Windows 8 RTM is here! If you don't want to upgrade but want to try it out, dualboot with VHD!

If you want to try out Windows 8 but don't feel like letting go of Windows 7 until you figured out where the Startmenu went, a local dualboot environment can ease your mind.

Before we start - you know when you were a kid and you wanted to be a  If you always wanted to be magician and do cool stuff to impress people but was too lazy to learn magic tricks? (Maybe I wanted to)
Now as an adult, I think powershell can have that effect, and for us IT administrators who think that Windows 8 is too flashy, well... There are alot of awesome cmdlets out there in Windows 8 (and Server 2012) and I mean this in a really good and comforting way.

So off we go!
Get your Windows 8 RTM 90 day trial
Scroll down on the page and sign in with your Windows Live ID

Download a Powershell install-windowsimage.ps1 script
To apply the installation files from the Windows 8 RTM ISO
And since you'll be doing this from a Windows 7 client you'll be needing an ISO application such as PowerIso or other (But hey, in Windows 8 there's already built-in support for that)

1. Run cmd as administrator and enter the following

·        diskpart

·        create vdisk file=c:\w8\w8.vhd maximum=20000 type=expandable

·        select vdisk file=c:\w8\w8.vhd

·        attach vdisk

·        create partition primary

·        active

·        format fs=ntfs quick

·        assign letter=M

·        exit

2. Mount the Windows 8 RTM ISO and note the drive letter

3. Run Powershell as Administrator and run the following command:Set-ExecutionPolicy Remotesigned (and answer Y)

4. In Powershell navigate to the directory where your install-windowsimage.ps1 file is located by using cd or other commands and run the following command from powershell
.\Install-WindowsImage.ps1 –WIM F:\Sources\Install.wim –Apply –Index 1 –Destination B:\

(Where F is the drive letter of the mounted ISO and M:\ is the destination of my mounted VHD)

5. When the install.wim is applied and ready you run the following command from an elevated cmd
bcdboot.exe B:\Windows

And done!

Now restart your maskin, log on to your Windows 8 machine and... Why not run Hyper-V in Windows 8?