Install and run Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 on USB

I) Introduction

Sometimes the enterprise’s infrastructure has some server lines that do not have hard drives, and to run the operating system, the operating system must be booted via SAN/iSCSI SAN or SD Card/USB. This article will guide you to create and run Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 operating system on USB. Make it possible to run Hyper-V Server on any server and anywhere.

Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 is a free version that allows download and installation. . It is a Stand-alone version and contains only the virtualization layer (Hypervisor) to run Hyper-V, so it consumes less CPU/Memory resources. Hyper-V Server contains all the same features and components as the Hyper-V role in Windows Server 2012 R2.

II) Prepare

• Download and download Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 at this
• Download and download Windows AIK for Windows 7 at this
• Lab exercises done on Windows 7

III) Implementation

1) Install Windows AIK for Windows 7

• Run StartupCD.exe and select “Windows AIK Setup” to proceed with the installation

• Select the installation path -> Leave as default

2) Copy files Install.WIM of Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 DVD

• Go to DVD -> Sources -> find the file “Install.WIM” and copy them

• Create a temporary folder on C drive and name it “Temp” -> Past file “Install.WIM into the”

3) Create a VHD file with Diskpart and show the VHD drive

• Go to Windows -> find “cmd” and right click “Run as administrator”

• Create a hvboot directory on drive C to store VHD files with the command “mkdir c: hvboot”, type diskpart to use this tool to create VHD files

• • Create a vhd with a capacity of 6GB, stored in the hvboot directory:
    • Create vdisk file=c:hvbootHyperV.vhd maximum=6000 type=fixed
  • Create a partition and attach the newly created VHD file so that the drive can be seen HyperV.vhd(R:)
    • Select vdisk file=c:hvbootHyperV.vhd
    • Attach vdisk
    • create partition primary
    • assign letter=CHEAP
  • Format the drive and name it:
    • format quick fs=ntfs label=HyperV

4) Insert the Hyper-V Image into the newly created VHD drive and detach the HyperV drive (R:)

After creating the VHD file, the next step is to put the Hyper-V Image (Install.WIM) to this VHD drive

• Go to the Windows AIK folder and select the architecture, depending on the server model, there are appropriate architecture types (eg x86, ADM, IA64)
  • Type: cd “C:Program FilesWindows AIKToolsx86”
• Perform pressing HyperV Image to the VHD drive:
  • Type: /Apply C:TempInstall.WIM 1 R:

• Do detach the HyperV drive (R: drive), type:
  • Diskpart
  • Select vdisk file=c:hvbootHyperV.vhd
  • detach vdisk
  • exit

5) Plug in the USB, proceed to format the USB and put the VHD file in

• Identify the USB with diskpart, type:
  • Diskpart
  • List disk -> determine which drive is 8GB in size

• Format and set it back to Z drive and create a partition to show the USB, type:
  • Clean
  • Create partition primary
  • Select partition 1
  • Active
  • Format quick fs=ntfs
  • Assign letter=Z
  • Exit

• Copy files HyperV.vhd and paste to USB (Z:)

6) Create MBR (Master Boot Record) and copy boot files in Windows folder to USB

• Use bootsect tool in Windows AIK to generate MBR for USB, depending on server architecture, Type:
  • cd “C:Program FilesWindows AIKToolsPEToolsX86”
  • Bootsect /nt60 z: /force /mbr

• Attach the VHD file to proceed to create bcdboot for the following step, type:
  • Diskpart
  • Select vdisk file=Z:HyperV.vhd
  • Attach vdisk

• Make a copy of some system files in your Windows folder HyperV.vhd to the USB drive (Z:), type:

7) Disable Paging File and detach the drive HyperV.vhd

• Load Registry, type:
  • Reg load HKLMHyperVTemp R:WindowsSystem32ConfigSystem
• Remove paging file by changing the value to null, type:
  • Reg add “HKLMHyperVTempControlSett001ControlSession ManagerMemory Management” /v PagingFiles /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d “” /f
• Delete the Paging File, type:
  • Reg delete “HKLMHyperVTempControlSet001ControlSession ManagerMemory Management” /v ExistingPageFiles /f
• Unload the Registry, type:
  • Reg unload HKLMHyperVTemp

• Disk Detach HyperV.vhdtype:
  • Diskpart
  • Select vdisk file=Z:HyperV.vhd
  • Detach vdisk

8) Test and boot with USB

After completing the configuration, we proceed to test the USB

• Plug the USB into the Server and select USB

• Select OS

• The system detects some devices in the Server and scans the Driver

• The first time you boot, the operating system will ask you to change the Administrator password

• Complete the Boot process, now you only need to configure Computer Name, Network, Firewall, Date and Time ….