PROXMOX 9.

1-1 INSTALLATION
To install Proxmox VE, you will need a USB flash drive (at least 8GB), a
computer to install it on, and a separate computer to manage it from.

Phase 1: Create the Bootable Installer

1. Download Proxmox: Go to the official Proxmox Downloads page
and download the Proxmox VE ISO Installer (latest version).

2. Flash to USB:

o Download a flashing tool like Rufus (Windows) or

BalenaEtcher (Mac/Linux).

o Plug in your USB drive.

o Open the tool, select the Proxmox ISO you downloaded, and
select your USB drive as the target.

o Click Start/Flash. (Warning: This wipes all data on the USB).

Phase 2: BIOS/UEFI Configuration

1. Plug the USB into the computer you want to turn into a server.

2. Boot the computer and immediately press the Boot Menu key
(usually F11, F12, Del, or Esc).

3. Enable Virtualization: Inside the BIOS settings, find "Intel VT-x" or

"AMD-V" and ensure it is Enabled.

4. Boot Order: Set the USB drive as the primary boot device.

5. Save and Exit.

Phase 3: The Installation Wizard

Once the installer boots, you will see a menu. Select "Install Proxmox
VE (Graphical)".

1. EULA: Click "I agree" to the license agreement.

2. Target Hard Disk: Select the drive where you want Proxmox
installed. (Click "Options" only if you need advanced ZFS/RAID
setups; otherwise, default is fine).

3. Country & Time Zone: Type your country, time zone, and
keyboard layout.
 4. Password: Set a strong root password and enter your email
address. Remember this password.

5. Network Configuration:

o Hostname: Give it a name (e.g., [Link]).

o IP Address: Assign a static IP (e.g., [Link]). Ensure

this is outside your router's DHCP range to avoid conflicts.

o Gateway/DNS: Usually your router's IP (e.g., [Link]).

6. Summary: Review settings and click Install.

The system will install and then reboot. Remove the USB drive when
the screen goes black so it doesn't boot into the installer again.

Phase 4: First Login (Web Interface)

After rebooting, you will see a black screen with white text on the server.
Look for the line:

Connect to: [Link]

1. Go to your separate computer.

2. Open a web browser (Chrome/Firefox).

3. Type the URL exactly as shown (include https:// and :8006).

4. Security Warning: You will see a "Your connection is not private"

warning. This is normal (self-signed certificate). Click Advanced ->
Proceed (unsafe).

5. Login:

o User: root

o Password: The one you set in step 3.4.

o Realm: Linux PAM.

Phase 5: Post-Install Setup (Essential)

You will likely get a "No Valid Subscription" popup. Ignore it (it's for the
enterprise paid version). To update your system for free:

1. In the left menu, click your node (server name).

2. Go to Updates -> Repositories.

3. Select the pve-enterprise component and click Disable.

4. Click Add -> select No-Subscription -> click Add.

 5. Go to Updates -> Refresh -> Upgrade to patch your system.

... How to Download & Create Proxmox VE 9 Bootable USB ...

Creating a Virtual Machine (VM)

Phase 1: Upload the ISO Image
Before creating the VM, you need the installation file (e.g., Windows 10
ISO, Ubuntu ISO) on the Proxmox server.

1. Log in to the Proxmox web interface.

2. In the left sidebar, click on local (pve). (Note: It must be the

storage named local, not local-lvm).

3. Select ISO Images from the middle menu.

4. Click Upload -> Select File -> choose the .iso file from your
computer -> Upload.

o Tip: You can also use "Download from URL" if you have a
direct link to the Linux distro.

Phase 2: Create the VM

1. Click the blue Create VM button in the top-right corner.

2. General Tab:

o Node: Select your server (usually default).

o VM ID: Auto-generated (e.g., 100).

o Name: Give it a name (e.g., Windows11-VM or Ubuntu-

Server).

o Click Next.

3. OS Tab:

o Use CD/DVD disc image file: Select the ISO you uploaded in
Phase 1.

o Guest OS:

 For Linux: Type = Linux, Version = 6.x - 2.6 Kernel.

 For Windows: Type = Microsoft Windows.

o Click Next.

4. System Tab:
 o Graphics Card: Default is usually fine.

o Machine: Default (i440fx) is stable. Use q35 if you are doing

PCIe passthrough (like passing a GPU to the VM).

o BIOS:

 Use SeaBIOS for standard/legacy setups (easier for

beginners).

 Use OVMF (UEFI) for modern Windows 11 or if you

need Secure Boot.

o Click Next.

5. Disks Tab:

o Bus/Device: SCSI or VirtIO Block is best for performance.

o Storage: Select local-lvm (this is the storage block for VM

disks).

o Disk size (GiB): Set your drive size (e.g., 32 GiB).

o SSD Emulation: Check this if your physical server uses an

SSD (improves performance).

o Click Next.

6. CPU Tab:

o Sockets: usually 1.

o Cores: How many threads you want to give it (e.g., 2 or 4).

o Type:

 Select "Host" for maximum performance (passes your

actual CPU features to the VM).

 Select "kvm64" if you plan to migrate this VM between

different servers with different CPUs.

o Click Next.

7. Memory Tab:

o Memory (MiB): 2048 (2GB), 4096 (4GB), etc.

o Optional: Check "Ballooning Device" to allow Proxmox to

reclaim unused RAM dynamically.

8. Network Tab:
 o Bridge: vmbr0 (your default connection).

o Model:

 VirtIO (paravirtualized): Best performance (Linux has

drivers built-in; Windows requires drivers).

 Intel E1000: Slower, but highest compatibility (use this

if Windows installer can't find the network adapter).

9. Confirm:

o Review settings.

o Click Finish.

Phase 3: Start the VM

1. Your new VM will appear in the left sidebar (e.g., 100 (Windows11-
VM)).

2. Click on the VM name.

3. Click Console (so you can see the screen).

4. Click Start Now.

5. The VM will boot into the ISO installer. Follow the standard OS
installation process as if it were a physical computer.

Important Note for Windows VMs:

If you chose "VirtIO" for disk or network, Windows installer will not see the
hard drive. You must either mount the VirtIO Driver ISO in a second CD-
ROM drive during install, or stick to IDE/SATA and E1000 network for the
initial setup.

... Learn Proxmox VE: Create Your First Virtual Machine ...
Installing Windows 10
Windows does not include the necessary drivers for Proxmox's high-
performance hardware (VirtIO) by default.

You need two ISO files to succeed: the Windows Installer and the VirtIO
Driver ISO.

Phase 1: Preparation
1. Download Windows ISO: Download the Windows 10 or 11 ISO
from Microsoft.3

2. Download VirtIO Drivers: Download the latest stable [Link]

from the Proxmox repository.

3. Upload Both: In Proxmox, go to local (pve) -> ISO Images ->

Upload and upload both files.

Phase 2: Create the VM (Critical Settings)

Click Create VM and use these specific settings for performance:

 General: Name your VM (e.g., Windows11).4

 OS:

o Select your Windows ISO.5

o Type: Microsoft Windows.6

o Version: 11/2022 (or 10/2019).7

 System:

o Machine: q35 (Recommended for modern Windows).8

o BIOS: OVMF (UEFI) (Required for Windows 11).9

o Add EFI Disk: Checked.10

o TPM Storage: Select local-lvm (Required for Windows 11).11

o Qemu Agent: Checked (Enables shutdown from Proxmox).12

 Disks:

o Bus: SCSI (Best performance).13

o Storage: local-lvm.14

o Cache: Write back (Faster, but less safe if power cuts) or

Default.
 o Discard: Checked (Preserves SSD health).

 CPU:

o Cores: 4 (or as desired).

o Type: Host (CRITICAL for speed).

 Memory: 4096 MiB (4GB) or more.

 Network:

o Model: VirtIO (paravirtualized) (Fastest, but requires drivers

during install).

 Confirm: Click Finish.

Phase 3: Add the Driver ISO

Before starting the VM, you must mount the second ISO. 15

1. Click on your new VM -> Hardware.

2. Click Add -> CD/DVD Drive.

3. Select the VirtIO ISO ([Link]).16

4. Click Add.

o You now have two CD drives: Drive 1 has Windows, Drive 2

has Drivers.

Phase 4: Installation (The "Missing Drive" Fix)

1. Start the VM and open the Console.17

2. Press any key to boot from CD if prompted.

3. Proceed until you reach the screen: "Where do you want to

install Windows?"

o It will be empty! Windows cannot see the SCSI drive yet.

4. Load Storage Driver:

o Click Load Driver -> Browse.

o Navigate to: CD Drive (VirtIO) -> vioscsi -> w11 (or w10) ->
amd64.

o Click OK -> Select "Red Hat VirtIO SCSI pass-through

controller" -> Next.

o Your drive should now appear.

 5. Load Network Driver (Optional but recommended now):

o Click Load Driver again.18

o Navigate to: CD Drive (VirtIO) -> NetKVM -> w11 -> amd64.

o Install that driver.19

6. Select your empty drive and click Next to install Windows normally.

Phase 5: Post-Install (Guest Tools)

Once Windows boots, you might have low resolution and missing devices.

1. Open File Explorer inside the VM.20

2. Open the VirtIO CD Drive (usually E: or F:).

3. Run [Link].21

4. Follow the wizard to install all remaining drivers (Graphics,

Ballooning, etc.).

5. Reboot the VM.

Your Windows VM is now fully optimized with paravirtualized drivers.

... Create Windows 11 VM on Proxmox (Step-by-Step Tutorial) ...

This video is relevant because it walks through the specific steps of adding
the VirtIO driver ISO and loading the drivers during the Windows
installation process, which is the most common stumbling block for new
users.
Installing Windows 7
Phase 1: Download Required ISOs
You need two ISO files.

1. Windows 7 ISO: Your own installation media.

2. VirtIO Driver ISO (Legacy):

o Crucial: The latest VirtIO drivers do not support Windows

7. You must use an older version (specifically 0.1.173-9 or
older).

o Download link: [Link]

o Upload both ISOs to your Proxmox storage (local -> ISO

Images).

Phase 2: Create the VM

Use these specific settings to ensure compatibility and performance.

 General: Name it Windows7.

 OS:

o ISO Image: Select your Windows 7 ISO.

o Type: Microsoft Windows.

o Version: 7/2008r2.

 System:

o Graphic Card: Standard VGA (Safest) or SPICE (Better, but

requires drivers later).

o Machine: i440fx (Do not use q35, it can cause issues with
Win7).

o BIOS: SeaBIOS (Legacy BIOS).

o Qemu Agent: Uncheck this for now (install later).

 Disks:

o Bus: VirtIO Block (Fastest, requires driver during install) or IDE

(Slower, but works out of the box).

o Recommendation: Use VirtIO Block for speed, but follow

Phase 3 carefully.
 o Cache: Write back.

 CPU:

o Type: Host (Best performance).

o Cores: 2 or more.

 Memory: 4096 MiB (4GB).

 Network:

o Model: Intel E1000 (Windows 7 has this driver built-in. Use

this to avoid headaches during install).

o Note: You can switch to VirtIO Network later if you need

10Gbps speeds.

Phase 3: Add Driver ISO & Install

1. Add Second CD Drive: Before starting, go to Hardware -> Add -
> CD/DVD Drive. Select the [Link].

2. Start VM: Open the Console.

3. Load Storage Driver:

o When you reach "Where do you want to install Windows?", the

list will be empty (if you chose VirtIO Block).

o Click Load Driver -> Browse.

o Navigate to: CD Drive (VirtIO) -> viostor -> w7 -> amd64 (for
64-bit) or x86 (for 32-bit).

o Click Next. The drive should appear.

4. Install: Select the drive and finish the Windows installation.

Phase 4: Fix Mouse & Network

After booting to the desktop, you will likely have two issues: no network (if
you chose VirtIO net) and a lagging/offset mouse cursor.

Fix 1: The Mouse Cursor (USB Tablet Issue)

Windows 7 does not automatically recognize the absolute pointing device

(tablet) Proxmox uses.

 Option A (Quick Fix): Shutdown VM. Go to Options -> Use

tablet for pointer -> set to No. Start VM. (Mouse will work but
might be captured inside the window; press Ctrl+Alt to release).
  Option B (Better Fix): Keep tablet enabled. Install the QEMU
Guest Agent from the VirtIO ISO (guest-agent folder -> qemu-ga-
[Link]).

Fix 2: Drivers

1. Open Device Manager.

2. Look for "Yellow Bang" (!) devices (like Ethernet Controller or PCI
Device).

3. Right-click -> Update Driver Software.

4. Browse my computer -> Select the VirtIO CD drive (e.g., E:\).

5. Check "Include subfolders" and click Next. Windows 7 will

automatically find the NetKVM (Network) and Balloon (Memory)
drivers.