Installing Windows 11 on Proxmox is eminently doable, but it’s not the “select ISO and click next” experience many users expect — you’ll need additional ISOs, a UEFI firmware, a virtual TPM, and the correct VirtIO drivers at the right step in the installer to get a clean, performant VM.
Proxmox VE is a powerful, Debian-based virtualization platform that leverages KVM/QEMU under the hood. That architecture gives you tremendous flexibility — native ZFS support, snapshots, clustered storage, nested virtualization, and the ability to pass hardware straight through to guests — but it also means guest installs sometimes require extra virtualization-aware drivers and firmware choices that a desktop hypervisor would hide.
For Windows 11 specifically, Microsoft enforces a few requirements that complicate VM creation compared with older Windows versions: UEFI boot (OVMF), TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot in many deployment scenarios. Proxmox provides the building blocks — OVMF firmware, virtual TPM (tpm2), and the ability to attach an EFI disk — but you must enable them when you create the VM. (gulowsen.com, molware.org)
Note: driver and firmware versions change frequently. If you encounter issues not covered above, update your virtio-win ISO and Proxmox to current stable releases, and consult the virtio/Red Hat and Proxmox documentation for the precise driver paths and commands that match your environment. (docs.fedoraproject.org, molware.org)
With a little patience, the right VirtIO ISO, and careful host configuration, Proxmox turns Windows 11 from “difficult to boot” into a capable, flexible guest — and if you accept the learning curve, you may find that your VM behaves well enough to be a daily driver, or at minimum a powerful lab for testing, gaming, or GPU-accelerated workloads.
Source: xda-developers.com I installed Windows on Proxmox, and it's a bit more involved than you might expect
Background
Proxmox VE is a powerful, Debian-based virtualization platform that leverages KVM/QEMU under the hood. That architecture gives you tremendous flexibility — native ZFS support, snapshots, clustered storage, nested virtualization, and the ability to pass hardware straight through to guests — but it also means guest installs sometimes require extra virtualization-aware drivers and firmware choices that a desktop hypervisor would hide.For Windows 11 specifically, Microsoft enforces a few requirements that complicate VM creation compared with older Windows versions: UEFI boot (OVMF), TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot in many deployment scenarios. Proxmox provides the building blocks — OVMF firmware, virtual TPM (tpm2), and the ability to attach an EFI disk — but you must enable them when you create the VM. (gulowsen.com, molware.org)
Why Windows 11 is different on Proxmox: the technical essentials
VirtIO drivers: not optional for SCSI/virtio disks and virtio networking
Windows install media do not include the paravirtualized VirtIO drivers that KVM delivers for storage and networking. If you present a VirtIO SCSI disk or a VirtIO network device to the Windows installer, the installer won’t see those devices unless you provide the VirtIO driver disk (virtio-win ISO) during setup. The recommended workflow is to attach the virtio-win ISO as a second CD-ROM when creating the VM and use the installer’s “Load driver / Browse” option to point at the SCSI driver package for Windows 11 (typically vioscsi/w11/amd64). (access.redhat.com)- Why this matters: Without the SCSI driver the Windows installer reports “We couldn’t find any drives,” even though Proxmox has attached a virtual disk. That behavior is common and well-documented across KVM-based environments. (docs.fedoraproject.org)
UEFI (OVMF), an EFI disk, and Secure Boot
Windows 11 expects UEFI firmware; on Proxmox you must choose OVMF (UEFI) instead of SeaBIOS, and add an EFI disk (Add EFI Disk checkbox) to your VM. Adding an EFI disk helps protect the VM boot path and stores firmware-related data such as pre-enrolled keys for Secure Boot if you use that. Setting the machine type to a modern q35/pc firmware combination improves guest compatibility as well. (gulowsen.com, netstack.org)TPM 2.0 (vTPM)
Windows 11 requires TPM support for many features (and for legal compliance with Microsoft’s requirements for Windows 11). Proxmox can present a virtual TPM device (tpm2) to a guest. When creating the VM, enable the TPM option and configure a TPM storage (local storage pool) for the TPM state file — Proxmox stores the vTPM state on your chosen storage. Note that sometimes guests need an EFI firmware reset (entering the VM’s UEFI setup and clearing keys) for Windows to recognize a newly-added vTPM. (molware.org, reddit.com)Pre-flight checklist — what to prepare before you click Create
- Host readiness:
- Confirm CPU virtualization flags (vmx for Intel, svm for AMD) and that KVM is available on the Proxmox node. (vinchin.com)
- Secure BIOS/UEFI settings: enable VT‑d / AMD IOMMU if you plan PCI passthrough later; enable “Above 4G decoding” for many dual‑GPU or modern GPU passthrough setups. (vinchin.com)
- Files to gather:
- Official Windows 11 ISO (choose the channel and version you need).
- The latest virtio-win ISO (virtio-win-*.iso) — contains vioscsi (SCSI), NetKVM (network), balloon, guest-agent and guest tools. Download the current virtio-win ISO before beginning; version numbers change and newer drivers fix compatibility issues. (docs.fedoraproject.org, docs.redhat.com)
- Proxmox VM settings to plan:
- BIOS: OVMF (UEFI).
- Check Add EFI Disk.
- Pre-enroll keys if you plan Secure Boot (optional).
- SCSI controller: virtio-scsi (recommended) or use IDE for a fallback if you want to avoid driver loading during install.
- Enable TPM and choose a storage pool for the tpmstate file.
- Add an additional CD drive and attach the virtio-win ISO to it. (gulowsen.com)
Step-by-step: Create the Windows 11 VM (concise how-to)
- Upload Windows 11 ISO and virtio-win ISO to your Proxmox storage.
- Create a new VM, choose “Microsoft Windows 11/2022” or the closest ostype.
- Under System:
- Set BIOS = OVMF (UEFI).
- Check Add EFI Disk and assign storage.
- Under TPM: enable TPM 2.0 (virtual) and pick storage for the TPM file.
- Under SCSI Controller: select VirtIO SCSI (or use IDE if you want a no-driver fallback).
- Add your main virtual disk (qcow2 or raw) and set cache/iothread preferences as you prefer.
- Attach the Windows 11 ISO as the primary CD, and attach the virtio-win ISO as a second CD (select the “Add additional drive for VirtIO drivers” checkbox in the VM creation wizard if present).
- Start the VM and open the console for installation. (gulowsen.com)
Installing Windows 11 — the critical moment (where most users get stuck)
When the Windows installer asks you to pick an installation disk you will often see no disks listed — this is normal if you presented a VirtIO disk without loading drivers. Use the installer’s “Load driver” option and browse to the virtio-win CD:- For SCSI (virtio-scsi): navigate to vioscsi/w11/amd64 and select the INF for the Red Hat SCSI passthrough driver. After it installs the SCSI controller will appear and your target disk will be visible to the installer. (access.redhat.com)
- For networking: the installer or initial OOBE experience may not detect the VirtIO NIC. NetKVM drivers live in the NetKVM/w11/amd64 folder of the virtio ISO; install them either during setup (using “Have disk”) or immediately after creating a local account. Without NetKVM the Windows guest often has no networking until those drivers are installed.
- Important: driver versions matter. If the installer rejects a driver, try a newer virtio ISO or an alternate source (Red Hat/virtio-win releases or a distro packaging such as Fedora/Rocky/RHEL provide virtio-win ISOs you can use). Some users have run into Secure Boot/driver signing issues if Secure Boot is enabled; disabling Secure Boot during driver injection can resolve that. (reddit.com, docs.fedoraproject.org)
Post-install: finish drivers, tools, and usability improvements
After the initial Windows install completes and the guest boots:- Install the rest of the VirtIO drivers and tools from the virtio-win CD:
- virtio-win-guest-tools (or virtio-win-guest-tools.exe) provides the guest agent, balloon driver, QXL/spice drivers (if using Spice), and other useful bits that improve responsiveness and integration (clipboard, time sync, graceful shutdown via guest agent). Installing guest tools often makes the noVNC/console experience snappier and restores expected display resolutions. (docs.fedoraproject.org, docs.redhat.com)
- Install the QEMU Guest Agent (qemu-ga) — this enables clean shutdowns, better migration behavior, and communication between host and guest. The agent is part of the virtio guest tools package. (docs.redhat.com)
- Tidy up drivers:
- Install NetKVM for networking.
- Install balloon driver if you intend to dynamically resize memory.
- If you use Spice, install QXL; otherwise, if you plan to passthrough a GPU, install GPU vendor drivers instead. (docs.fedoraproject.org)
Performance: CPU, RAM and GPU passthrough
CPU and memory sizing
Proxmox allows fine-grained vCPU and memory allocation. For a responsive Windows 11 VM used as a daily driver, allocate at least 4 vCPUs and 8–16 GiB RAM depending on workload. Use CPU pinning and isolate CPU cores for demanding setups to reduce host contention. Snapshots are useful but remember they can inflate storage usage quickly.GPU passthrough (VFIO) — the fastest path to native graphics
If you want near-native gaming or heavy GPU compute in a Windows VM, PCI passthrough (VFIO) — passing a whole GPU to the guest — is the recommended approach. The steps are non-trivial:- Enable IOMMU in BIOS (VT-d or AMD IOMMU) and enable Above 4G decoding if your board supports it. Add kernel boot parameters (intel_iommu=on or amd_iommu=on) to GRUB and rebuild the initramfs. (vinchin.com)
- Load VFIO kernel modules (vfio, vfio_pci, vfio_iommu_type1, vfio_virqfd) and bind your GPU’s vendor/device IDs to vfio-pci. Update initramfs and reboot. (wundertech.net, imoize.github.io)
- Beware IOMMU grouping issues: if your motherboard groups multiple devices into the same group you may not be able to safely passthrough just the GPU without also moving other devices (audio, USB controllers). Some guides suggest pcie_acs_override workarounds but they carry security and stability risks; prefer hardware with proper ACS grouping. (theregister.com, wundertech.net)
- If you pass through the host’s primary GPU (the one used to run Proxmox console), the host can become inaccessible unless you have out-of-band management. Plan accordingly. (vinchin.com)
Troubleshooting the trip hazards
- “Windows setup can’t find any drives.” — Usually missing the virtio SCSI driver; attach the virtio-win ISO and load vioscsi/w11/amd64 in the installer. (access.redhat.com)
- Networking missing — Install NetKVM from the virtio ISO (NetKVM/w11/amd64). If you’re behind OOBE and Windows insists on online account creation, either create a local account or preinstall drivers.
- TPM not recognized — Enter the guest UEFI and reset/clear the TPM keys (pre-enrolled keys issues can sometimes prevent detection) or reboot and ensure the VM was created with TPM v2.0 enabled. Some users report needing an EFI reset before Windows shows the TPM. (reddit.com, molware.org)
- Post‑virtio tools issues (freezes, input anomalies) — While virtio guest tools are hugely beneficial, there are reports of interaction problems with some GPU passthrough combinations and driver versions; if you see freezes after installing guest tools, try a different virtio version or install only the components you need first. Marked caution: hardware/driver interactions vary by GPU vendor and QEMU version. (reddit.com)
- GPU passthrough black screens — Often due to missing vendor-reset support (especially older AMD cards) or misconfigured efifb/nomodeset options. Check host logs and dmesg for IOMMU errors and verify the GPU was successfully bound to vfio-pci. (ernestech.com, imoize.github.io)
Security and licensing considerations
- Licensing: Running Windows in a VM still requires adherence to Microsoft licensing rules. If you’re using Windows for production or multiple guests, ensure you understand the licensing model (retail vs OEM vs volume/Datacenter) for your use case.
- TPM and BitLocker: Exposing a vTPM makes BitLocker and other TPM-based features work as expected, but be careful about where you store and back up the TPM state file (tpmstate0). Losing or corrupting that file can have consequences for disk encryption and recovery key availability. (molware.org)
- Snapshots vs backups: Snapshots are excellent for quick rollback, but they are not backups. For any important data or long‑running stateful services, keep off‑node backups and test restores regularly.
Recommended final checklist and quick commands
- Confirm CPU virtualization:
egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo(non-zero means hardware virtualization supported). (vinchin.com) - Enable IOMMU in host firmware and add kernel flag in /etc/default/grub:
- For Intel:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet intel_iommu=on iommu=pt" - For AMD:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet amd_iommu=on iommu=pt" - Then
update-grub/proxmox-boot-tool refresh. (ernestech.com, imoize.github.io) - Add VFIO modules to /etc/modules:
vfio vfio_iommu_type1 vfio_pci vfio_virqfd(if you plan passthrough). (wundertech.net) - Upload Windows ISO and virtio-win ISO to Proxmox storage and attach both during VM creation. (docs.fedoraproject.org)
- VM settings: BIOS = OVMF, Add EFI Disk, SCSI controller = virtio-scsi, Enable TPM. (gulowsen.com)
Strengths, practical value and the risks
- Strengths:
- Extremely flexible platform — Proxmox gives you powerful VM features (ZFS, snapshots, clustering) that let you build a production-like environment at home.
- True native performance — With proper VirtIO drivers and optional GPU passthrough, a Windows guest can feel close to bare metal. (docs.fedoraproject.org, vinchin.com)
- Risks and caveats:
- Complexity — Steps like driver injection during the Windows installer, UEFI/EFI setup, and VFIO passthrough require comfort with kernel boot lines, initramfs, and Proxmox’s configuration files. Mistakes can leave the host or VM unbootable. (ernestech.com)
- Hardware constraints — IOMMU grouping and vendor driver quirks (particularly with GPUs) can block passthrough on some motherboards; ACS override is a workaround, but not a perfect or risk-free one. (theregister.com)
- Driver/version sensitivity — Different virtio versions and QEMU/KVM versions produce different results. If something fails, try a newer virtio ISO or an alternate distribution’s packaging. (docs.fedoraproject.org, reddit.com)
Final verdict and practical recommendations
Installing Windows 11 on Proxmox is not a trivial checkbox exercise, but it rewards the effort with a highly capable, flexible VM that can serve as a daily driver or a high-performance lab instance when configured properly. For most users, the pragmatic path is:- Use the virtio-win ISO during install to load SCSI and NetKVM drivers so the Windows installer can see disks and networking. (access.redhat.com)
- Use OVMF (UEFI) and enable vTPM for a supported Windows 11 install. (gulowsen.com)
- Post-install, run virtio‑win‑guest‑tools (or install targeted drivers only) to add the guest agent, ballooning, and display drivers — but be ready to troubleshoot if you run GPU passthrough with particular hardware. (docs.redhat.com, reddit.com)
- If you need native GPU performance, plan for a thorough passthrough setup: enable IOMMU, bind the GPU to vfio-pci, and validate IOMMU groups before attempting to pass the host’s primary GPU. Expect to edit grub/initramfs and to debug vendor-specific reset issues. (vinchin.com, wundertech.net)
Note: driver and firmware versions change frequently. If you encounter issues not covered above, update your virtio-win ISO and Proxmox to current stable releases, and consult the virtio/Red Hat and Proxmox documentation for the precise driver paths and commands that match your environment. (docs.fedoraproject.org, molware.org)
With a little patience, the right VirtIO ISO, and careful host configuration, Proxmox turns Windows 11 from “difficult to boot” into a capable, flexible guest — and if you accept the learning curve, you may find that your VM behaves well enough to be a daily driver, or at minimum a powerful lab for testing, gaming, or GPU-accelerated workloads.
Source: xda-developers.com I installed Windows on Proxmox, and it's a bit more involved than you might expect
