What it does
Microsoft's Disk2vhd creates VHD versions of physical disks for virtual-machine use. It uses volume snapshots and allows the user to select which volumes contribute data to each disk image.
Choose volumes and a VHD destination; Disk2vhd takes Volume Snapshot point-in-time copies while Windows is running. It creates one VHD per physical disk containing selected volumes, retaining partition information but copying only selected volume data. The CLI accepts drive letters or all volumes for scripted captures. Do not attach a future boot image to its source system: Windows can change its disk signature and break the copy's boot lookup. BitLocker-enabled volumes are unsupported until fully decrypted. The article's 127 GB ceiling belongs specifically to Virtual PC, rather than to every VHD consumer.
Strengths
- Selects volume contents while preserving the disk's partitioning information.
Watch out for
- Does not convert BitLocker-enabled volumes.
Best for
- Preparing physical-to-virtual Windows disk images
Sources
- Disk2vhd - Sysinternals | Microsoft Learn (Oct 26, 2026)