Microsoft does not provide a direct .qcow2 download for Windows 10. Instead, they provide Windows 10 ISO images or pre-built virtual machines in other formats (like .ova or .zip for VMware/VirtualBox) that you must convert or use to create a .qcow2 file yourself. Option 1: Create Your Own .qcow2 (Recommended)
The most stable way to get a Windows 10 .qcow2 image is to download the official ISO and install it onto a new virtual disk.
Download the ISO: Use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to download the latest Windows 10 ISO.
Create the Virtual Disk: Open your terminal and run the following command to create an empty 80GB .qcow2 file: qemu-img create -f qcow2 win10.qcow2 80G ``` Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard
Install Windows: Launch the VM with the ISO attached as a CD-ROM to begin the installation process. Option 2: Convert Existing Virtual Machines
Microsoft provides free 90-day "evaluation" VMs for developers. These are typically in .zip (VMware) or .ova (VirtualBox) formats. You can convert these to .qcow2 using the qemu-img tool:
Download: Get the VM from the Microsoft Edge Developer site (Note: Windows 10 versions may be harder to find as Microsoft transitions to Windows 11). Convert: qemu-img convert -O qcow2 source_image.vmdk win10.qcow2 ``` Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Important Notes msedge.win10.vmware.zip file ? - Microsoft Q&A
To download or set up a Windows 10 image, you generally have two options: downloading pre-made images from specialized providers or manually converting an official Microsoft ISO into the QCOW2 format used by hypervisors like QEMU/KVM. 1. Direct QCOW2 Downloads
While Microsoft does not natively provide QCOW2 images, they offer pre-built virtual machines (VMs) for other platforms that can be converted. Third-party cloud service providers also offer ready-made images. Cloudbase Solutions : Provides specialized Windows Cloud Images
in QCOW2 format, specifically optimized for OpenStack and KVM. Microsoft Developer VMs
: You can download 90-day evaluation VMs (intended for Hyper-V or VirtualBox) from the Microsoft Developer Center and convert the resulting Cloudbase Solutions 2. Converting an ISO to QCOW2 (Recommended)
The most reliable way to get a "new" and clean Windows 10 QCOW2 image is to download the latest ISO from and create the disk image yourself Download the latest ISO Windows 10 Download Tool Direct ISO Download page Create an empty QCOW2 file : Run the following command in your terminal: qemu-img create -f qcow2 win10.qcow2 80G Install Windows : Point your hypervisor (like Virt-Manager windows 10qcow2 download new
) to use the ISO as a boot drive and the new QCOW2 file as the primary storage. 3. Essential Drivers (VirtIO)
For a Windows QCOW2 image to perform well on KVM/QEMU, you must install VirtIO drivers during or after the installation. Download the latest stable VirtIO-Win ISO to ensure your VM can recognize the QCOW2 disk and network. Comparison of Sources Microsoft ISO ISO (Convertible) Cleanest, official Requires manual installation Cloudbase Solutions Pre-configured for KVM External provider MS Developer Center Pre-installed Expires in 90 days specific QEMU command
to launch the installation with the VirtIO drivers attached?
To download a Windows 10 (QEMU Copy On Write 2) image, you generally have two reliable options: using official Microsoft developer virtual machines or creating a custom image from an ISO. 1. Download Official Microsoft VMs (Pre-made)
Microsoft provides free virtual machines for developers to test Microsoft Edge and other tools. While these are often provided as
files for VirtualBox and VMware, they can be converted or used in environments that support QCOW2. Availability : These images are typically 90-day trials that expire after use. Where to find : You can access them on the Microsoft Edge Developer VM download page Conversion : If you download a version, use the tool to convert it to QCOW2:
qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O qcow2 win10_image.vmdk win10_image.qcow2 Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 2. Create a Custom QCOW2 Image (Recommended)
Creating your own image ensures it is clean, licensed correctly, and optimized for your specific hypervisor (like KVM/QEMU). GitHub Pages documentation Download the ISO : Get the official Windows 10 ISO directly from Create an empty QCOW2 disk qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows10.qcow2 Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Install Windows
: Launch your VM using the ISO as the boot media and the new QCOW2 file as the storage disk. Key QCOW2 Features Thin Provisioning
: The file only takes up as much space on your host as there is data inside the VM.
: Supports multiple read-only or read-write snapshots, allowing you to roll back changes easily. Backing Files Microsoft does not provide a direct
: You can create a "base" Windows 10 image and launch multiple VMs that only store the differences (deltas) from that base, saving significant storage. Third-Party Cloud Images
Windows guests can’t read data from qcow2 image with backing file
Microsoft does not provide an official "ready-to-go" Windows 10 QCOW2 download. Instead, users typically download the official ISO and convert it themselves or use pre-configured images for specific development environments. 1. The Official Route: ISO to QCOW2 Conversion
The most secure way to get a new Windows 10 QCOW2 image is to download the latest ISO from the official Microsoft download page and convert it using virtualization tools.
Download the ISO: Use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to generate a clean 64-bit ISO.
Convert to QCOW2: If you are on Linux/KVM, you can use the qemu-img utility to convert virtual disk images or create a new QCOW2 disk from the installation.
Example command: qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows10.qcow2 40G 2. Microsoft Edge Developer VMs
If you need a Windows 10 image for testing purposes (valid for 90 days), Microsoft offers pre-built Virtual Machines. While they don't offer QCOW2 directly, they provide formats like VMware, VirtualBox, and Hyper-V on the Microsoft Edge Developer site. You can convert these .vmdk or .vhd files to QCOW2 easily. 3. Community and Third-Party Images
Some cloud-focused repositories provide pre-built Windows images, but use caution as these are not officially verified by Microsoft:
GNS3 Marketplace: Often hosts links to Windows appliance files for network simulation.
Cloud Provider Images: Platforms like Google Distributed Cloud provide documentation on importing and converting disk images for their specific environments. How to Use Your QCOW2 File The Safest Pre-Built Option: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
Once you have your file, you can import it into your virtualization manager:
Linux (Virt-Manager): Select "Import existing disk image" and point it to your new .qcow2 file.
Proxmox/KVM: Move the file to your storage directory and attach it to a new VM hardware configuration.
Note: Any Windows 10 image will still require a valid license key for long-term activation, regardless of the file format. Need help for windows 10 home iso 64 bit download
qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows10-new.qcow2 80G
Microsoft provides a 90-day evaluation Windows 10 Enterprise VHDX (Hyper-V format). You can convert VHDX to QCOW2:
# Download the official .vhdx from Microsoft Evaluation Center
# Then convert:
qemu-img convert -f vhdx -O qcow2 Win10_Eval.vhdx windows10-new.qcow2
This gives you a legitimate, legally downloadable, pre-built image that you simply convert. However, it resets after 90 days.
Elias transferred the freshly converted Windows10_New.qcow2 to the KVM server. He opened the Virtual Machine Manager (virt-manager) and pointed the disk bus to the new file.
He hit Play.
Almost instantly, the familiar blue Windows logo appeared. There was no "Getting devices ready" screen, no Cortana voice asking for region settings. It booted straight to the desktop. It was a clean, new Windows 10 environment, ready for their team's code repository.