Here is the proven method to switch from IDE to VirtIO (sometimes called "KVM switch"):
qemu-system-x86_64 \ -hda winxp.qcow2 \ -cdrom WinXP.iso \ -boot d \ -m 512 \ -cpu qemu32 \ -machine acpi=off \ -net nic,model=rtl8139 -net user \ -vga cirrus Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 3. Key Configuration Tips installing windows 98, windows xp, and starcraft in qemu
Qcow2 files can be compressed, saving significant disk space on the host machine. i--- Windows Xp Qcow2
From VirtualBox VDI:
This command creates a 20GB disk image that will initially only be a few megabytes in size on your host. 2. Start the Installation Here is the proven method to switch from
Attach the ISO to your VM and update the drivers for the and Storage (SCSI/IDE) controllers via the "Found New Hardware Wizard". Downloading Pre-Built Images
# VMDK to Qcow2 qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O qcow2 source-disk.vmdk imported-xp.qcow2 From VirtualBox VDI: This command creates a 20GB
qemu-system-i386 : Launches the 32-bit x86 QEMU emulator. While qemu-system-x86_64 works, the i386 engine closely matches XP's native architecture.
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#!/bin/bash qemu-system-i386 \ -enable-kvm \ -cpu host,kvm=off \ -smp 2 \ -m 1024 \ -vga std \ -rtc base=localtime \ -machine type=pc \ -drive file=win_xp_vm.qcow2,index=0,media=disk,format=qcow2,if=ide \ -drive file=/path/to/windows_xp_sp3.iso,index=1,media=cdrom \ -net nic,model=rtl8139 \ -net user \ -usb -device usb-tablet Use code with caution. Breakdown of Critical Flags for Windows XP: