Cara Edit Aplikasi Android tanpa Komputer

Gua yakin, kebanyakan orang pasti pernah sekali, dua kali atau bahkan sering banget mikirin tentang "Gimana sih caranya bikin Aplikasi untuk OS Android? Pengen bisa nih" dan akhirnya beli buku-buku tentang pemrograman dasarAplikasi Android, tapi akhirnya mundur perlahan karena bingung (atau males) dengan step yang dibeberkan dalam buku itu 

Akhirnya level harapan atau pertanyaannya turun menjadi "Ya meskipun gak bisa bikin aplikasi untuk OS Android, seenggaknya bisa 'melihat' isi dari Aplikasi Android itu-lah" dan akhirnya lo semua menggunakan WinRAR atau WinZIP untuk membuka file ".apk" tersebut. Tapi hasilnya adalah yang lo temukan malah karakter aneh yang cuma Tuhan yang bisa membacanya 

Semangat juang lo masih ada dalam titik ini, karena akhirnya mengenal metode "compile" dan "decompile" menggunakan tools yang disediakan di XDA untuk melakukan editing aplikasi android, dan akhirnya disini lo melakukan compile (extract) aplikasi-aplikasi kesukaan seperti YouTube, twitter, tweetcasteer dsb untuk "menelanjangi" seluruh aplikasi tersebut dan kemudian menggrepe mengedit aplikasi-aplikasi tersebut sesukanya, dan lo sudah merasa sebagai seorang Developer yang brilliant 

Tapi eh... tapi ternyata level ke-brilliant-an lo tiba-tiba jatuh ketika berada dalam Step decompile yang merupakan step "penggabungan kembali" dari aplikasi yang lo sukai tadi, di titik ini tiba-tiba lo ngerasa seluruh kerjakeras yang lo lakuin dalam "editing" aplikasi tadi jadi tiba-tiba gak berguna begitu aja dan lo ngerasa tuhan itu sangat gak adil... karena udah 3 Step yang ada di dunia ini lo akhiri dengan akhir yang gagal, btw meskipun lo berhasil melakukan decompile, lo masih harus melakukan Sign aplikasi kok supaya bisa di Install di Device 

But hell yeah... Di akhir, pada saat lo udah gak lagi mikirin tentang caranya edit aplikasi android karena emang udah nyerah tiba-tiba lo nyasar di Blog ini dan... akhirnya nemuin cara-cara ngedit aplikasi kesukaan lo di blog ini, di blog yang gak jelas ini, tanpa harus melakukan compile atau decompile aplikasi atau membuka aplikasi tersebut menggunakan WinRAR atau WinZIP 

Be seriously, gua juga sedikit bingung sih dengan cara editing aplikasi android yang satu ini, karena caranya relatif mudah, gak butuh keahlian CMD (Command Prompt) dan yang paling penting bisa dilakukan menggunakan Device kita sendiri, jadi buat yang lagi mudik silahkan edit aplikasi yang lo suka sebanyak dan sekreatif mungkin ketika perjalanan mudik yang macet 

Cara ini sebenernya gua dapetin dari Blog Sebelah yang bahasannya adalah tentang cara mengedit notifikasi batre yang sudah mau habis (Biasanya muncul pas batre sudah ada di level 15%) dan editannya itu... Absurd abis, sumpah pas pertamakali gua liat hasilnya satu kata yang bisa gua sebutin buat orang ini... Kampret banget 

Iya... Hasil editing yang dia lakukan itu benar-benar absurd, mulai dari teks sampai gambarnya yang bisa bikin Puasa gua batal hampir satu bulan, mungkin kalau notifikasi Low Battery-nya begini, pasti hampir satu jam sekali gua borosin deh Batre Device gua 

But by the way... Dia bisa mendapatkan notifikasi seperti itu karena melakukan editing kedalam aplikasi yang bernama "SystemUI.apk" yang jika diedit dan... gagal, maka hasil akhir yang kita dapatkan adalah Bootloop dan untuk menyelesaikan masalah dengan SystemUI ini adalah dengan Flashing ulang Firmware, karena meskipun lo udah bikin Backup SystemUI ini untuk melakukan penjagaan kalau ada yang error, tapi tetap aja bakalan susah karena yang bakalan lo dapetin adalah banyaknya aplikasi yang terus-terusan Force Closed, it's hard even to open File Manager 

Jadi ya karena disini gua masih seorang Blogger dan pengguna Android yang suka oprek-oprek tapi masih Newbie, marilah kita lakukan editing kedalam aplikasi yang sederhana aja dulu, jangan aplikasi yang berada didalam System seperti itu, practice from the bottom 

Dan oke, aplikasi yang akan kita edit disini adalah... TweetCasteer. Dan komponen yang akan kita edit disini juga adalah hal-hal yang basic aja ya yaitu text, sisanya jika anda ingin bereksperimen ya tinggal lakukan sendiri aja ya, untuk yang itu suka-suka aja 

Oke, jika anda memang sudah "ngebet" banget buat melakukan eksperimen editing aplikasi ini, silahkan ikuti step dibawah ini dengan seksama karena... Karena kalau lo bacanya ogah-ogahan, lebih baik gak usah dibaca deh postingan ini  #adminngambek #adminsensitif

1. Silahkan download terlebihdahulu ApkEditor-nya | Download
   Note: Yang pertamakali harus di-Instal adalah Apk Editor 1.70 baru kemudian Apk Editor Patch
2. Kemudian silahkan buka aplikasi ApkEditor tersebut.
   
   
3. Cari aplikasi yang ingin di edit (dalam hal ini adalah TweetCaster) → Press agak lama → Kemudian pilih "Extract Here"
   
   
   

   Jika extract berhasil, maka akan keluar sebuah Folder dengan nama yang sama seperti aplikasi yang akan di edit.
   

   

   Note: Jangan hapus file aplikasi yang asli untuk menghindari kegagalan editing.
4. Kemudian, silahkan tentukan teks apa yang ingin di edit. Dalam hal ini, semisal yang akan kita edit adalah teks ketika akan melakukan Login akun twitter menggunakan tweetcaster.
   
   
   

   Yes... Yang akan kita edit adalah tulisan "Sign in to your account, then we'll bring you right back to TweetCaster"
5. Kemudian buka kembali aplikasi ApkEditor → Masuk kedalam folder hasil extract aplikasi yang tadi.
   
   
6. Untuk melakukan pengeditan teks, kita harus membuka file bernama "resources.arsc"
7. Setelah file "resources.arsc" selesai dibuka, silahkan lakukan Search terhadap teks yang ingin kita edit. Gak perlu panjang-panjang, cukup kata-kata yang mewakili perasaan cinta aja.
   
   
   

   Jika keyword yang dicari berhasil ditemukan, maka hasilnya akan seperti ini
   

   
8. Kemudian silahkan isi dengan kata-kata cinta yang diinginkan. Isinya bebas, terserah lo! Mau diisi dengan Novel atau Cerpen juga boleh! Atau bahkan curhatan karena Uang THR yang didapet sedikit, boleh banget!
   
   
   

   Setelah pengeditan teks selesai, silahkan Save. Dan jika ada Notice "Do you want to update changes to dictionary?" silahkan pilih Cancel.
   

   
9. Setelah pengeditan file "resources.arsc" selesai dan berhasil, maka akan muncul file baru bernama "resources.arsc.bak" silahkan saja hapus file "resources.arsc.bak" tersebut
10. Kemudian, setelah file "resources.arsc.bak" dihapus, silahkan buka APLIKASI Root Explorer → Masuk kedalam folder hasil extract aplikasi → Select All → Zip seluruh file dan folder
    
    
11. Setelah proses Zip seluruh file dan folder selesai, maka anda akan mendapatkan file baru (dalam hal ini adalah file bernama tweetcasteer get fucked) dalam ekstensi ".zip"
    
    
    Silahkan ubah ekstensi ".zip"-nya menjadi ".apk" dan dengan "ajaib" file tersebut sudah terlihat bisa di Instal 
12. Namun jika kita melakukan Instalasi terhadap aplikasi tersebut, maka yang akan kita dapatkan adalah kegagalan Instalasi karena aplikasi tersebut belum di Sign. Untuk melakukan Sign aplikasi, silahkan buka aplikasi ApkEditor → Press aplikasinya agak lama → Pilih "Optimize & Sign"
    
    
13. Lakukan Instalasi kembali pada aplikasi yang sudah di sign (bukan file berekstensi ".bak" ya) kemudian lihat hasilnya
    
    

Sebenernya sih masih banyak ya hal yang bisa dilakukan dalam editing aplikasi oleh ApkEditor ini, seperti mengganti Icon sampai mengganti nama aplikasi, cuma ya silahkan bereksperimen sendiri-lah. Jangan maunya disuapin terus 

---

1. Jika anda ingin menanyakan sesuatu silahkan isikan di kotak komentar atau mention saya di twitter biar dibalas lebih cepat. Dengan syarat pertanyaannya yang jelas dan spesifik.
2. Kalau ada link download yang mati, laporin aja di kotak komentar atau mention juga ke twitter. Maklum file yang ada di Blog ini kebanyakan file Illegal.
3. Makasih udah mau berkunjung. Jangan lupa baca Info Box untuk mendapat berita terbaru tentang Blog ini B-)

Sumber :http://azfa48.blogspot.com/2013/08/cara-edit-aplikasi-android-tanpa-komputer.html

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Google Chrome OS, Cara Install dan Keunggulannya

Google telah meluncurkan sistem operasi berbasis open source bernama Chrome. Silahkan baca Press Release Google Chrome OS. Anda semua juga pasti sudah tahu, OS rilisan Google ini siap bersaing dalam pasar pada tahun 2010 ini, tapi yang disayangkan,Chrome OS hanya akan berjalan pada piranti keras yang memang ada kerjasama dengan pihak Google. Tentunya piranti yang cocok adalah sebuah netbook. Simak perkataan dari pihak google ini,"Mungkin piranti yang cocok adalah sebuah netbook, yang memiliki SSD, konektifitas WiFi, serta full sizekeyboard", ujar Sundar Pichai, Vice President Google. Chrome OS agaknya akan menjadi tantangan berat bagi Microsoft, yang juga baru merilis OS barunya Windows 7. Duel dua perusahaan besar ini semakin hebat beberapa tahun belakangan, setelah Google berhasil mendominasi bisnis internet.

Rencana Google ini disambut hangat oleh banyak perusahaan pengembang hardware, termasuk Acer, Asus, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo dan Toshiba. Chrome OS akan dirancang untuk bekerja dengan chip Intel yang banyak diadopsi pada sebagian besar komputer desktop, laptop, dan netbook. Chrome OS juga akan dikembangkan agar kompatibel dengan chip Arm yang banyak digunakan pada perangkat genggam.

nah, untuk menambah ilmu, saya sediakan tutorial singkat install chrome OS, tapi bahasa inggris yaa.. nih dapet dari forum.

Installing Google Chrome OS:

- First things first you will need to download Google Chrome OS Beta and Virtual Box.

- Once you have downloaded the .ISO file and unzipped it you can create your virtual disk.


Step 1 – Name the Virtual Machine and set OS and type to other.


Step 2 – Set the base memory size(RAM) I used 1000MB NOTE: Go easy on this at first you can always bump it up later if need be


Step 3 – Create a new hard disk and boot hard drive


Step 4 -Pick the type of storage you would like I did dynamically expanding storage.


Step 5 – Now set your hard drive space. I could spare 2 GB so that’s what I used.


Step 6 -Go ahead and Run your new Virtual Machine


Step 7 -Begin installing your Chrome ISO


Step 8 -Select your ISO image and blast off!


Step 9 -Select to install Chrome OS then sit back and watch it install.


Step 10 -Enjoy, test and play with Google Chrome OS.

Beberapa Keunggulan Produk Google Crome OS yaitu:

1. Booting yang Cepat
Pichai menyebutkan bahwa Chrome OS sama seperti sebuah televisi saat dinyalakan. Tidak memiliki jeda waktu booting yang lama, karena tak memiliki aplikasi lokal yang membatasi ruang gerak hardware.

2. Masalah Keamanan
OS ini diintegrasikan dengan Chrome browser. Dengan demikian maka selayaknya browser, OS ini akan langsung mengupdate sistem keamanannya secara default. Hal ini masih ditambah lagi dengan penyimpanan data secara fisik dalam storage yang kini dirancang minimalis. Pasalnya semua data dapat disimpan secara online.

3. Dukung Arsitektur X86 dan ARM
Google berjanji untuk mengaplikasikan baik arsitektur X86, ARM dan code-code populer bagi netbook lainnya.

4. Menu Aplikasi
Sebuah aplikasi web yang baru kini dapat ditemui dalam menu aplikasi secara permanen pada Chrome OS ini. Hal ini akan membantu pengguna untuk mencari sebuah aplikasi baru langsung secara online. Selain memudahkan pengguna menu aplikasi ini juga menguntungkan pihak pengembang.

5. Akur dengan Microsoft Office
Walau Microsoft dengan Windows-nya merupakan pesaing berat mereka, namun Chrome OS ini ternyata juga mendukung dijalankannya dokumen office. Saat peluncuran Chorme OS, Pichai juga mendemokan bahwa Chrome dapat membuka sebuah dokumen via Microsoft office live. Microsoft office live adalah sebuah aplikasi web gratis bagi pengguna Windows live. Dan Saat pengguna membuka sebuah dokumen berekstensi .xls, Chorme OS akan langsung membuka Excel via Microsoft Office Live secara online.

Nah, gimana? Keren kan? Tapi kita yang terbiasa memakai windows atau UNIX, harus kembali beradaptasi dengan OS anyar ini. Yah, sekian mungkin yang bisa saya berikan. Untuk selanjutnya, saya akan berikan trik google chrome OS lainnya.

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Download Subway Survers Miami v1.11.0 Hacked/Modded with Unlimited Coins and Keys (Armv7)

Cyber​​-area Subway Survers is an Arcade game created by Kiloo Games and Sybo Games. Our task in this game is run from a police chase and a dog, we pursued for making graffiti on train cars. The purpose of this game is to collect as many coins.

This game is very popular, in addition to good graphics, the gameplay is easy and interesting, we can also compete with our friends on Facebook. Feel free to watch the trailer:

Coin that we have collected can be used to buy characters, surfboards (hoverboard), and other features. Therefore, this time I will share the game that has been in the Subway Survers-mod (hack) so you do not need anymore tired to collect coins and tokens, all well its been a full upgrade. See the picture below.
Subway Survers
Subway Survers
Instructions on how to use:
If you are already in mm Subway Survers, remove (uninstall) the first game.
Download Subway Survers Modded - Zippyshare
Install the new Subway Survers you download.
If you can not log in facebook, follow the tutorial below:
Go to Settings -> Application Manager
If you use Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Facebook or Home, first delete the application.
Then play Subway Survers and connect to facebook. Done!

Instructions on how to use:
1.If you are already in mm Subway Survers, remove (uninstall) the first game.2Download Subway Survers Modded - Zippyshare

2. Install the new Subway Survers you download.
3. If you can not log in facebook, follow the tutorial below:
4. Go to Settings -> Application Manager
5. If you use Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Facebook or Home, first delete the application.
6. Then play Subway Survers and connect to facebook. Done!

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Download Despicable Me Unlimited Banana Hack MOD Version

Description 

Despicable Me Unlimited Banana Hack MOD Version  
Gru’s loyal, yellow, gibberish-speaking Minions are ready for their toughest challenge inDespicable Me: Minion Rush. Play as a Minion and compete with others in hilarious, fast-paced challenges in order to impress your boss, (former?) super-villain Gru! Jump, fly, dodge obstacles, collect bananas, be mischievous, and defeat villains to earn the title of Minion of the Year! 
ALL THE HEART AND HUMOR OF DESPICABLE ME
• Enjoy unpredictably hilarious Minion moments 
• Perform despicable acts through hundreds of missions
• Run through iconic locations, which are full of surprises, secrets and tricky obstacles: Gru’s Lab and Gru’s Residential Area
• Customize your Minion with unique costumes, weapons, and power-ups
• Battle Vector and an all-new villain exclusively created for the game 
AN INNOVATIVE AND ORIGINAL GAME
• Encounter secret areas, unique boss fights and amazing power-ups
• Experience custom animation and voice overs, and state-of-the-art 3D graphics
• Enjoy multiple dynamic camera angles
• Engage in various bonus gameplays: 
→ Destroy things as Mega Minion
→ Collect bananas riding the Fluffy Unicorn
→ Hang on to Gru’s Rocket for the ride of your life
• Have fun with your friends! See their best scores during your run, send them funny Minion taunts and challenges to show them who’s going to win Minion of the Year!

Play Store 

App Screenshots 

APK info
Link : Zippyshare
Size :  11 MB
Mod : Unlimited Coins (Offline) 

Download APK

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Download LaunchPad Gen-Y For Android , App Dj & Remix

Description

★ From the creators of DubPad! ★
★ First and only android app that lets you load your own samples! ★
★ Like Launchpad Gen Y's facebook page - share sound samples ➥ http://goo.gl/fKSNp ★

Launch your music mojo into higher orbit.
Master a mash-up on the fly.
Boldly go where no gig has gone before.
LaunchPad Gen-Y is your launchpad to the far reaches of awesome.

Hop on board. Start jamming.

➤ Simply tap keys to comp your beats.
➤ Easy-to-use, multi-touch supported, super responsive.
➤ Default dubstep demo sample lets you get a hang .
➤ Load your own samples/tracks and make awesome beats.
➤ Rap, beat box, dubstep, hip hop. Just plug and play.

Disclaimer: The default sample pack has been added merely for demo purposes. We don't own the samples.

Download Here

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Install Windows 8.1 Preview in a dual-boot configuration using a VHD

Takeaway: When you use a VHD in a dual-boot configuration, you really get the best environment on which to experiment with the Windows 8.1 Preview.

Are you interested in taking a look at the Windows 8.1 Preview? If so, then you’ll want to know that when it comes to experimenting with Beta software, the best approach is to install it on your Windows 8 system in a dual-boot configuration using a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk).

When you use a VHD in a dual-boot configuration, you really get the best environment on which to experiment with the Windows 8.1 Preview. First, you will not have to mess with repartitioning your hard disk because the VHD exists as a file. Second, even though the hard disk is virtualized, you will get full benefit of your physical hardware such as the video card, USB connections, and amount of RAM. Third, when you are done experimenting with the operating system, undoing the dual-boot configuration as easy as deleting the boot entry and the VHD file.

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In order to install the Windows 8.1 Preview on a VHD, you’ll first need to download the ISO image and burn it to a DVD. Next, you’ll create a VHD using the Disk Management tool. Then, you’ll install the Windows 8.1 Preview onto the VHD.

In this edition of the Windows Desktop Report, I’ll show you how to perform each one of these operations so that you can safely experiment with the Windows 8.1 Preview. I’ll then show you how easy it is the undo the dual-boot configuration.

Note: Keep in mind that while I am going to show you how to perform this procedure in Windows 8, you can essentially follow the same set of steps if you are using Windows 7.

This blog post is also available as a TechRepublic Screenshot Gallery.

Creating a System Image

Now, even though installing Windows 8.1 Preview in a dual-boot configuration using a VHD is a very easy and safe procedure, there’s no sense in throwing caution to the wind. Therefore, I recommend that the first thing that you do is create a complete backup image of your hard disk using Windows 8’s Windows 7 File Recovery tool. That way, if anything out of the ordinary were to occur as you follow the steps for creating a dual-boot system, you will be able to return to your current configuration using the System Image Recovery procedure.

To launch the Windows 7 File Recovery tool, use the [Windows] + W keystroke to access the Search Settings page. Then, type Windows 7 File in the text box and click Windows 7 File Recovery in the results panel, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Accessing the Windows 7 File Recovery tool from the Start screen is easy.

In a moment, you’ll see the Windows 7 File Recovery user interface and you should select the Create a system image command on the left side of the screen to launch the creation tool. On the first screen you will need to choose where you are going to create a system image. For example, you can create the system image on a set of DVD discs, as illustrated in Figure B.

Figure B

You can create the system image on a set of DVD discs.

When you click Next, you will be prompted to confirm your backup settings. When you are ready, just click the Start backup button and Windows will begin preparing for the operation. As it does, you will be prompted to label and insert the first DVD disc. This process is illustrated in Figure C.

Figure C

When you click the Start backup button, you’ll be prompted to insert a blank DVD disc.

Once you insert the blank disc, you’ll be prompted to format it before the backup actually begins. Then, once the backup operation gets under way, you’ll see progress indicators letting you know the status of the operation. When the System Image creation procedure is complete, you’ll be prompted to create a System Repair disc, as shown in Figure D. However, as you may remember, a System Repair disc is the same as the Recovery Drive and if you have already created a Recovery Drive, you can just click No and you will be notified that the backup completed successfully.

Figure D

In Windows 8, the System Repair disc is the same as the Recovery Drive.

Download the ISO

With your system image backup tucked way, the next step is to download the Windows 8.1 Preview ISO. Go to the Download Windows 8.1 Preview page and click the Windows 8.1 Preview ISO files link. When you arrive at the Windows 8.1 Preview ISO files page, scroll down until you see the ISO files section and then select the download that you want, as shown in Figure E. Keep in mind that the download can take several hours to complete.

Figure E

From the Download Windows 8.1 Preview page, select the ISO you want to download.

Note: To install the Windows 8.1 Preview that you download as an ISO, you’ll use the Product Key shown on this page. For your convenience, I’ll post the product hey here:

NTTX3-RV7VB-T7X7F-WQYYY-9Y92F

Once the download is complete, use File Explorer to locate and select the ISO file. Then, select the Manage tab and click the Burn icon. When you see the Windows Disc Image Burner window, insert a blank DVD and click the Burn button. These steps are illustrated in Figure F.

Figure F

Use Windows Disc Image Burner to create a Windows 8.1 Preview DVD.

Create the VHD

Once you have a Windows 8.1 Preview DVD, the next step is to create the VHD using the Disk Management tool. To launch Disk Management, press [Windows]+X to bring up the WinX menu and select Disk Management. When the tool launches, pull down the Action menu and select the Create VHD command, as shown in Figure G.

Figure G

You’ll select the Create VHD command from the Action menu.

When you see the Create and Attach Virtual Hard Disk dialog box, click the Browse button and use the Browse dialog box to create a folder and specify a name for your VHD file. As you can see inFigure H, I have created a folder called VHDs in the root directory and named the VHD file Win81P.vhd. You will then specify a disk size and disk format. I have specified the size as 80GB and set it up as a Fixed size. You can use whatever size you want and choose Dynamically expanding format if you wish, just be sure that you have enough room on the physical hard disk to accommodate your VHD. (Make note of the folder name and VHD file name you use as you will need to know them later on in the procedure.)

Figure H

For my example VHD I choose an 80GB Fixed disk.

When you click OK, Disk Management will go to work creating the new VHD file. As it does, you will see the progress in the Status bar, as shown in Figure I.

Figure I

Disk Management displays the VHD creation progress in the Status bar.

It will take a few minutes to create a Fixed size VHD file, but when the VHD is complete, you will see the new disk in Disk Management, as shown in Figure J. Here you can see that my 80GB VHD is listed as Disk 1 and will notice that it is also marked as Unallocated. Don’t worry; we’ll take care of establishing the disk during the Windows 8.1 Preview installation procedure. At this point, you can close Disk Management.

Figure J

Unallocated 80GB VHD

Installing Windows 8.1 Preview

Now that you have created your VHD, installing Windows 8.1 Preview in a dual-boot configuration should be a pretty straightforward operation. Let’s take a closer look.

To begin, insert the Windows 8.1 Preview DVD into your optical disc drive and restart your system. After a few minutes, you’ll see the new colorful Betta Fish logo, as shown in Figure K, which will remain on screen for a couple of minutes while preparations are made behind the scenes.

Figure K

The Betta fish logo will remain on the screen for several minutes.

You’ll then see the Windows Setup screen shown in Figure L and will specify your language settings before clicking Next.

Figure L

The first step in the installation is to specify your language settings.

Once the initial steps are taken care of, you’ll see the Windows Setup screen shown in Figure Mand will click the Install Now button. However, keep in mind that we aren’t exactly ready to install Windows just yet; you must first access your VHD.

Figure M

While you will click the Install Now button, you’re not quite ready to install the Windows 8.1 Preview.

When you see the next Windows Setup screen, you will immediately press Shift +F10 to open an Administrator Command Prompt window as shown in Figure N.

Figure N

When you press Shift-F10, you’ll see an Administrator Command Prompt window.

To prepare your VHD for the Windows 8.1 Preview installation procedure, you’ll use the Diskpart utility. Follow these steps:

• 1. Type the command:

diskpart

• 2. Once the Diskpart environment is ready, you’ll use the select command to instruct Diskpart to access your VHD file as follows:

select vdisk file=d:\VHDs\Win81P.vhd

• 3. After you have selected the VHD file, you’ll use the attach command to essentially connect the VHD to your system as follows:

attach vdisk

This entire procedure is illustrated in Figure O. You’ll notice that when you launch the Command Prompt window that the default drive letter is X: and that I found the root directory on drive D: on my example system. The default drive letter will always be X:, but the root directory on your system may be different letter depending on how many drives you have connected to your system.

Figure O

After each command, you should see a success message.

Once you are done, you can type exit to leave the Diskpart environment and then click the Close button the close the Administrator Command Prompt window. When you return to the Windows Setup screen, you’ll select the Custom option, as shown in Figure P.

Figure P

Make sure that you select the Custom Install Windows only option.

At this point, Windows Setup will prompt you to choose the location to which you want to install Windows 8.1 Preview and you can now select your VHD, which will be designated as Unallocated Space and be the size that you specified.

As you can see in Figure Q, I have selected my 80GB VHD. Keep in mind that when you select the VHD, you’ll see a Warning message that says that Windows cannot be installed to this disk. Even though Windows Setup displays this warning message, you can ignore it as the procedure does indeed function correctly. In fact, the installation procedure will progress quite rapidly and restart several times as it completes the installation on the VHD - just like it would on a normal hard disk.

Figure Q

Select your VHD drive, ignore the warning message, and click Next.

As soon as you click Next, the installation will begin, as shown in Figure R.

Figure R

As soon as you click Next, Windows Setup will begin copying files to the new partition.

Dual-booting Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 Preview

When the installation is complete, Windows Setup will restart your system one final time and you will then see the new Windows 8 style dual-boot screen shown in Figure S. As you can see, Windows 8.1 Preview will automatically launch in 30 seconds if you don’t choose Windows 8.

Figure S

The new Windows 8 style boot screen display for 30 seconds before launching Windows 8.

If you want to configure Windows 8 to be the default operating system or alter the countdown time, you can click the Change defaults or choose other options at the bottom of the screen.

Remove the dual-boot

When you no longer want to experiment with the Windows 8.1 Preview, you can delete the boot entry and then delete the VHD file. To delete the boot entry you’ll use the System Configuration tool.

To begin, boot into Windows 8 and then launch the System Configuration tool by pressing [Windows]+R to access the Run dialog box. Then type msconfig in the Open box and click OK.

When you see the System Configuration window, select the Boot tab and make sure that the Windows 8 is listed as the Default OS. Select the Windows 8 entry and click the Set as default button. When you do, you’ll see that Windows 8 is listed as both the Current OS and the Default OS. To continue, select the Windows 8.1 Preview entry, as shown in Figure T, and then click the Delete button. As soon as you do, the Windows 8.1 Preview entry will be removed. You can then click OK and you’ll be prompted to restart your computer.

Figure T

Once you select the Windows 8.1 Preview entry, just click the Delete button.

When your system restarts, launch File Explorer, locate the VHD file, and delete it. Once you do, all traces of the beta software will have been removed from your system.

What’s your take?

Will you use this technique to experiment with the Windows 8.1 Preview? What do you think about Windows 8.1? As always, if you have comments or information to share about this topic, please take a moment to drop by the TechRepublic Community Forums and let us hear from you.

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