Windows VirtIO Drivers: Difference between revisions

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==Introduction==
==Introduction==
VirtIO Drivers are paravirtualized drivers for [[KVM|kvm]]/Linux (see http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/Virtio). In short, they enable direct (paravirtualized) access to device and peripherals to virtual machines using them, instead of slower, emulated, ones. <br>
VirtIO Drivers are paravirtualized drivers for [[KVM|kvm]]/Linux (see http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/Virtio). In short, they enable direct (paravirtualized) access to devices and peripherals for virtual machines using them, instead of slower, emulated, ones. <br>
A quite extended explanation about VirtIO drivers can be found here http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-virtio.
A quite extended explanation about VirtIO drivers can be found here http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-virtio.


At the moment this kind of devices are supported:
At the moment these kind of devices are supported:
* block (disks drives), see [[Paravirtualized Block Drivers for Windows]]
* block (disks drives), see [[Paravirtualized Block Drivers for Windows]]
* network (ethernet cards), see [[Paravirtualized Network Drivers for Windows|Paravirtualized Network Drivers for Windows]]
* network (ethernet cards), see [[Paravirtualized Network Drivers for Windows|Paravirtualized Network Drivers for Windows]]
* baloon (dynamic memory management), see [[Dynamic Memory Management]]
* balloon (dynamic memory management), see [[Dynamic Memory Management]]


Usually using VirtIO drivers you can maximize performances, but this depends on the availability and status of guest VirtIO drivers for your guest OS and platform.
You can maximize performances by using VirtIO drivers. The availability and status of the VirtIO drivers depends on the guest OS and platform.


== Windows OS support ==
== Windows OS Support ==


While recent Linux kernels already have those drivers so any distribution, running in a kvm VM, should recognize virtio devices exposed by the kvm hypervisor, all current Windows OS need special drivers to use virtio devices. Microsoft does not provide them, so someone kindly managed to make virtio drivers available also for windows systems.
Windows does not have native support for VirtIO devices included.
But, there is excellent external support through opensource drivers, which are available compiled and signed for Windows:


See
https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/archive-virtio/?C=M;O=D


*http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/WindowsGuestDrivers
Note that this repository provides not only the most recent, but also many older versions.
*http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/WindowsGuestDrivers/Download_Drivers
Those older versions can still be useful when a Windows VM shows instability or incompatibility with a newer driver version.


Following info on those page you can find:
The binary drivers are digitally signed by Red Hat, and will work on 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows


*a git repository: https://github.com/YanVugenfirer/kvm-guest-drivers-windows
== Installation ==
*:this is the source for the Windows drivers and is hosted in a repository on GIT hub. Anonymous users can clone the repository


=== Packaged sets of drivers ===
=== Using the ISO ===


Each of those "packaged" sets of drivers available is labelled with a numeric release, and differs by features &amp; bugs as it improves through the time.
You can [https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/virtio-win.iso download the latest stable] or you can [https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/latest-virtio/virtio-win.iso download the most recent] build of the ISO.
*Most recent set is virtio-win-0.1.103.iso (see also [[Windows_VirtIO_Drivers/Changelog|changelog]])
Normally the drivers are pretty stable, so one should try out the most recent release first.
*Previous versions could still be useful when, as it happens, some Windows VM shows instability or incompatibility with latest drivers set.
*a web repository https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Windows_Virtio_Drivers
*:here you can find both [https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/virtio-win.iso stable] and [https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/latest-virtio/virtio-win.iso latest] sets of drivers
*:*in source format (.zip)
*:*in compiled format (.iso)
*:*'''Those binary drivers are digitally signed by Red Hat (but NOT WHQL), and will work on 64-bit versions of Windows'''


In the iso there are several dirs, with subdir for each supported OS version (2k12, 2k12R2, 2k3, 2k8, 2k8R2, w7, w8, w8.1, xp):
You can access the ISO in a VM by mounting the ISO with a virtual CD-ROM/DVD drive on that VM.
*Balloon
*guest-agent
*NetKVM
*pvpanic
*qemupciserial
*qxl
*qxldod
*viorng
*vioscsi
*vioserial
*viostor


==== Choose the right driver (version <= 0.1-100) ====
==== Wizard Installation ====
[[File:Win10-virtio-driver-wizard.png|Wizard Installation|thumb|right]]
You can use an easy wizard to install all, or a selection, of VirtIO drivers.


{{Template:VirtIOFedoraISOFolderNames}}
# Open the Windows Explorer and navigate to the CD-ROM drive.
# Simply execute (double-click on) '''virtio-win-gt-x64'''
# Follow its instructions.
# (Optional) use the '''virtio-win-guest-tools''' wizard to install the [[Qemu-guest-agent|QEMU Guest Agent]] and the [[SPICE]] agent for an improved remote-viewer experience.
# Reboot VM


==See also==
==== Manual Installation ====
* [[Windows_VirtIO_Drivers/Changelog]]
 
# Open the Windows Explorer and navigate to the CD-ROM drive.
#: There you can see that the ISO consists of several directories, each having sub-directories for supported OS version (for example, 2k19, 2k12R2, w7, w8.1, w10, ...).
#* Balloon
#* guest-agent
#* NetKVM
#* qxl
#* vioscsi
#* ...
#: [[File:Win10-virtio-driver-manual.png|Manual Installation|thumb|right]]
# Navigate to the desired driver directories and respective Windows Version
# Right-click on the file with type "Setup Information"
# A context menu opens, select "Install" here.
# Repeat that process for all desired drivers
# Reboot VM.
 
=== Downloading the Wizard in the VM ===
 
You can also just [https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/latest-virtio/ download the most recent] virtio-win-gt-x64.msi or virtio-win-gt-x86.msi from inside the VM, if you have already network access.
 
Then just execute it and follow the installation process.
 
== Troubleshooting ==
 
Try an older version of the drivers first, if that does not help ask in one of our support channels:
https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Get_support
 
== Further Reading ==
 
https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/creating-windows-virtual-machines-using-virtio-drivers/index.html
 
http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/WindowsGuestDrivers
 
The source code of those drivers can be found here: https://github.com/virtio-win/kvm-guest-drivers-windows
 
http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/WindowsGuestDrivers/Download_Drivers
 
= See also =
* [[Paravirtualized Block Drivers for Windows]]
* [[Paravirtualized Block Drivers for Windows]]
* [[Paravirtualized Network Drivers for Windows]]
* [[Paravirtualized Network Drivers for Windows]]
* [[Dynamic Memory Management]]
* [[Dynamic Memory Management]]
[[Category: HOWTO]]
[[Category: Qemu/KVM]]

Latest revision as of 11:19, 28 August 2023

Introduction

VirtIO Drivers are paravirtualized drivers for kvm/Linux (see http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/Virtio). In short, they enable direct (paravirtualized) access to devices and peripherals for virtual machines using them, instead of slower, emulated, ones.
A quite extended explanation about VirtIO drivers can be found here http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-virtio.

At the moment these kind of devices are supported:

You can maximize performances by using VirtIO drivers. The availability and status of the VirtIO drivers depends on the guest OS and platform.

Windows OS Support

Windows does not have native support for VirtIO devices included. But, there is excellent external support through opensource drivers, which are available compiled and signed for Windows:

https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/archive-virtio/?C=M;O=D

Note that this repository provides not only the most recent, but also many older versions. Those older versions can still be useful when a Windows VM shows instability or incompatibility with a newer driver version.

The binary drivers are digitally signed by Red Hat, and will work on 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows

Installation

Using the ISO

You can download the latest stable or you can download the most recent build of the ISO. Normally the drivers are pretty stable, so one should try out the most recent release first.

You can access the ISO in a VM by mounting the ISO with a virtual CD-ROM/DVD drive on that VM.

Wizard Installation

Wizard Installation

You can use an easy wizard to install all, or a selection, of VirtIO drivers.

  1. Open the Windows Explorer and navigate to the CD-ROM drive.
  2. Simply execute (double-click on) virtio-win-gt-x64
  3. Follow its instructions.
  4. (Optional) use the virtio-win-guest-tools wizard to install the QEMU Guest Agent and the SPICE agent for an improved remote-viewer experience.
  5. Reboot VM

Manual Installation

  1. Open the Windows Explorer and navigate to the CD-ROM drive.
    There you can see that the ISO consists of several directories, each having sub-directories for supported OS version (for example, 2k19, 2k12R2, w7, w8.1, w10, ...).
    • Balloon
    • guest-agent
    • NetKVM
    • qxl
    • vioscsi
    • ...
    Manual Installation
  2. Navigate to the desired driver directories and respective Windows Version
  3. Right-click on the file with type "Setup Information"
  4. A context menu opens, select "Install" here.
  5. Repeat that process for all desired drivers
  6. Reboot VM.

Downloading the Wizard in the VM

You can also just download the most recent virtio-win-gt-x64.msi or virtio-win-gt-x86.msi from inside the VM, if you have already network access.

Then just execute it and follow the installation process.

Troubleshooting

Try an older version of the drivers first, if that does not help ask in one of our support channels: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Get_support

Further Reading

https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/creating-windows-virtual-machines-using-virtio-drivers/index.html

http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/WindowsGuestDrivers

The source code of those drivers can be found here: https://github.com/virtio-win/kvm-guest-drivers-windows

http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/WindowsGuestDrivers/Download_Drivers

See also

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