Qcow2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write version 2) allows you to run a legacy Windows 7 environment on modern Linux-based hosts with features like , which means the file only takes up space on your physical drive as data is actually written to it. Key Benefits of the qcow2 Format
: You can save the current state of your Windows 7 VM before making risky changes. If something breaks, you can revert instantly to a previous snapshot .
Use the qemu-img command to create the initial qcow2 container. qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows7.qcow2 40G Use code with caution. windows 7 qcow2 file
: Unlike "raw" images that allocate the full disk size immediately, a 40GB Windows 7 qcow2 file might only take up 10GB of actual disk space if that is all the data installed.
: qcow2 files support transparent decompression and AES encryption, making them easier to transport and more secure. How to Create a Windows 7 qcow2 File Qcow2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write version 2) allows you to
A is a highly efficient virtual disk format used primarily by the QEMU and KVM hypervisors.
Note: The "40G" is the maximum capacity, but the initial file will be very small. Use the qemu-img command to create the initial
qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -m 2048 -hda windows7.qcow2 -cdrom path_to_iso.iso -boot d Use code with caution. Tip: Use the -enable-kvm flag for near-native performance.
You will need a Windows 7 ISO file. Launch QEMU with the following basic parameters:
Windows 7 does not natively support the high-performance VirtIO drivers used by KVM. Windows 7.qcow2 - Google Groups