Create a VHD File

Steps to create a VHD File:
1- Install Windows 7 on your machine (Host OS) .
2- Boot your machine with Windows Server 2008 R2 from a DVD or USB.
3- At the welcome Screen, Press Shift + F10 to enter the command prompt.
4- Type diskpart and press enter.
5- Creatae a VHD File => create vdisk file="c:\WinServer2008R2.vhd" maximum=25000 type=fixed and press enter.
    **type = fixed or expandable (For development enviroment Fixed is better because the I/O will be much faster than expandable)
    **maximum = Size of VHD file in MB
6- select the VHD File => select vdisk  file="c:\WinServer2008R2.vhd" and press enter.
7- Attach VHD => attach vdisk and press enter.
8- Exit diskpart => exit and press enter.
9- Close the command prompt and continue in installation.
10- Choose your new VHD (will appear as a partition) to install your Windows Server 2008 R2.

I am running SharePoint 2010 smoothly now :)

To Manage your boot menu in windows 7.
Use the command bcdedit.exe, from command prompt, but you need to run it as administrator.

Renameserver: Stsadm operation (Office SharePoint Server )

Description

Changes the name of the specified server in the configuration database.
This operation is used before or after a server is renamed in the domain to avoid having to rebuild the server or farm.

Syntax

stsadm -o renameserver
-oldservername
-newservername

Parameters

Parameter name and short form	Value	Required?	Description
oldservername	A valid server name, such as "OldServer"	Yes	The old name of the server listed on the Servers in Farm page of the SharePoint Central Administration Web site.
newservername	A valid server name such as "NewServer"	Yes	The new name of the server listed on the Servers in Farm page of the SharePoint Central Administration Web site.

Remarks

The renameserver operation cannot be used to rename query and index servers.
If the renameserver operation is used to make a name change on a computer that runs SQL Server and hosts the configuration database, then the renameserver operation must be run on every front-end Web server and application server in the farm. However, if the renameserver operation is used to make a name change on a computer that runs SQL Server and hosts databases other than the configuration database, you only need to run the renameserver operation on one server in the farm.

Main link http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263117(office.12).aspx