Insane Speed on Modern Hardware: Users running Windows 10 .qcow2 images on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) via UTM report that the experience is "insanely fast" compared to traditional emulators.
Backing Files: You can create "linked clones" where a base Windows 10.qcow2 remains read-only while multiple VMs store their unique changes in smaller, separate overlay files. How to Create a Windows 10.qcow2 Image Windows 10.qcow2
Windows does not include native VirtIO drivers. During installation: Insane Speed on Modern Hardware : Users running Windows 10
If you have a Windows 10.qcow2 file, it implies that you have a pre-configured Windows 10 virtual machine image. This file can be used directly with QEMU or other compatible virtualization software to create a VM running Windows 10. During installation:
Windows 10
Creating a full guide on how to work with a Windows 10.qcow2 image involves several steps, including creating the image, installing Windows 10 onto it, and then using it in a virtual machine (VM). This guide assumes you are using a Linux system as your host and have QEMU installed. QEMU (Quick Emulator) is a generic and open-source machine emulator and virtualizer.
Attach driver ISO during Windows installation:
Then inside Windows: open Disk Management → extend partition.