you as you only have to run it once.

Capture and apply a Windows image using a single .WIM file
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/capture-and-apply-windows-using-a-single-wim

Please note native boot for Windows 10 requires the VHDX format, not the VHD format.

For the detailed steps of native boot you may refer to this link
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/boot-to-vhd--native-boot--add-a-virtual-hard-disk-to-the-boot-menu

Best Regards,
Ian

----------

Please remember to "Accept Answer" and upvote if the reply is helpful.