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John  Ajera
John Ajera

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Creating a Windows 10 VM in Unraid

Introduction

Running a Windows 10 VM in Unraid provides a full Windows environment for development, gaming, or server applications. This guide walks you through the process of setting up a Windows 10 VM using Unraid’s virtualization tools.

Steps

1. Enable Virtualization in Unraid

  • Log in to Unraid Web UI (http://your-unraid-ip).
  • Navigate to Settings > VM Manager.
  • Set Enable VMs to Yes and click Apply.

2. Upload Windows 10 and VirtIO ISOs to Unraid

  • Go to Shares > Open the isos share.
  • Upload the Windows 10 ISO (Win10-XX.iso).
  • Download the latest VirtIO drivers ISO from Fedora’s official website and upload it to the isos share.

3. Create a New Windows 10 VM

  • Go to VMs > Click Add VM > Select Windows 10.
  • Configure VM settings:
    • Autostart: Enable to start the VM automatically on boot.
    • Name: Windows10-VM
    • CPU Cores: At least 2 cores.
    • Memory: At least 4GB (4096MB).
    • BIOS Type: OVMF for UEFI or SeaBIOS for legacy boot.
    • Install ISO: Select the uploaded Windows 10 ISO.
    • Primary vDisk Size: At least 40GB.
    • vDisk Bus: VirtIO for best performance.
    • Graphics Card: VNC unless using GPU passthrough.
    • CD-ROM Device (VirtIO Drivers): Select the VirtIO drivers ISO from the isos share.
  • Click Create.

4. Load VirtIO Drivers During Windows Installation

  • When prompted for a disk during Windows installation, select Load Driver, navigate to the VirtIO drivers ISO, and install the necessary drivers.
  • Storage Drivers: Go to viostor > w10 > amd64 and select the driver to allow Windows to detect the virtual disk.
  • Network Drivers: Go to NetKVM > w10 > amd64 and install the driver to enable network connectivity.
  • Balloon Drivers: Go to Balloon > w10 > amd64 and install to optimize memory management.

5. Complete Windows Installation and Enable RDP

  • Continue with the Windows installation process.
  • After installation is complete, ensure the VirtIO drivers ISO is still mounted.
  • Open File Explorer inside the VM and verify all drivers were properly installed.
  • Restart the VM to ensure all changes take effect.
  • Enable Remote Desktop access:

    • Open Settings > System > Remote Desktop.
    • Toggle Enable Remote Desktop to On.
    • Allow connections from devices running any version of Remote Desktop.
    • Note the VM’s IP address for remote access.
  • Continue with the Windows installation process.

  • After installation is complete, ensure the VirtIO drivers ISO is still mounted.

  • Open File Explorer inside the VM and verify all drivers were properly installed.

  • Restart the VM to ensure all changes take effect.

6. Manage the VM

  • Start/Stop: Use the VMs tab in Unraid.
  • Adjust CPU/RAM: Edit VM settings as needed.
  • Access via RDP:
  mstsc /v:vm-ip
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Troubleshooting

  • Windows doesn't detect the storage drive during installation: Ensure the VirtIO drivers ISO is mounted and manually load the storage driver.
  • Network issues inside the VM: Install the VirtIO network drivers from the VirtIO drivers ISO.
  • Performance issues: Enable VirtIO for disk and network, allocate sufficient RAM and CPU cores, and ensure ballooning is properly configured.
  • GPU passthrough problems: Check if the GPU supports passthrough and ensure it's not bound to Unraid.

Conclusion

You have successfully created a Windows 10 VM in Unraid for testing, development, or gaming. 🚀


Have questions? Drop a comment below!

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