Windows Configuration

Gallium Edge runs Windows virtual machines and templates alongside Linux guests. This page covers what differs for Windows; for the general creation flow, see Creating a Virtual Machine.

Supported Windows Versions

Gallium Edge ships VirtIO storage, network, and balloon drivers for Windows Server 2019 through 2025, Windows 10, and Windows 11. Older releases may still install and run, but they are outside the tested driver set and may lack full device support.

Drivers

Windows has no VirtIO drivers of its own, so it cannot see a VirtIO disk or network adapter until they are loaded. Edge attaches them for you: create a virtual machine from a Windows template and the form adds the VirtIO driver ISO as a Tool ISO in the Disks section, so the drivers are on the VM at first boot. You can remove the ISO at VM creation time if your template provides the drivers another way.

Install Windows on Edge

1. Build a Windows template with the Windows ISO and a blank OS disk. See Create a Windows Template.
2. Create a virtual machine from it. The VirtIO driver ISO is attached for you as a Tool ISO.
3. Open the VM’s console and step through Windows Setup.
4. At the disk-selection screen, Setup cannot see the blank VirtIO disk. Choose Load driver, browse to the VirtIO disk, and load the viostor storage driver so the disk appears.
5. Select the disk and finish the installation.
6. In the installed guest, open the VirtIO disk and install the remaining drivers using the provided installer.
7. Shut the VM down and remove the ISO.

The QEMU guest agent reports the guest’s operating system details and IP addresses back to the Console, so install it on every Windows VM.