Boot Windows on a disk connected with a VirtIO controller

Install the operating system on a disk connected with a different controller than VirtIO (e.g IDE), then follow these steps:

1. Create a temporary disk and set its bus to VirtIO

   Click on the Configure button located at the top right corner. Click on Add Disk and set its bus type to VirtIO. In the size, field set a small value (e.g. 1MB) since it is used for driver installation only.
   Note: if you wish to use the disk in the future, set its size to the desired one.

   

2. Attach the VirtIO Windows Disk Drivers ISO image

   Click on the plus button to mount an ISO image and select the Virtio Windows Drivers (KVM Drivers) folder. The system will select the CDROM image file containing all the VirtIO disk and network drivers.

   

3. Power on the machine

   After all the desired configurations are made, click on the Power on button and connect to the virtual machine by clicking on the preview on the screen or with your favorite VNC client.

4. Install the driver

   The following example is based on Windows 7. 

   The system will prompt about the new hardware. To open the installation wizard click on the Start button, type in Device Manager and hit enter. The devices with no drivers installed found by the system will be located in the Other devices category. Right-click on the SCSI controller and select Update driver software.

   The next steps will guide you through the installation:

   • Select Browse my computer for driver software when the wizard asks you how to search for the driver software

5. 
   

   • Click on browse. From the CDROM, select the appropriate folder for your windows version and click ok. The wizard will try to find the drivers in that location. For Windows 7 the drivers are located in the WIN7 folder. Click next

6. 

   • The wizard will inform that it found the Red Hat Virtio SCSI controller drivers. Click on Install. The system will continue with the installation and will prompt you when it’s finished

     Once the driver is installed, the system will automatically detect other new hardware and install its respective driver.

7. Note: in case the wizard failed to find the driver you can point to it manually:

   • Select the Let me pick from a list of device drivers when asked to browse for the driver software on the computer

     

   • Leave the selection Show all devices when asked to select device’s type and hist next
   • Click on Have disk and browse the CDROM for the appropriate folder for your guest operating system architecture. In set folder select the VIOSTOR file
   • Select the Red Hat Virtio SCSI controller and hit next. Confirm to install the driver. The installation process will proceed and you will be prompted when it is done
8. Shut down and power off the machine
9. Change the bus type on the boot disk to VirtIO

   Click on the Configure button. Change the bus type to VirtIO on the system disk and Save configuration.

10. Delete the temporary disk

    Now that the driver is installed in the system we can delete the temporary disk. In the configuration, form click on the Delete button that will be highlighted on the right once you hover the mouse over the disk.

    In case you want to keep using this disk, ignore this step.

11. Power on the machine

    The system will find the hardware and install the drivers automatically.

    For Windows XP the system will find the device and will prompt once again to install the driver.

Install the driver on a non-boot disk connected with a VirtIO controller

Click on the Configure button located at the top right corner. Click on Add Disk and set its bus type to Virtio. Set the desired disk size.

The following actions: Attach the VirtIO Windows Disk Drivers ISO image, Power on the machine and Install the driver are identical to the steps presented above: 2’nd, 3’rd, and 4’th, respectively. Below you'll find a summary of the actions to take in order to install the VirtIO disk driver.

Mount the ISO image located in the Virtio Windows Drivers (KVM Drivers) folder and power on the machine. The guest operating system will prompt that a new hardware was identified and will open the installation wizard. Browse the CDROM for the appropriate folder for your architecture and hit next. Click on Install when the system finds the driver for the Red Hat Virtio SCSI controller. The wizard will proceed with the installation and will notify when completed.