qemu-system-arm -M virt -cpu cortex-a53 -m 2048 -smp 2 -vnc :0 -device virtio-blk-device,drive=hd0 -drive id=hd0,file=windows10_arm.qcow2,format=qcow2 -cdrom <path_to_iso_file>
qemu-img convert -O qcow2 win10arm.qcow2 win10arm_shrunk.qcow2
First, create a blank qcow2 file that will act as the hard drive for your virtual machine. A size of 64GB or more is recommended for Windows 10.
You need QEMU_EFI.fd to handle the ARM boot process. windows 10 arm qcow2
Are you aiming to build this for or daily desktop use?
You must use a specific ARM64 version of Windows 10 (Build 21390 or higher is recommended to avoid BSOD errors). 2. Virtual Hardware Requirements
The Microsoft Authorized Windows Insider Preview download portal. qemu-system-arm -M virt -cpu cortex-a53 -m 2048 -smp
Windows on ARM requires specific hardware emulation settings to boot successfully outside of native Hyper-V environments. When setting up your QEMU command line or using a graphical interface like Virtual Machine Manager ( virt-manager ), ensure you use the following parameters: Required Machine Settings aarch64
UEFI (AARCH64 EFI) via EDK2 (Open Virtual Machine Firmware). Windows on ARM strictly requires UEFI to boot. Sample QEMU Launch Command
Running Windows 10 on ARM64 hardware (such as Apple Silicon Macs, Raspberry Pi 4/5, or ARM-based servers) via virtualization is a powerful way to leverage x86 application compatibility and native ARM performance. The most flexible way to do this on Linux or macOS is through QEMU, utilizing the (QEMU Copy On Write) virtual disk format. Are you aiming to build this for or daily desktop use
qemu-system-aarch64 \ -cpu host \ -smp 4 \ -m 4096 \ -M virt,highmem=on \ -accel kvm \ -bios /usr/share/AAVMF/AAVMF_CODE.fd \ -device qemu-xhci \ -device usb-kbd \ -device usb-tablet \ -drive if=none,id=systemdisk,file=windows10_arm.qcow2,format=qcow2 \ -device virtio-blk-pci,drive=systemdisk \ -drive file=virtio-win.iso,media=cdrom,id=virtiocd \ -netdev user,id=net0 \ -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0 \ -device ramfb \ -vnc :1 Use code with caution. Key Parameters Explained:
Browse your secondary CD-ROM drive ( virtio-win ). Navigate to NetKVM\w10\ARM64 and viostor\w10\ARM64 .
: QEMU is a powerful, open-source emulator and virtualizer. It can run an operating system for one machine (e.g., ARM) on a different machine (e.g., your x86 PC). This process, known as emulation , is what allows you to use Windows on ARM without the actual ARM hardware. QEMU can also leverage hardware acceleration (like KVM on Linux or Hypervisor.Framework on macOS) for near-native performance when the host and guest architectures match, but here it's primarily used for its emulation capabilities.
qemu-img convert -p -O qcow2 Windows10_ARM.vhdx Windows10_ARM.qcow2 Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard : Displays a progress bar. : Specifies the output format as QCOW2. HashiCorp Developer 3. Manual Generation (From ISO)
Create a new text file named win10arm64.bat (for Windows) or win10arm64.sh (for Linux/macOS). This script will contain the QEMU command to launch your VM. A script simplifies the process, allowing you to tweak parameters without retyping the entire command each time.