Installing Guest Tools - Windows
Installing guest tools (like QEMU Guest Agent) on a Windows Server depends on the virtualization platform you're using. Here’s how to install guest tools on a KVM-based virtual machine, which uses QEMU/KVM
Evans
Last Update vor 2 Monaten
Please note that you may have to restart the server, so we suggest you perform the install when a restart is possible.
Purpose: Communication between the VM and host (used for shutdown, freeze filesystems, retrieve IPs, etc.)
Requirements:
Windows Server (2016, 2019, 2022)
Administrator access
Download the QEMU Guest Agent Installer
Go to the official VirtIO drivers page:
https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/latest-virtio/Download this file:
📦 qemu-ga-x64.msi (for 64-bit Windows)
or
📦 qemu-ga-x86.msi (for 32-bit Windows — rare on servers)
Run the Installer
Double-click the .msi file.
If prompted by Windows Defender SmartScreen, click "More info" > "Run anyway."
Proceed through the setup wizard and complete the installation.
Start the QEMU Guest Agent Service
Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
Find QEMU Guest Agent in the list.
Right-click and choose Start.
(Optional) Set the Startup Type to Automatic so it runs after every reboot.
The QEMU Guest Agent enables:
Better shutdown and reboot management from the host.
Accurate IP detection and host-to-guest communication.
Better integration with the control panel (especially for backups or snapshots).
Purpose: Improve disk (VirtIO SCSI), network (VirtIO NIC), memory ballooning, and paravirtualized devices performance.
🔧 What's included:VirtIO SCSI Driver – for fast disk access
VirtIO NIC Driver – for network performance
Balloon Driver – for dynamic memory management
RNG Driver – for entropy/random number generation
vioserial Driver – for communication with the QEMU guest agent
Requirements
- Windows Server 2012 R2 and later, 2016, 2019 and2022
- Administrator access
Download the ISO from:
https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/latest-virtio/virtio-win.isoMount the ISO inside your Windows server.
Use Device Manager:
Right-click unknown or VirtIO devices.
Choose Update driver > Browse my computer > point to the mounted ISO.
Some drivers may already be installed depending on how the image was provisioned.
| Tool/Driver | Needed? | Purpose |
| QEMU Guest Agent | ✅ Essential | VM-host communication |
| VirtIO Drivers | ✅ Highly recommended | Performance (disk, NIC, etc.) |