--- layout: doc title: Installing a Windows VM permalink: /doc/windows-vm/ --- Installing a Windows VM ======================= Importing from R3.2 to R4.x --------------------------- Importing should work, simply make sure that you are not using Xen's newer linux stubdomain and that the VM is in HVM mode (these steps should be done automatically when importing the VM): R4.0: ~~~ qvm-features VMNAME linux-stubdom '' qvm-prefs VMNAME virt_mode hvm ~~~ Note however that you are better off creating a new Windows VM to benefit from the more recent emulated hardware: R3.2 uses a MiniOS based stubdomain with an old and mostly unmaintained 'qemu-traditional' while R4.0 uses a Linux based stubdomain with a recent version of upstream qemu (see [this post](https://groups.google.com/d/msg/qubes-devel/tBqwJmOAJ94/xmFCGJnuAwAJ)). Windows installation ---------------------- See [below](/doc/windows-vm/#command-summary) if you are only looking for a quick summary of the necessary commands. MS Windows versions considerations: - The instructions *may* work on other versions than Windows 7 x64 but haven't been tested. - Qubes Windows Tools (QWT) only supports Windows 7 x64. Create a VM named win7new in [HVM](/doc/hvm/) mode (Xen's current PVH limitations precludes from using PVH): R3.2: ~~~ qvm-create win7new --hvm --label red ~~~ R4.0: ~~~ qvm-create --class StandaloneVM --label red --property virt_mode=hvm win7new ~~~ Windows' installer requires a significant amount of memory or else the VM will crash with such errors: `/var/log/xen/console/hypervisor.log`: > p2m_pod_demand_populate: Dom120 out of PoD memory! (tot=102411 ents=921600 dom120) > (XEN) domain_crash called from p2m-pod.c:1218 > (XEN) Domain 120 (vcpu#0) crashed on cpu#3: So, increase the VM's memory to 4096Mo (memory = maxmem because we don't use memory balancing). R3.2: ~~~ qvm-prefs -s win7new memory 4096 qvm-prefs -s win7new maxmem 4096 ~~~ R4.0: ~~~ qvm-prefs win7new memory 4096 qvm-prefs win7new maxmem 4096 ~~~ On R4.0, disable direct boot so that the VM will go through the standard cdrom/HDD boot sequence: ~~~ qvm-prefs win7new kernel '' ~~~ A typical Windows 7 installation requires between 15Go up to 19Go of disk space depending on the version (Home/Professional/...). Windows updates also end up using significant space. So, extend the root volume from the default 10Go to 25Go (note: it is straightforward to increase the root volume size after Windows is installed: simply extend the volume again in dom0 and then extend the system partition with Windows's disk manager). R3.2: ~~~ qvm-grow-root win7new 25g ~~~ R4.0: ~~~ qvm-volume extend win7new:root 25g ~~~ Set the debug flag in order to have a graphical console: R3.2: ~~~ qvm-prefs -s win7new debug true ~~~ R4.0: ~~~ qvm-prefs win7new debug true ~~~ The second part of the installation process will crash with the standard VGA video adapter and the VM will stay in "transient" mode with the following error in `guest-win7new-dm.log`: > qemu: /home/user/qubes-src/vmm-xen-stubdom-linux/build/qemu/exec.c:1187: cpu_physical_memory_snapshot_get_dirty: Assertion `start + length <= snap->end' failed. To avoid that error we temporarily have to switch the video adapter to 'cirrus': R3.2: backup the VM's configuration file and substitute the video driver from 'xen' to 'cirrus': ~~~ cp /var/lib/qubes/appvms/win7new/win7new.conf /tmp sed -i "s/ Manage / Device manager / Display adapters) temporarily re-enable the standard VGA adapter and disable "Qubes video driver". You can disable debugging and revert to Qubes' display once the VM is updated. Xen PV drivers + Qubes integration ---------------------------------- 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 Win7 VM are usually very stable). There are two ways of installing the drivers: 1. installing the drivers independently, from Xen's [official site](https://www.xenproject.org/developers/teams/windows-pv-drivers.html) 2. installing 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. If you plan to update your newly installed Windows VM it is recommended that you do so *before* installing Qubes Windows Tools (QWT). If QWT are installed, you should temporarily re-enable the standard VGA adapter in Windows and disable Qubes' (see the section above). - 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 from Xen's site (xenvbd.tar). Installing Qubes Windows Tools: - on R3.2: see [this page](/doc/windows-tools/) - R4.0: you'll have to install QWT for Qubes R3.2. Be warned that QWT on R4.0 is a work in progress though (see [issue #3585](https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/3585) for instructions and known issues). With Qubes Windows Tools installed the early graphical console provided in debugging mode isn't needed anymore since Qubes' display driver will be used instead of the default VGA driver: R3.2: ~~~ qvm-prefs -s win7new debug false ~~~ R4.0: ~~~ qvm-prefs win7new debug false ~~~ Tweaks ------ - Set a fixed size page file size (system properties / advanced tab / Performance settings / advanced tab / Virtual memory / Change...) - Adjust for best performance (system properties / advanced tab / Performance settings). Command summary ----------------- Most of the commands below can be combined into only a few commands but they are split for the sake of clarity. R3.2: ~~~ qvm-create win7new --hvm --label red qvm-prefs -s win7new memory 4096 qvm-prefs -s win7new maxmem 4096 qvm-grow-root win7new 25g qvm-prefs -s win7new debug true cp /var/lib/qubes/appvms/win7new/win7new.conf /tmp sed -i "s/