When launching from the CLI, change the drive line:
: You can take snapshots of your VM:
qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4096 -smp cpus=4 \ -drive file=windows_10.qcow2,if=virtio \ -cdrom /path/to/windows_10.iso \ -drive file=/path/to/virtio-win.iso,media=cdrom \ -net nic,model=virtio -net user \ -vga qxl -boot d -enable-kvm Use code with caution. Step 4: Loading Drivers During Windows Setup
Encountering issues is common when working with virtualization. Here are solutions to frequent problems with Windows 10.qcow2 .
qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O qcow2 windows_10.vmdk windows_10.qcow2 Use code with caution. Convert VDI (VirtualBox) to QCOW2 Windows 10.qcow2
qemu-img create -f qcow2 Windows10.qcow2 40G
# In your QEMU script: -drive file=windows_10.qcow2,if=virtio,discard=on Use code with caution.
Once Windows boots, insert the VirtIO driver ISO again and run the installer. This installs:
Creating a clean, performant Windows 10 QCOW2 image requires a few command-line steps and the correct storage drivers. Step 1: Download the Required ISOs When launching from the CLI, change the drive
: Once the VM is running, you can interact with it as you would with a physical machine. Install software, configure settings, and use Windows 10 as needed.
You can create multiple states (snapshots) of your Windows 10 machine and roll back instantly if an error occurs.
To move it to another Linux host:
To help you get this VM running perfectly, please let me know: qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O qcow2 windows_10
While you can download pre-made images, you may want to create your own to ensure security and specific configurations. 1. Prerequisite: qemu-img You must have QEMU tools installed. On Debian/Ubuntu, run: sudo apt install qemu-utils Use code with caution. 2. Create the Base Image Create a 50GB thin-provisioned Windows 10 image: qemu-img create -f qcow2 Windows_10.qcow2 50G Use code with caution. 3. Install Windows 10 onto the image
You need two ISO files to successfully install Windows 10 on a KVM environment:
Windows doesn't include VirtIO drivers natively. You’ll need to download the VirtIO Win ISO
G -enable-kvm \ -drive file=windows10.qcow2,format=qcow2 \ -cdrom /path/to/windows10.iso -boot d Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard
Note: You cannot legally download a ready-made Windows 10.qcow2 file from Microsoft due to licensing. You must create your own using an official ISO.
Inside Windows: Run Defragment and Optimize Drives -> Optimize (This allows the guest to mark free space).