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Imaging an OS with Disk2vhd & Uploading to Azure Storage

1. Download Disk2vhd

Disk2vhd is a utility from Sysinternals (Microsoft) that creates VHD/VHDX versions of physical disks.

2. Run Disk2vhd to Create the VHDX

Steps:

  1. Extract the downloaded .zip archive.
  2. Run Disk2vhd64.exe (Right-click > Run as Administrator).
  3. Select:
    • The volumes to image (typically C: for the OS).
    • Check "Use Vhdx" (for modern format).
    • Ensure "Use Volume Shadow Copy" is also checked.
  4. Set a save location with enough free space (external drive or secondary disk recommended).
  5. Click "Create" and wait for the process to complete (can take 10–90 minutes depending on disk size and speed).

3. Install Azure Storage Explorer

Required to upload the .vhdx to Azure Storage.

Steps:

  1. Install and launch Azure Storage Explorer.
  2. Sign in using your Azure AD account with access to the storage account clientosimages01e2usdtc.
  3. In the left panel, expand:
    • Storage Accounts
    • clientosimages01e2usdtc
    • File Shares
    • client-os-images-01

🗂️ Folder Structure: Client-Based Naming

Naming Rules:

  • Use the exact company name as in PSA.
  • Format: all lowercase with dashes instead of spaces.

Example:

Client Name in PSA: Acme Widgets Inc.
Folder Name: acme-widgets-inc

Upload Instructions:

  1. Within client-os-images-01, create the folder using the correct format if it doesn’t already exist.
  2. Open that folder.
  3. Upload the .vhdx file:
    • Drag and drop
    • Or right-click → Upload Files

🧹 Cleanup After Upload

Once the VHDX is successfully uploaded:

  1. Delete the local .vhdx file to recover disk space.
  2. Uninstall Azure Storage Explorer:
    • Go to Windows Settings > Apps
    • Locate “Azure Storage Explorer” and select Uninstall

✅ Final Notes

  • Keep VHDX files for no more than 24 hours locally, unless needed for testing.
  • Verify upload

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