sudo dnf install qemu-kvm libvirt virt-manager virt-install qemu-img -y Use code with caution. 2. Download the Required ISOs You will need two distinct ISO files:
When the Windows 10 setup wizard asks "Where do you want to install Windows?", the drive list will be completely blank. This is expected because Windows cannot see the VirtIO virtual hard drive yet. Click .
Windows 10 doesn’t know it’s running on a QCOW2 image. Without tuning, performance can be sluggish.
: Use the tablet input device ( -device usb-tablet ) in your QEMU command to keep the guest mouse cursor synced with your host.
If you need multiple Windows 10 machines, do not repeat this installation process. Seal your current VM as a base template, then build dependent images off of it. windows 10qcow2
This powerful tool supports conversion between many different formats, including VMDK, VDI, QCOW2, RAW, and VHDX, making migration between different virtualization platforms simple.
Once configured, Windows 10 will automatically optimize the storage via its internal "Optimize Drives" tool (Defrag), passing TRIM signals that compress the physical QCOW2 footprint on the host filesystem. Manual Disk Compacting
Disk caching is turned off or misconfigured on the host side.
It supports built-in, end-to-end encryption at the disk image level. This is expected because Windows cannot see the
When the Windows 10 installation wizard launches, it will scan for hard drives but show This happens because Windows does not yet recognize the VirtIO storage controller. Click Load driver in the bottom-left corner of the prompt. Click Browse and locate the mounted VirtIO CD-ROM drive.
While QCOW2 offers immense flexibility, running Windows 10 on it requires specific optimizations to avoid performance "penalties." By default, Windows does not include drivers for the VirtIO interfaces used by QEMU/KVM. To achieve near-native disk I/O speeds, users must install during the Windows 10 installation process. Without these drivers, the system falls back to emulating older IDE or SATA controllers, which significantly bottlenecks the QCOW2 disk's capabilities. Use Cases: From Lab to Production
The QCOW2 format is specifically optimized for virtualization. When you deploy Windows 10 in this format, you gain several technical advantages:
Check the box for "Customize configuration before install" before clicking Finish. Step 5: Inject VirtIO Drivers During Setup Without tuning, performance can be sluggish
If you have an existing Windows 10 virtual machine running in VMware ( .vmdk ), VirtualBox ( .vdi ), or raw format ( .img ), you can convert it to QCOW2 using the qemu-img tool. Convert VMDK (VMware) to QCOW2
Before creating your Windows 10 QCOW2 image, ensure your Linux host has the necessary virtualization packages installed. 1. Install QEMU/KVM and Virt-Manager On Ubuntu/Debian-based systems, execute:
Latest driver package (stable release recommended). Step 1: Create the Blank QCOW2 Virtual Disk