VHD Attach is a free Windows utility for attaching and detaching virtual disks. It adds Attach and Detach choices to the right-click menu for VHD files, and settings can add a Detach choice to the hard-drive menu. It can mount virtual disks automatically at startup in full-access or read-only mode, and can display disk information without attaching the disk. The utility also supports the /attach, /detach and /detachdrive command-line parameters. It works on Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and later, including Windows 10; Windows Vista and other older Windows systems are not supported. On Windows 8 and Windows Server 8, it can also be used with ISO images and VHDX disks. Its source repository is published under the MIT License. A VHD stored on a network location may require changing the service account to grant access. Automatic mounting of BitLocker-enabled drives does not show the password prompt because mounting begins before the user interface appears.
Who it is for
VHD Attach suits Windows users who want context-menu or startup controls for virtual disks. It may also suit users who need command-line attachment options or disk information without mounting a disk.
What is good
- Free to use
- Adds VHD attach and detach context-menu options
- Supports startup mounting in full-access or read-only mode
- Can show disk information without attaching
What to know first
- Windows Vista and older systems are unsupported
- Network-hosted VHDs may require service-account changes
- Startup mounting does not show BitLocker password prompts
Verdict
VHD Attach provides several ways to work with virtual disks on supported Windows systems, including context-menu and command-line options. Check the Windows version and the network and BitLocker limitations before relying on automatic mounting.
VHD Attach plans and pricing
All plansCompared on virtual drive software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Image formats
- VHD, VHDX, ISO
- Virtual disk files
- Yes
- Optical image mounting
- Yes
- Write images
- No
- Supported platforms
- Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and later
- Persistent mounts
- Yes
