Windows VM Creation

Windows VM Creation in Proxmox

1. Preperation:
   1. Download the Windows ISO from the official Microsoft website.
   2. Upload the ISO to Proxmox:
      • Navigate to the Proxmox web interface.
      • Go to Datacenter > Storage > ISO Images.
      • Click on Upload and select the downloaded Windows ISO file.
   3. Download the VirtIO drivers ISO from the Fedora Project.
      • Upload the VirtIO ISO to Proxmox in the same way as the Windows ISO.
2. VM Creation
   1. In the Proxmox web interface, click on Create VM.
   2. Fill in the following details:
      • General:
        • Node: Select the Proxmox node where you want to create the VM.
        • VM ID: Leave it as default or set a custom ID.
        • Name: Enter a name for your VM (e.g., Windows-VM).
      • OS:
        • ISO Image: Select the Windows ISO you uploaded.
        • Guest OS Type: Choose Microsoft Windows.
        • Version: Select the appropriate version (e.g., Windows 10/2016).
        • Add additional drive for VirtIO drivers: Check this option to add the VirtIO drivers ISO.
        • VirtIO Drivers ISO: Select the VirtIO ISO you uploaded.
      • System:
        • BIOS: Select OVMF (UEFI) if you want UEFI support, otherwise leave it as SeaBIOS.
        • Machine: Leave it as default.
        • Qemu Agent: Enable this option for better integration.
      • Disks:
        • Hard Disk: Set the disk size (e.g., 50 GB).
        • Cache: Set to Write back for better performance.
      • CPU:
        • Cores: Set the number of cores (e.g., 2).
        • Type: Leave it as default.
      • Memory:
        • Memory: Set the amount of RAM (e.g., 4096 MB).
        • Ballooning: Enable this option for dynamic memory management.
      • Network:
        • Model: Select virtio for better performance.
        • Bridge: Choose the appropriate bridge (e.g., vmbr0).
   3. Click Finish to create the VM.
3. Installing Windows
   1. Start the VM by selecting it in the Proxmox web interface and clicking on Start.
   2. Open the console for the VM.
   3. Follow the Windows installation prompts.
   4. When prompted for drivers, load the VirtIO drivers from the additional CD drive.
      1. Click on Load driver.
      2. Browse to the VirtIO CD drive and navigate to the appropriate folder for your Windows version (e.g., viostor for storage drivers).
         1. Hard Disk: vioscsi\w10\amd64
         2. Network: NetKVM\w10\amd64
         3. Ballooning: vioser\w10\amd64
      3. Select the appropriate driver and click Next.
   5. Complete the Windows installation as usual.
4. Post-Installation
   1. Install the QEMU guest agent for better performance and management.
      1. Run qemu-ga-x86_64.msi from the VirtIO drivers ISO.
   2. Install remaining VirtIO drivers:
      1. Run virtio-win-gt-x64.msi from the VirtIO drivers ISO.
   3. Configure Windows settings as needed (e.g., network, updates).
   4. Remove Shutdown from the Start menu.
      1. Open Registry Editor (regedit).
      2. Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Start\HideShutDown.
      3. Set value to 1 to hide the Shutdown option.