Installing Vista (Longhorn) Beta 1 on Virtual PC

I was just trying to fire up my Windows Vista (Longhorn) Beta 1 into a copy of Microsoft Virtual PC and ran into a similar problem that I had with some of the previous Alpha builds. The built in formatting/partitioning tools couldn't create a proper partition for Virtual PC. In the past this required me to start with a Virtual PC image from an XP system that already had a partition on it. Then reformat this existing partition and continue with the Longhorn install.

But luckily this time around, i found a handy blog entry with some steps on how to get this partition created from scratch on a blank VPC image using DISKPART from the command prompt during the install. Check it out.

It seems to have worked for me. Looks like Beta 1 is installing as I type.

Next OS from Microsoft will be called Vista

Just announced today, the previously code-named "Longhorn" operating system, will be called "Microsoft Vista". The Microsoft Vista webpage is already up.

I'm already enrolled to receive the first beta release and i'm very much looking forward to it. Hopefully its a few steps beyond some of the alpha builds that i've had. Sounds like Beta 1 will be out in a few weeks. I'll post my thoughts once i've had a chance to play with it.