The QCOW2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write) format supports thin provisioning, growing dynamically as data accumulates.
There are two ways to get a Windows 10 QCOW2 file. The "Lazy" way (using a pre-built image) and the "Official" way (converting an ISO).
qemu-img convert -O qcow2 Windows10.VHDX Windows10.qcow2
Before performing a major Windows 10 update inside the VM, create a snapshot of your QCOW2 file: qemu-img snapshot -c snapshot1 windows10.qcow2 windows 10 qcow2 file upd download
: If you don't have it, download the binaries for your OS. For Windows users, qemu-img for Windows is a popular standalone option. Create Image : Open your terminal or PowerShell and run: qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows10.qcow2 Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard
For testing, Microsoft offers 90-day evaluation versions of Windows 10 Enterprise. These are typically available as VMware or Hyper-V virtual machines which can then be converted.
a new empty QCOW2 file: qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows10_new.qcow2 80G Install Windows on the new image using the ISO. Replace the old QCOW2 file with the new one. 4. Best Practices for Managing QCOW2 Files qemu-img convert -O qcow2 Windows10
Only download images from trusted, reputable community sources to avoid malware or backdoors.
For Debian/Ubuntu users, you can add the PPA and install it:
: For a clean installation with specific settings, it is best to create the image yourself using a Windows 10 ISO. Download the Windows 10 ISO official Windows 10 Download Tool Create an Empty Image qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows10.qcow2 Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Install Windows Copied to clipboard For testing, Microsoft offers 90-day
qemu-system-x86_64 -hda windows10.qcow2 -cdrom /path/to/windows10.iso -m 4096 -smp 2
Avoids the "Windows cannot find disk" issue during installation by having VirtIO drivers already in place.