1. Download the Official ISO Download the official Windows 10 ISO directly from Microsoft. You can use the Media Creation Tool or grab a direct ISO link from the Microsoft Download page.
2. Create the Disk Image
Open your terminal (Linux/macOS) and use qemu-img to create a virtual disk. A 40GB size is standard, using the qcow2 format which expands as needed.
qemu-img create -f qcow2 win10.qcow2 40G
3. Install Windows using Virt-Manager or CLI
You can now attach this win10.qcow2 file and the Windows ISO to your virtual machine to install the OS.
Example installation command (using QEMU directly):
qemu-system-x86_64 \
-m 4096 \
-smp 2 \
-enable-kvm \
-cdrom Win10_Official.iso \
-drive file=win10.qcow2,format=qcow2 \
-boot d
Avoid any website that offers a new download Windows 10 taoqcow2 link or any similar pattern like:
Legitimate Windows downloads only come from microsoft.com domains.
This tool allows you to upgrade your current PC or create a bootable USB drive/DVD.
Instead of searching for risky custom links, here’s how to get a legitimate, secure copy of Windows 10 — often for free.
A Windows 10 QCOW2 image is a virtual disk file usable by QEMU/KVM (and convertible for other hypervisors) containing a Windows 10 installation. Official Microsoft Windows 10 ISOs are available from Microsoft; third-party prebuilt QCOW2 images exist but carry security, licensing, and trust risks. Use official ISOs and create your own QCOW2 to ensure authenticity and compliance.