Sharing my experiences, installing Windows 10 Enterprise on Qubes 4.0, maybe spiced up with the infamous QWT(Qubes Windows Tools 4.0.1.3) installation(Spoiler alert: NOT Working!).
Following this guide, I will try to describe the issues I’ve been encountering accompanied with screenshots. The big issue is getting the Qubes Windows tools to install properly. All my installations have failed, so even though Invisible Things Lab has worked on QWT tirelessly for years, corporate clients, understandably, is more important than a few backers and the community. The backers are apparently not contributing enough, although I might believe that backer numbers would go through the roof, if the tools would work, flawlessly on windows 10. If you want to contribute to Qubes OS, please donate either once or continuously here. And if you have the skills and tools to make QWT v.4.0.2.0, then please create an indiegogo(or similar) crowdfunding campaign. I’m sure it will be backed.
But, let’s go and take som challenges. The first one is that fedora doesn’t support exFAT (crazy as it sounds, and I wrote about this before here), and debian does. That means I have to use a debian appVM to share the ISO file to the new Windows 10 VM. unless, there is another way.
mounting usb with my debianWe begin with creating the VM and starting it with the ISO attachedHere is via the qubes manager, browsing to the usb iso, in the VM settings tab. Actually the “block device” option seems neat, too. Very neat, indeed.It takes quite a while to get this screen, depending on the circumstances of hardware and drivers. Be patient…Goes without sayingSelect here what your license key matches or continue with your favorite flavor if on a company network with a KMS setup.Don’t use pirated software. It’s highly likely to be infected with malware.Fresh install is #2Select the disc you have created at firstWait for the copy of windows install filesAlmost there…After reboot, the install continues.As a danish person, using a completely messed up laptop, keyboardwise, I need more than 1 keyboard layout)And the magic continuesand continuesChange the video and timeout settings, before booting again.If not using a cloud account(who would want that?, type in stuff, that does not exist, to get the other optionClick on “set up Windows with a local account”Type a passwordand confirm itAnnoying waste of time.answer annoying questionsdo it againagainand why can’t you select “none” ?I need to craete an unattended install.Enough with the annoyances, alreadysigh….Now, thing look promisingtadaaa, now we have a bare system with no updates and no QWT. Shut down and clone.Install updates and activate windows! I had to download some updates manually and choose troubleshoot updates, since errors occurred. I really admire Microsoft on the troubles of updating their systems. I bet, with the Microsoft “contribution” to open source, the problems will start emerging in the linux community over time, also.always adjust for performance on VM’s. Recommended settings are herepagefile adjustments per instructions.After installing all updates, reboot and clone the machine. Then we will be ready for Qubes Crash Tools for Windows.
Start the Windows appVM with the QWT for installation.Doubleclick on it…Accept the licenseAllow changEverything but the troublesome selections are to be installed. That is the default settinThe install also demands the install of .NET framework.The setup requires a restart, and after a restart everything works for a brief moment until next restart.
When the restart is performed, Qubes does a bunch of things, such as moving the user directory from C: to the newly created private drive of 2GB(E:). That fails horribly, btw:
