How to Create a Virtual Drive

You can partition your hard drive to make a virtual drive.

Windows features the capability to create a virtual disk drive. A virtual disk drive is a special folder of an actual physical drive that actually serves as a drive in its own right. You can, for example, create a virtual CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive in Windows. A key advantage of a virtual drive is that it usually saves time. A virtual CD drive, for example, can be read much faster than a physical CD drive because it exists on the hard drive.

Instructions

1. Click "Start" and right-click "Computer." Click "Manage."

2. Right-click "Disk Management" in the left pane and click "Create VHD." Follow the onscreen prompts to create a virtual drive.

3. Right-click the new drive and click "Initialize Disk." Then click "OK."

4. Right-click the new drive again and click "New Simple Volume." Follow the onscreen prompts. Once that setup is finished, your virtual drive is ready for use.

5. Close your Registry Editor and restart your PC. And you're done!

Tips & Warnings

• When you choose a letter to name your new virtual drive, it is advisable not to use any of the common drive letters: A, C, E, F or Q, which typically represent a physical drive.

References

• "TechNet Magazine"; Create and Use a Virtual Hard Disk on Windows 7; Mitch Tulloch, et al.