From 1685c3d05e1efdc613c07b3010ad3537910a0d42 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Dr. Gerhard Weck" Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2022 14:26:08 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Update windows-tools41.md --- docs/os/windows/windows-tools41.md | 72 +++++++++++++----------------- 1 file changed, 30 insertions(+), 42 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/os/windows/windows-tools41.md b/docs/os/windows/windows-tools41.md index 8a50cba..68626c7 100644 --- a/docs/os/windows/windows-tools41.md +++ b/docs/os/windows/windows-tools41.md @@ -111,9 +111,9 @@ This will allow you to install the Qubes Windows Tools on Windows 7, 10 and 11 b - Start the command prompt as administrator, i.e. right click on the Command Prompt icon (All Programs -> Accessories) and choose "Run as administrator" - In the command prompt type `regedit` - - In the registry editor, position to the key `\HKLM\Software\Invisible Things Lab\Qubes Tools\` + - In the registry editor, position to the key `\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Invisible Things Lab\Qubes Tools\` - Change the value `SeamlessMode` from 0 to 1 - - Position to the key `\HKLM\Software\Invisible Things Lab\Qubes Tools\qga\` + - Position to the key `\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Invisible Things Lab\Qubes Tools\qga\` - Change the value `SeamlessMode` from 0 to 1 - Terminate the registry editor. @@ -131,10 +131,10 @@ Xen PV drivers and Qubes Windows Tools Installing Xen's PV drivers in the VM will lower its resources usage when using network and/or I/O intensive applications, but *may* come at the price of system stability (although Xen's PV drivers on a Windows VM are usually very stable). They can be installed as an optional part of Qubes Windows Tools (QWT), which bundles Xen's PV drivers. -Notes about using Xen's VBD (storage) PV driver: -- **Windows 7:** Installing the driver requires a fully updated VM or else you'll likely get a BSOD and a VM in a difficult to fix state. Updating Windows takes *hours* and for casual usage there isn't much of a performance between the disk PV driver and the default one; so there is likely no need to go through the lengthy Windows Update process if your VM doesn't have access to untrusted networks and if you don't use I/O intensive apps or attach block devices. If you plan to update your newly installed Windows VM it is recommended that you do so *before* installing Qubes Windows Tools (QWT). -- The option to install the storage PV driver is disabled by default in Qubes Windows Tools -- In case you already had QWT installed without the storage PV driver and you then updated the VM, you may then install the driver by again starting the QWT installer and selecting the change option. +> **Notes** about using Xen's VBD (storage) PV driver: +> - **Windows 7:** Installing the driver requires a fully updated VM or else you'll likely get a BSOD ("Blue Screen Of Death") and a VM in a difficult to fix state. Updating Windows takes *hours* and for casual usage there isn't much of a performance between the disk PV driver and the default one; so there is likely no need to go through the lengthy Windows Update process if your VM doesn't have access to untrusted networks and if you don't use I/O intensive apps or attach block devices. If you plan to update your newly installed Windows VM it is recommended that you do so *before* installing Qubes Windows Tools. Installing the driver will probably cause Windows 7 activation to become invalid, but the activation can be restored using the Microsoft telephone activation method. +> - The option to install the storage PV driver is disabled by default in Qubes Windows Tools +> - In case you already had QWT installed without the storage PV driver and you then updated the VM, you may then install the driver by again starting the QWT installer and selecting the change option. Using Windows AppVMs in seamless mode ------------------------------------- @@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ Using Windows AppVMs in seamless mode Once you start a Windows-based AppVM with Qubes Tools installed, you can easily start individual applications from the VM (note the `-a` switch used here, which will auto-start the VM if it is not running): ~~~ -qvm-run -a my-win7-appvm explorer.exe +[user@dom0 ~] $ qvm-run -a my-win-appvm explorer.exe ~~~ ![windows-seamless-4.png](/attachment/wiki/WindowsAppVms/windows-seamless-4.png) ![windows-seamless-1.png](/attachment/wiki/WindowsAppVms/windows-seamless-1.png) @@ -152,11 +152,11 @@ qvm-run -a my-win7-appvm explorer.exe Also, the inter-VM services work as usual -- e.g. to request opening a document or URL in the Windows AppVM from another VM: ~~~ -[user@work ~]$ qvm-open-in-vm work-win7 roadmap.pptx +[user@dom0 ~] $ qvm-open-in-vm my-win-appvm roadmap.pptx ~~~ ~~~ -[user@work ~]$ qvm-open-in-vm work-win7 https://invisiblethingslab.com +[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-open-in-vm my-win-appvm https://invisiblethingslab.com ~~~ ... just like in the case of Linux AppVMs. Of course all those operations are governed by central policy engine running in Dom0 -- if the policy doesn't contain explicit rules for the source and/or target AppVM, the user will be asked whether to allow or deny the operation. @@ -177,13 +177,7 @@ Using template-based Windows AppVMs Qubes allows HVM VMs to share a common root filesystem from a select Template VM, just as for Linux AppVMs. This mode is not limited to Windows AppVMs, and can be used for any HVM (e.g. FreeBSD running in a HVM). -In order to create a HVM TemplateVM one can use the following command, suitably adapted: - -~~~ -qvm-create --class TemplateVM win-template --property virt_mode=HVM --property kernel='' -l green -~~~ - -... , set memory as appropriate, and install the Windows OS (or any other OS) into this template the same way as you would install it into a normal HVM -- please see instructions on [this page](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/hvm-create/). +In order to create an HVM TemplateVM, the type "TemplateVM" has to be selected on creating the VM. Then set memory as appropriate, and install the Windows OS (or any other OS) into this template the same way as you would install it into a normal HVM -- please see instructions on [this page](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/hvm-create/). If you use this Template as it is, then any HVMs that use it will effectively be DisposableVMs - the User directory will be wiped when the HVM is closed down. @@ -199,20 +193,14 @@ Reboot is required because the "mover utility" runs very early in the boot proce This can take some time depending on the profiles' size and because the GUI agent is not yet active dom0/Qubes Manager may complain that the AppVM failed to boot. That's a false alarm (you can increase the AppVM's default boot timeout using `qvm-prefs`), the VM should appear "green" in Qubes Manager shortly after. -For Windows 7, the user directories have to be moved manually, because the automatic transfer during QWT installation does not work for not yet known reasons. - It also makes sense to disable Automatic Updates for all the template-based AppVMs -- of course this should be done in the Template VM, not in individual AppVMs, because the system-wide settings are stored in the root filesystem (which holds the system-wide registry hives). Then, periodically check for updates in the Template VM and the changes will be carried over to any child AppVMs. -Once the template has been created and installed it is easy to create AppVMs based on it: - -~~~ -qvm-create --property virt_mode=hvm --template --label