Windows 10 on ARM is not Windows RT (the ill-fated version from 2012). It is a full, complete version of Windows 10 built to run on ARM64 processors. It includes an emulation layer (WOW64) that allows it to run traditional x86 (32-bit) applications and, in later updates, x64 (64-bit) apps.
Key features:
Some guides use the VHDX directly, but qcow2 offers better performance with QEMU. Install QEMU via Homebrew:
brew install qemu
Then convert:
qemu-img convert -f vhdx -O qcow2 Windows10_ARM.vhdx Windows10_ARM.qcow2
For decades, the x86 architecture dominated the computing landscape. That tide is turning. With the rise of Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3), AWS Graviton processors, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, ARM is no longer just for smartphones—it is the future of desktop and cloud computing.
However, the software ecosystem has lagged behind. While native ARM apps grow daily, the reality is that millions of users still need legacy x86 applications. Enter Windows 10 ARM, Microsoft’s full-featured version of Windows that runs on ARM processors and includes a built-in emulation layer (Prism, formerly CHPE) for x86 apps.
But how do you run Windows 10 ARM on a Linux host, a Mac without Parallels, or an ARM cloud instance? The answer is QEMU (Quick Emulator) and the QCOW2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write version 2) disk image format.
This article is your complete resource for understanding, creating, optimising, and troubleshooting Windows 10 ARM QCOW2 images. windows 10 arm qcow2
qcow2 stands for QEMU Copy-On-Write version 2. It is the native disk image format for QEMU (Quick Emulator), an open-source machine emulator and virtualizer.
Why qcow2 matters:
In the context of Windows 10 ARM, a qcow2 file is the virtual hard disk that houses the operating system, applications, and user data.
While pre-built QCOW2 images exist on various file-sharing platforms (often of questionable legality or safety), the recommended route is creating your own.
1. Acquire the ISO: Since Microsoft does not offer a public download for the ARM64 ISO, users typically have to resort to building an ISO from UUP (Unified Update Platform) files using scripts available in the open-source community.
2. Create the Disk:
Using the qemu-img tool in Linux, you create a blank QCOW2 container.
qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows10-arm.qcow2 40G
This creates a disk that can grow up to 40GB but starts at only a few megabytes. Windows 10 on ARM is not Windows RT
3. The Boot Process: You must mount the ISO and the QCOW2 file in QEMU, pointing the emulator to the necessary UEFI firmware.
qemu-system-aarch64 \
-M virt \
-cpu cortex-a57 \
-m 4G \
-bios QEMU_EFI.fd \
-device virtio-blk-device,drive=hd0 \
-drive if=none,file=windows10-arm.qcow2,id=hd0 \
-device virtio-gpu-pci \
-cdrom win10arm.iso
Last updated: May 2026. Tested with QEMU 9.0, Windows 10 ARM64 Build 19045, and Apple M3 Pro host.
Running Windows 10 on ARM hardware—like the Apple M-series chips or Ampere Altra servers—requires a specific disk format for virtualization. The QCOW2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write) format is the standard for Linux-based hypervisors like QEMU and KVM because it only uses disk space as needed. 🛠️ How to Create a Windows 10 ARM QCOW2 Image
To get a functional Windows 10 ARM environment, you typically convert a Microsoft-provided VHDX (Virtual Hard Disk) into a QCOW2 file or create a fresh one from an ISO. 1. Convert VHDX to QCOW2
If you have downloaded a Windows 10 ARM "Insider Preview" VHDX from the Microsoft Windows Insider Program, use the qemu-img tool to convert it:
qemu-img convert -f vhdx -O qcow2 windows10arm.vhdx windows10arm.qcow2 Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 2. Create a Blank QCOW2 Image
If you are installing from an ARM64 ISO (often built using tools like UUP dump), you must first create an empty virtual disk: qemu-img create -f qcow2 win10_arm_disk.qcow2 64G Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 🚀 Running the VM with QEMU Then convert: qemu-img convert -f vhdx -O qcow2
Once your QCOW2 file is ready, you can boot it using the qemu-system-aarch64 emulator. Essential Components
UEFI Firmware: You need QEMU_EFI.fd to handle the ARM boot process.
VirtIO Drivers: Windows does not natively support QEMU’s virtual hardware; you must load the VirtIO-win drivers during or after installation. Command Line Example
A basic command to boot your new QCOW2 image looks like this:
qemu-system-aarch64 \ -M virt \ -cpu max \ -accel hvf \ -m 4G \ -bios QEMU_EFI.fd \ -drive file=win10_arm_disk.qcow2,if=virtio \ -device virtio-gpu-pci \ -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard
(Note: Use -accel hvf for macOS/M1/M2 or -accel kvm for Linux ARM servers.) 💡 Key Tips for Success
Performance: Always use a virtio interface for your disk (if=virtio) to ensure the fastest read/write speeds.
Network Fix: If the internet isn't working, you likely need to install the NetKVM driver from the VirtIO ISO.
Graphical Interface: On macOS, using UTM provides a user-friendly GUI that handles these QCOW2 conversions and configurations automatically.