Windows 10.qcow2 Download

qemu-system-x86_64 \
  -drive file=my-windows10.qcow2,format=qcow2,if=virtio \
  -cdrom windows10.iso \
  -cdrom virtio-win.iso \
  -boot d \
  -m 4G -smp 4 -accel kvm -cpu host

When Windows installer asks for a disk, click "Load driver" → Browse to the VirtIO ISO → Select amd64 → w10 → Install.

A .qcow2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write version 2) file acts as a virtual hard disk. When you see Windows_10.qcow2, it contains a pre-installed, bootable copy of Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Home edition. Windows 10.qcow2 Download

A downloaded .qcow2 image will almost certainly be unactivated. Microsoft allows you to run Windows in a VM, but you will need a valid product key to activate it. The "Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation" versions provided by Microsoft typically expire after 90 days, after which you must reinstall or provide a key. qemu-system-x86_64 \ -drive file=my-windows10

Once you have your file, follow these performance tips: When Windows installer asks for a disk, click

Windows does natively recognize virtio block devices. Get the official Fedora VirtIO driver ISO:

wget https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/virtio-win.iso

Let’s assume you download a clean image from https://www.linuxvmimages.com/images/windows-10/.