How to install Windows 11 on QEMU, to emulate supported hardware and get all updates, even on an unsupported host computer.

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

this guide will cover installing Windows 11 on a qemu VM in linux, that allows you to emulate both secure boot and TPM 2.0 even if the host computer has no support for either. 

 

 

what do you need: 

- linux install. i recommend manjaro for this as some stuff we need is very easy to install due to it's Arch base. 

- enough drive space for the VM (i recommend 64gb)

- windows 11 iso, get that from microsoft's website. 

 

step 1: install all the packages we need. open a terminal and type: sudo pacman -S iptables-nft qemu virt-manager libtpms edk2-ovmf

 

step 2: add yourself to the kvm group to make the virtual machine manager play nicely: sudo usermod -aG libvirt ${USER} && sudo usermod -aG kvm ${USER}

 

step 3: open virt-manager and make a new VM: 

 

select the following options:

local install media

select your iso file

6144 for ram (that's 6gb, 4gb on 11 is a bit slow) and as many cpu cores as you want to spare

virtual disk same thing, make one however big you wish, 64gb is minimum

check "customize hardware before install

click finish. 

 

you'll now see this: 

we need to make some changes here. 

for firmware, select the one with secure boot: 

that will enable our virtual secure boot, which we need to make sure the VM thinks it's supported. 

 

then, go to "add hardware" on the bottom left. 

near the bottom of the list select TPM, and make sure it's configured like this: 

this is our emulated TPM 2.0.

 

click finish at the bottom right, then begin installation at the top left. 

 

install WIndows 11 like you would in any VM, and you'll now have a fully functional VM even on unsupported hardware. 

 

here are some screenshots of it running on my dual Xeon X5650 machine, which does not have UEFI or TPM of any kind. and yet, it get full updates and no issue even joining the insider program, due to the OS thinking it's running in a supported configuration

 

here's my system specs: 

 

and here is my windows 11 VM: 

 

 

 

[Lightwreather]

Well, this is nice.
Wonder if I can get some of these packages through homebrew

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

Just now, J-from-Nucleon said:

Well, this is nice.
Wonder if I can get some of these packages through homebrew

on macOS? i wouldn't count on it. you also won't have a gui for QEMU, but in theory it's possible to do this on macOS too, linux is just WAY easier

[RONOTHAN##]

7 minutes ago, Ashley MLP Fangirl said:

sudo usermod -aG libvirt username && sudo usermod -aG kvm username

Do want to point out you can change this to 

sudo usermod -aG libvirt ${USER} && sudo usermod -aG kvm ${USER}

to make the guide a little more copy-paste

 

Overall a pretty nice guide, I'll probably need to set that up eventually

[Lightwreather]

1 minute ago, Ashley MLP Fangirl said:

you also won't have a gui for QEMU

Techncailly there;s UTM which is a GUI for QEMU. BUt yea, Linus seems easier

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

1 minute ago, RONOTHAN## said:

Do want to point out you can change this to 

sudo usermod -aG libvirt ${USER} && sudo usermod -aG kvm ${USER}

to make the guide a little more copy-paste

 

Overall a pretty nice guide, I'll probably need to set that up eventually

did that, this is what happens when i write something in 10 minutes because i'm bored lol

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

Just now, J-from-Nucleon said:

Techncailly there;s UTM which is a GUI for QEMU. BUt yea, Linus seems easier

will that allow you to edit the VM so that it adds the emulated TPM and stuff? or would you have to go in manually and edit the files? 

[Lightwreather]

28 minutes ago, Ashley MLP Fangirl said:

will that allow you to edit the VM so that it adds the emulated TPM and stuff? or would you have to go in manually and edit the files? 

I literally have no idea. I do know it'll allow for flags, but I haven't really done very much with it