Installing Windows 8.1 64 on Qemu Fails - no disk can be found due to Virtio driver issues

Question

I'm unable to install Windows 8.1 x64 with the following steps on a qemu virtual machine:

qemu-img create -f qcow2 Windows8.img 20G

qemu-system-x86_64 -machine pc,accel=kvm:tcg -cpu host -m 2048 -smp 2 -drive file=Windows8.img,if=virtio -drive file=virtio-win-0.1-74.iso,media=cdrom -cdrom win81.iso -boot d 

Windows complains that it cannot find a driver (which is normal as far as I've read install guides). I point the installer to the virtio driver on the second ISO which it seems to recognize and tries to install it. The installation of the driver fails however with this message:

"No new device drivers were found. Make sure the installation media contains the correct drivers, and then click OK."

I'm using qemu 1.6.1 on Gentoo Linux (which is most likely irrelevant).

Solution 1

In my case, the ISO image was corrupted.

Solution 2

You need to download the Windows VirtIO Drivers from the Fedora project.

To use the drivers start the install with the Windows 8.1 disc. When you get to the partitioning screen change the disk to the driver disk ISO you just downloaded. This can be done with the QEMU monitor via Ctrl+Alt+2. Eject ide-cdrom (you can hit tab for completion). Change /path/to/drivers/disk.iso

Now switch back using Ctrl+Alt+1 and follow the Windows dialog for installing the drivers. Partition as you wish and use the same method as above to switch back to the Windows 8.1 disc.

Solution 3

You may try using

-cdrom virtio-win-0.1-74.iso -hda Windows8.img

instead of using virtio.

Comments

[Daniel B]

An alternate route would be to install to a "regular" drive and switch to VirtIO later. To do this, you'd add a dummy drive via VirtIO, install all necesary drivers and then switch the system drive. After that, the dummy drive can be removed.

[Daniel B]

Judging from the screenshot, that is exactly what he did. Except he used two virtual CD drives.

[vanthome]

@DanielB 100% correct.