Microsoft does not provide official, pre-made Windows 10 .qcow2 disk images for download. Instead, users must typically download an official ISO and manually install it into a virtual disk or convert an existing virtual disk format. Report: Windows 10 .qcow2 Image Acquisition 1. Official Sources & Limitations
No Direct .qcow2 Downloads: Microsoft only provides Windows 10 through the Microsoft Download Center in ISO format.
Evaluation Versions: Microsoft's Evaluation Center offers time-limited enterprise images, but these are also provided as ISOs or VHDs, not native qcow2 files. 2. Preferred Acquisition Methods
Since official qcow2 files aren't available, virtualization experts recommend the following two paths: Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File) - Microsoft
Microsoft does not provide a direct, standalone download for Windows 10. Official Windows virtual machines are typically offered as (VirtualBox), or (VMware) files. Microespana To get a Windows 10 file, you generally have two reliable options: 1. Download an Official ISO and Install Manually
This is the most common method for KVM/QEMU users. It ensures a clean installation with the exact settings you need. Download the ISO : Get the official Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO) from Microsoft. Create the QCOW2 Disk command to create a blank virtual disk: qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows10.qcow2 80G Install Drivers : For optimal performance in KVM, download the VirtIO drivers to use during the Windows installation process. 2. Download a Developer VM and Convert It
Microsoft offers "Evaluation" VMs for developers that are pre-configured, though these are usually in Scott Hanselman Official Developer VMs : Check the Windows Dev Center for available images.
Note: Many of these have been updated to Windows 11, and Windows 10 versions may be harder to find or expired. Convert to QCOW2 : If you download a image, you can convert it using:
qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O qcow2 source_image.vmdk windows10.qcow2 Scott Hanselman Important Considerations
: Windows 10 is not free; you generally need a valid license key unless you are using a time-limited evaluation version (typically 90 days). Avoid Unofficial Downloads : Be cautious of "ready-to-use"
files on third-party sites like SourceForge or forums, as these are not officially verified and may contain security risks. Microespana Do you need the specific QEMU command
to start the installation once you have your ISO and blank disk ready?
Important Note: Microsoft does not officially distribute Windows 10 as a QCOW2 file. These files are usually prepared by third parties (e.g., for OpenStack, cloud images, or virtualization tutorials). The most reliable legal source is the official Microsoft Windows 10 Virtual Machine image (for developers, usually VHDX format, which you can convert).
5) Convert an existing VHD/VMDK/RAW to QCOW2 (if you have another format)
qemu-img convert -f vpc -O qcow2 source.vhd win10.qcow2
# or for VMDK:
qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O qcow2 source.vmdk win10.qcow2
Client-side Downloader Script
import requests
def download_qcow2(url):
try:
response = requests.get(url, stream=True)
response.raise_for_status() # Raise an exception for HTTP errors
with open('windows10.qcow2', 'wb') as file:
for chunk in response.iter_content(chunk_size=8192):
file.write(chunk)
print("Download completed.")
except requests.RequestException as err:
print(f"Error: err")
if __name__ == "__main__":
url = 'http://yourserverip:8000/windows10.qcow2'
download_qcow2(url)
Install Windows 10 VM with VirtIO drivers
virt-install --name win10 --ram 4096 --disk path=win10.qcow2,format=qcow2
--os-variant win10 --cdrom /path/to/Win10_22H2.iso
--disk path=virtio-win.iso,device=cdrom
--graphics spice
Step 1: Download Windows 10 ISO
- From Microsoft: Windows 10 ISO download page
🚫 What does NOT exist
- A single official Microsoft-provided QCOW2 download for Windows 10
- A fully pre-configured “download and run” legal QCOW2