inside the Windows XP guest using a utility like SDelete: sdelete -z c: Use code with caution. Shut down the virtual machine completely. Convert and compress the image on your host terminal:
qemu-img convert -c -O qcow2 input.qcow2 output_compressed.qcow2 4. Use Cases and Platforms Legacy Software Support:
Raw QCOW2 is fast, but you can make it fly. windows xp qcow2
You can create a "master" Windows XP QCOW2 image and spawn multiple linked clones from it instantly without duplicating the base file size. Step 1: Creating the Optimal QCOW2 Virtual Disk
Before building your image, gather the following essential components: inside the Windows XP guest using a utility
qemu-system-i386 -m 512 -hda winxp.qcow2 -cdrom winxp_setup.iso -boot d -cpu pentium3 -net nic,model=rtl8139 -net user Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard : Allocates 512MB of RAM (plenty for XP).
qemu-system-i386 -m 1024 -cpu pentium3 \ -drive file=windows_xp.qcow2,media=disk,bus=0,unit=0,vfa=ide \ -cdrom win_xp_sp3.iso \ -boot d -net nic,model=rtl8139 -net user Use code with caution. Essential Parameters Explained: Use Cases and Platforms Legacy Software Support: Raw
You can save the exact state of your Windows XP environment before installing experimental drivers or old software, allowing instant rollbacks.
Inside the Windows XP guest, run a tool like SDelete to zero out empty space: sdelete -z c: Use code with caution. Shut down the VM and convert/compress the file on the host:
qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows-xp.qcow2 20G
Do you need assistance setting up a ?