is the native disk image format for QEMU. Unlike raw disk images ( .img ), QCOW2 offers several advantages:
We will create a QCOW2 image from scratch using the official Windows 11 ISO. This method ensures integrity. windows 11 qcow2 download
Download the virtio-win.iso from Fedora's archives. These are essential for the VM to recognize virtual hardware. 2. Create the Empty qcow2 Disk is the native disk image format for QEMU
Over time, QCOW2 images can suffer from "bloat" where deleted files still take up space on the host. Tools like virt-sparsify are often required to reclaim this space. Recommended Installation Method windows 11 qcow2 download