One of the great new features of Windows 7 is that it lets you create and attach Virtual Hard Disks (VHD) without third party software. Instead, you can simply use the Disk Management tool included with Windows 7.

To create a VHD in Windows 7:

1. Open the Disk Management tool by typing diskmgmt.msc in the Start menu search field.
2. Within Disk Management, click Create VHD from the Action menu.
3. From the Create and Attach Virtual Hard Disk window, specify a location in which to create the new VHD.
4. Next, specify a size for the virtual hard disk.
5. Select the format of the VHD: dynamically expanding or fixed size.
6. Click OK.

Once you create a VHD, you need to attach the disk so you can access it from within your virtual operating system. To attach a VHD in Windows 7:

1. Once again, open the Disk Management tool.
2. From the Action menu, click Attach VHD.
3. Browse to the location of the VHD and click OK.

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