Inside Windows 7, open Device Manager (right-click Computer → Manage → Device Manager).
Using the command line (Linux/Windows with QEMU tools):
Because QCOW2 files dynamically expand, deleting files inside Windows 7 does not automatically shrink the file on your Linux host. To reclaim space:
Using images is the most efficient way to run this legacy OS on modern Linux-based virtualization platforms (KVM/Proxmox). 2. Preparing the Windows 7 QCOW2 Image Before firing up the VM, you need a virtual disk. Creating a New QCOW2 Disk You can create a new, blank QCOW2 image using qemu-img : qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows7.qcow2 50G Use code with caution. This creates a 50GB file named windows7.qcow2 . Converting an Existing ISO/VMDK windows 7qcow2
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Select the driver. Your 40 GB QCOW2 disk will now appear, allowing you to proceed with the standard installation. Post-Installation Optimization
You can launch the installation using virt-install or raw qemu-system-x86_64 commands. Inside Windows 7, open Device Manager (right-click Computer
Installing Windows 7 from an ISO onto a QEMU-managed disk. During this process, users must often load VirtIO drivers so the installer can "see" the virtualized hardware. Image Conversion:
Installing Windows 7 on KVM requires specialized drivers (VirtIO) to achieve acceptable performance. Using VirtIO Drivers
Ideally with KVM and QEMU installed (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, RHEL). Windows 7 ISO: An installation ISO file (32-bit or 64-bit). This creates a 50GB file named windows7
The file only grows as data is written, saving massive amounts of physical host storage.
This guide covers everything you need to build, optimize, and deploy a Windows 7 QCOW2 virtual machine. Why Use QCOW2 for Windows 7 Virtual Machines?