import type { Metadata } from "next" import Link from "next/link" import Image from "next/image" import { ArrowLeft, Monitor, Settings, Zap, Sliders, HardDrive, ExternalLink, Server, Target } from "lucide-react" export const metadata: Metadata = { title: "ProxMenux Documentation: Windows Virtual Machines", description: "Guide for creating and configuring Windows virtual machines on Proxmox VE using ProxMenux, including UUP Dump ISO and local ISO options.", openGraph: { title: "ProxMenux Documentation: Windows Virtual Machines", description: "Guide for creating and configuring Windows virtual machines on Proxmox VE using ProxMenux, including UUP Dump ISO and local ISO options.", type: "article", url: "https://macrimi.github.io/ProxMenux/docs/virtual-machines/windows", images: [ { url: "https://macrimi.github.io/ProxMenux/vm/menu_windows.png", width: 1200, height: 630, alt: "ProxMenux Windows VM Menu", }, ], }, twitter: { card: "summary_large_image", title: "ProxMenux Documentation: Windows Virtual Machines", description: "Guide for creating and configuring Windows virtual machines on Proxmox VE using ProxMenux, including UUP Dump ISO and local ISO options.", images: ["https://macrimi.github.io/ProxMenux/vm/menu_windows.png"], }, } interface ImageWithCaptionProps { src: string alt: string caption: string } function ImageWithCaption({ src, alt, caption }: ImageWithCaptionProps) { return (
{alt}
{caption}
) } export default function WindowsVMPage() { return (

Windows VM Creator Script

ProxMenux provides automated scripts that create and configure Windows virtual machines on Proxmox VE. These scripts simplify the process by handling the necessary configurations and optimizations for Windows installations, including VirtIO drivers setup and TPM configuration.

Script Overview

The Windows VM creation script automates the process of setting up virtual machines optimized for running Windows operating systems. The script handles all aspects of VM configuration, including hardware allocation, disk setup, and boot options.

The script simplifies the VM creation process by offering the following options:

  • Selection of default or advanced configuration
  • Configuration of CPU, RAM, BIOS, and machine type
  • Choice between virtual disk or physical disk passthrough
  • Selection of disk interface type (SCSI, SATA, VirtIO, or IDE)
  • Automatic configuration of EFI and TPM for secure boot
  • Automatic VirtIO drivers setup for optimal performance

Default and Advanced Configuration

The script offers two configuration modes:

Default Configuration

If you select default configuration, the script will automatically apply the following values:

Parameter Default Value
Machine Type q35
BIOS Type OVMF (UEFI)
CPU Type Host
Core Count 4
RAM Size 8192 MB
Bridge vmbr0
MAC Address Automatically generated
TPM Enabled (v2.0)
Start VM on Completion No

If you want to customize the configuration, select the Advanced Settings option in the menu.

Advanced Configuration

If you select advanced configuration, the script will allow you to customize each parameter:

Parameter Options
Machine Type q35 or i440fx
BIOS Type OVMF (UEFI) or SeaBIOS (Legacy)
CPU Type Host or KVM64
Core Count Number of CPU cores
RAM Size Amount of memory allocated to the VM
Bridge Network bridge for connection
MAC Address Custom MAC address
VLAN VLAN tag (if used)
MTU Maximum Transmission Unit size
TPM Enable or disable TPM

Disk Interface Selection

The script allows you to choose the disk interface type for both virtual and physical disks:

Interface Type Description Best For
SCSI Modern interface with good performance and features Recommended for Windows 10/11 (includes discard/trim support)
SATA Standard interface with high compatibility Good general-purpose choice (includes discard/trim support)
VirtIO Paravirtualized interface with highest performance Advanced users seeking maximum performance (includes discard/trim support)
IDE Legacy interface with maximum compatibility Legacy Windows systems only (no discard/trim support)

Disk Selection

Once the machine is configured, the script allows you to choose between two types of disks:

Virtual Disk

  • The script lists the storage options available in Proxmox
  • The user selects the disk and size in GB
  • The virtual disk is automatically assigned to the VM using the selected interface type (SCSI, SATA, VirtIO, or IDE)
  • Multiple disks can be added and will be assigned sequential device numbers (e.g., scsi0, scsi1, etc.)

Physical Disk Passthrough

  • The script detects all available physical disks
  • The user selects the physical disk or disks they want to use
  • The physical disk is directly assigned to the VM via passthrough using the selected interface type (SCSI, SATA, VirtIO, or IDE)
  • Multiple disks can be added and will be assigned sequential device numbers (e.g., scsi0, scsi1, etc.)

Additional Features

EFI Disk Configuration

When UEFI BIOS (OVMF) is selected, the script automatically configures an EFI system disk to ensure compatibility with modern bootloaders:

  • You’ll be prompted to select the storage location for the EFI disk
  • A 4MB EFI disk is created and attached to the VM
  • The disk is formatted appropriately based on the selected storage backend (e.g., raw format for directory-based storage)

For Windows systems, a TPM 2.0 device is also added automatically to meet installation requirements for modern versions like Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022.

ISO Mounting

The script also handles ISO mounting automatically for both installation media and optional drivers:

  • The main installation ISO is mounted to the first available IDE slot (typically ide2)
  • If the system is Windows, the VirtIO drivers ISO is downloaded and mounted to the next IDE slot (typically ide3)

QEMU Guest Agent

The script automatically configures QEMU Guest Agent support:

  • Enables the QEMU Guest Agent in the VM configuration
  • Sets up the necessary communication channel
  • Provides instructions for installing the guest agent inside the VM after installation

Windows Installation Options

ProxMenux offers two methods for installing Windows on your virtual machine:

UUP Dump Logo

Script UUP Dump ISO Creator

The UUP Dump ISO Creator script is a utility included in ProxMenux that allows you to download and create Windows installation media directly from Microsoft's Windows Update servers. This option provides access to the latest Windows builds, including Insider Preview versions.

Features:

  • Access to the latest Windows builds
  • Ability to download Insider Preview versions
  • Clean, official Microsoft installation files
  • Automatic ISO creation and mounting
  • Support for various Windows editions (Home, Pro, Enterprise)

Learn more about UUP Dump ISO Creator

Install with Local ISO

This option allows you to use your own Windows ISO file that's already uploaded to your Proxmox server's local storage. Ideal if you have custom or specific Windows installation media.

Installation Process

After configuring the VM settings and selecting your installation method, the script will:

  1. Create the VM with the specified configuration
  2. Configure EFI disk and TPM for secure boot support
  3. Create and attach virtual disks or pass through physical disks
  4. Download and mount the Windows ISO (UUP Dump option) or mount your local ISO
  5. Download and mount the VirtIO drivers ISO
  6. Set the boot order (disk first, then ISO)
  7. Configure the QEMU Guest Agent
  8. Start the VM if requested

VirtIO Drivers Setup

For optimal performance, Windows VMs require VirtIO drivers. The script automatically handles this by:

  • Downloading the latest VirtIO drivers ISO or using an existing one
  • Mounting the VirtIO drivers ISO to the VM
  • Providing instructions for loading the drivers during Windows installation

If you select a SCSI or VirtIO disk interface for the virtual machine, Windows installation will not detect the disk by default. In this case, you must click "Load Driver" during the disk selection step and browse to the mounted VirtIO ISO to install the necessary storage drivers.
These interfaces offer significantly better performance compared to traditional SATA disks, and are therefore recommended for optimal disk I/O.

Tips

  • If you select VirtIO as the network interface (recommended for performance), you must also install the VirtIO network drivers from the same ISO. This ensures that the Windows installer can access the network to complete updates or activate the system.
  • Important:

    Without the VirtIO network driver, the virtual machine will not have internet access during installation, which may prevent Windows from completing activation or downloading necessary updates.

{/* Step 1 */}

Step 1: Access the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen

During Windows installation, if no disks are shown on the “Where do you want to install Windows?” screen, it means the required storage drivers for your selected disk interface (such as SCSI or VirtIO) are not available. You'll need to load them manually.

{/* Step 2 */}

Step 2: Click "Load driver"

Click the “Load driver” button to browse the mounted VirtIO ISO. This will allow you to load the necessary storage drivers so Windows can detect the virtual disk.

{/* Step 3 */}

Step 3: Browse to the correct driver location

On the mounted VirtIO ISO, navigate to the appropriate driver folder that matches your selected disk interface and Windows version. For example, the viostor folder contains storage drivers, and you'll find subfolders organized by version (e.g., Windows 10, 11, Server).

{/* Step 4 */}

Step 4: Select the appropriate driver

After selecting the folder, Windows will list the available drivers. Choose the appropriate one — usually “Red Hat VirtIO SCSI controller” — and click “Next” to proceed with the installation.

{/* Step 5 */}

Step 5: Install network drivers (recommended)

Pro Tip: If you selected VirtIO as the network interface, Windows will not recognize it by default. To enable internet access during installation, load the VirtIO network driver from the ISO by browsing to the NetKVM folder and selecting the correct subfolder for your Windows version.

{/* Post-installation block */}

Post-Installation Driver Setup

After the Windows installation is complete, it's recommended to install the remaining VirtIO drivers for full hardware support and optimal performance. To do this, open the mounted VirtIO ISO in File Explorer and run the installer named{" "} virtio-win-guest-tools.exe. This will install drivers for network, display, input, ballooning, and other virtualized components.

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