Install Windows 11 on ProxMox using a USB key

This is a possible method to install Windows11 onto ProxMox.  

It is using a bootable USB key from the Microsoft site, mounted onto the ProxMox server, and then the guest VM is built from that.

1. Download the Windows 11 ISO Download Windows 11 (search for "Windows 11 Media Creation Tool")
   
   
2. Create a bootable USB key using RUFUS.  This app is handy because it can tweak the Windows 11 settings for a more custom Windows install.
   
   
3. Download VirtIO Drivers ISO  VirtIO Drivers This link is from the Wikipedia page 
   
   
4. Upload the VirtIO iso to ProxMax repository.
   
   
5. In ProxMox, select Create VM to start creating a new virtual machine.
   
   
6. Assign a VM ID and Name, then click Next.
   
   
   
   
7. Select "Do Not use any media"  (we will be mounting a USB key, not an ISO)
8. Under GUEST OS, select "Microsoft Windows"
9. Set the TYPE to Microsoft Windows.  At time of writing the version was 11/2022/2025.
10. Select "Add Additional Drive for VIrtIO drivers"
11. Select the ISO image of the virtio iso that you uploaded
12. Click Next
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
13. Select: QEMU Agent checkbox
14. Set BIOS to OVMF (UEFI)
15. Select "ADD TPM" check box
16. Set TPM storage location
17. Set VERSION to v2.0
18. Select q35 for machine
19. Select "Add EFI DISK"
20. Set an EFI Storage location
21. Select NEXT
    
    
    
    In the Disks section: 
    
    
22. Set the disk size This example uses 100GB of storage. 
23. Set Cache to Write back 
24. Select Discard option (for reclaiming unused storage space on thin-provisioned storage).
    
    
    
    
25. Select "NEXT"
26. In this example shown below, 2 CPU sockets and 2 cores have been configured. 
    Everything else in this screen shot were default settings.
    
    
    
    
    
27. Assign ram.  In this example, 8 Gig has been assigned.
    
    
    
    
28. The networking was left at their default settings
    
    
    
    
29. Confirm everything is right and click "FINISH"
    
    
    
    
    
30. It may take a few seconds, but your guest will appear in the list
    
    
    
    
    
31.  Select the guest, then click on "hardware" and then ADD
    
32. Select USB DEVICE
    
    
33. Select "Use USB port" -> Passthrough a full port -> then select your device from the drop box
    
    In this example, the Kingston DataTraveler 3.0 key has the Windows 11 image burned on it with RUFUS.
    
    Once selected, click on "ADD"
    
    
    
    
34. You should see your device in the hardware list
35. Now you can power up your VM.
    Click on "CONSOLE" then "Start Now"
    
    
    
    
    
    
36. You'll may be prompted to press a key during the boot for windows to start the installation.
    
    
    
    
37. Go through the installation process of windows, 
    
    
    
    
38. Follow the Windows installer steps until you reach the setup window that (at time of writing) looks similar to the screenshot below.
    
    
39. Click Load driver 
    
    
    
    
    
40. Click BROWSE and go to the drive that has the ISO "virtio-win-0.1.285.iso" mounted.
    
    
    
41. Browse to \amd64\w11 and select OK
    
    
42. Select "Red Hat VirtIO SCSI pass-through controller" from the list
    
    
43. Select "INSTALL"
    
    
    
    
44. After installation completes successfully you will be brought back to this screen.
    
    
    
    
    
    
45. Select "LOAD DRIVER" again.
    
    
    
    
46. You may be prompted to accept license terms again. Select virtio-win-0.1.285
    
    
47. Browse to \NetKVM\w11\amd64 in the "cd drive" that is called virtio-win-0.1.285 and select OK.
48. Select the "Red Hat VirtIO Ethernet Adapter"
49. Click on INSTALL
    
    
    
    
50. You'll be taken to this screen again
    
    

    
    
    
51. Select "LOAD DRIVER" again
    
    
52. Accept the license terms if asked again (you may need to select "LOAD DRIVER" additionally)
    
    
53. Browse to \balloon\w11\amd64 in the in the "cd drive" that is called virtio-win-0.1.285 and install the "VirtIO Balloon Driver
    
    
    
    
54. You will once again be taken to this screen.
    
    
    
    
55. Select the partition you want to install Windows 11 on (generally DISK 1) and will be the drive with the largest size.
56. Select NEXT
    
    Windows will start to install
    

    
    
    
57. Once Windows is installed, go to "MY COMPUTER" and there should be your mounted ISO of "Virtio-win" drivers.  Run the installer called "Virtio-win-gt-x65"
    
    

    

    
    
58. install the QEMU Guest Agent from the VirtIO ISO (guest-agent\qemu-ga-x86_64.msi) to fix mouse pointer issues and enable advanced features.
    
    

    

    
    Complete the Windows 11 setup by configuring regional settings, user accounts, and privacy preferences.
    
    
59. Verify that all drivers are installed in Device Manager.
60. Once this is completed, shutdown the guest
61. Select "HARDWARE" and look for the virtio-win-0.1.285 iso and double click it.
62. Set the CD/DVD drive to "Do Not use any media" and then select "OK"
    
    
63. You should be able to start your guest and continue using it!
64. If you want to be able to VNC to the image without going through ProxMox, follow this link
    
    
65.