In file explorer, change the settings to show hidden files and folders and to display file extensions.
The only required selection from the checklist of install options is "Development Tools". I would generally recommend ~25GB free space per ISO plus at least 32GB for Windows and programs to install. Make sure to have enough space to handle your ISO's + spare space.
I recommend using either Windows 10 Pro or Windows Server 2019 to do this on. This can be another VM or a physical machine.
The following are the steps to prepare for slipstreaming the VirtIO drivers into a Windows ISO. Understand what each step does and why you are doing it. Read over the entire guide before attempting the steps.You may consider keeping copies of the modified install.wim and boot.wim in case you need to inject additional drivers or updates to them at another time.Prior to doing any of these steps, ensure your original ISO works for installation.Keep original copies of your ISO's in a safe place, especially if they are not simply downloads from Microsoft's site (like a retail ISO).Installing Windows Server GUI-less as a Proxmox VM: (Another great article from the perspective of doing the process without a desktop GUI).
Recommended Settings for Windows Proxmox VM's: (Great article on the manual process and settings to use for the VM).Windows Assessment and Deployment Toolkit (ADK): (generally grab the latest version).Windows 10 Media Creation Tool or ISO download:.Official VirtIO ISO and drivers: (I generally use the "Latest virtio-win iso" entry under "Direct downloads").The following are good resources to help with the process. Generally speaking, the drivers make the VM run more smoothly, with more control and less issues. The ISO also contains the Balloon service files as well as the driver, which when installed allow a Windows guest to work with the memory ballooning feature of KVM/Proxmox. This allows functions like properly shutting down a Windows VM from Proxmox's controls. The VirtIO ISO also contains the qemu guest agent which allows the KVM host (Proxmox) to have better control over a guest OS, in this case Windows. This includes but is not limited to: display drivers, storage drivers, networking drivers, etc. In brief, VirtIO drivers are drivers designed to allow Windows VM's to perform better when used with KVM based virtualization, like Proxmox currently uses. Should you want to also inject Windows updates I suggest you research the topic and incorporate the additional setup and commands into your workflow.
I also am not covering how to inject updates into Windows, though it is possible using similar methods. All users are responsible for legally licensing, activating and using their installation(s) of Windows on their own systems. The details provided in this guide are intended to help users test Windows in virtual environments using either evaluation licenses or licenses the user owns already. Users are responsible for properly licensing and activating their copies/installation of Windows. These methods are NOT intended to circumvent licensing or legitimate purchase/use of the mentioned software. Feel free to try other versions as needed. They may work as is, with modification or not at all. Just because I have not tested a version of Windows does not mean the methods outlined here will not work. Windows Server 2019 (acquired from the Microsoft Evaluation Center).Windows 10 version 1903 (acquired direct from Media Creation Tool or the Microsoft website here).I have only tried and tested the following methods with the following Windows Versions/ISO's: While these ISO's should work with any KVM based virtualization, I am only testing them using a Proxmox host.īy slipstreaming these drivers direct into an ISO, it drastically reduces the work required to setup new Windows based VM's by removing the need to manually install these drivers for each machine. This way the VirtIO ISO will not need to be attached to a virtual machine on Proxmox and there will be no need to manually load the drivers 1-by-1 in Windows Setup at install time. This guide will help manually add VirtIO drivers to Windows ISO's so that the drivers are automatically installed and available to a Windows VM on Proxmox. Guide to Slipstream VirtIO Drivers into Windows ISO's Introduction