Living guide · v1.2.9
A physical-to-virtual migration workflow with explicit stop checks, rollback points, VHDX verification, and an optional EliteDesk 800 G3 / Intel HD 530 physical-console path.
Before you start
IMPORTANT: Use two different external devices. The migration drive keeps this guide, saved state, and the VHDX. The Proxmox installer USB is separate and will be erased.
WORKFLOW: Do everything in Windows on the source PC. Use the second PC only after Proxmox is installed.
RECOMMENDED STORAGE: Install Proxmox on a second internal SSD/NVMe and leave the original Windows drive intact. This gives you a firmware-level fallback/dual-boot path and avoids erasing the original Windows installation.
SAVE STATE: After every step, click Export saved state. Save it to the migration drive. After STEP 017, save it on the second PC.
Enter values as you discover them. Matching placeholders in commands and checks update automatically in this browser.
Local only: workspace values, step progress, and scratchpad notes are stored in this browser's local cache. Import and Export read or write a JSON file entirely on your device. Nothing is uploaded to JMGRIT.
Export creates a portable .json backup containing only this guide's local values, completed steps, and scratchpad notes.
Required hardware
Architecture
BEFORE
Source Windows 11 PC
├── guide + saved state → migration drive
└── VHDX → migration drive
SEPARATE DEVICE
Proxmox installer USB → erased and used only for installation
AFTER — RECOMMENDED TWO-DISK LAYOUT
Original Windows SSD/NVMe ── left intact for firmware boot-menu fallback
Second SSD/NVMe ──────────── Proxmox VE 9.2
Second PC ──HTTPS───────────> Proxmox VE 9.2
└── Windows 11 VM
├── OVMF / UEFI
├── TPM 2.0
├── VirtIO SCSI
├── VirtIO NIC
└── QEMU Guest Agent
LAN: {{NETWORK_CIDR}}
Gateway: {{DEFAULT_GATEWAY}}
DHCP pool: {{DHCP_START}} - {{DHCP_END}}
Proxmox: {{PROXMOX_IP_CIDR}}
Windows VM: {{WINDOWS_VM_IP}}
Proxmox and Windows must use different IP addresses.
Original Windows disk
→ left intact on the recommended two-disk path
Windows volume
→ Disk2vhd
→ migration-drive VHDX
→ SHA-256 verified again on Proxmox
→ qm importdisk
→ secondary Proxmox disk / local-lvm
→ VirtIO SCSI boot
Keep the VHDX until a tested Proxmox backup exists. On the recommended two-disk path, also keep the original Windows disk untouched until the VM and backup have both been tested.
DO: On the source PC:
p2v-windows-11\docs\index.html.STOP CHECK: The guide is open from the migration drive.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: If you already have a local administrator with a known password, use it and skip the commands below.
Otherwise open Terminal (Admin) and run:
net user P2VAdmin * /add
net localgroup Administrators P2VAdmin /add
Sign out once. Confirm P2VAdmin can sign in. Then return to your normal account.
STOP CHECK: A local administrator with a known password works.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: Open PowerShell and run:
$o = ipconfig /all | Out-String
$o
$o | Set-Clipboard
STOP CHECK: The source hostname, IPv4 address, gateway, and subnet are detected.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO:
STOP CHECK: Windows is updated and important files are backed up.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO:
$o = Get-ComputerInfo | Select WindowsProductName,WindowsVersion,OsBuildNumber,OsArchitecture,BiosFirmwareType,CsManufacturer,CsModel | Format-List | Out-String
$d = Get-Partition -DriveLetter C | Get-Disk | Select Number,FriendlyName,PartitionStyle | Format-List | Out-String
$o = $o + "`r`n" + $d
$o
$o | Set-Clipboard
STOP CHECK: Windows 11 Pro is activated, UEFI is detected, and the Windows system disk uses GPT. If you rely on a digital license, it is linked to your Microsoft account or you have another known reactivation method.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: Run:
manage-bde -status C:
If C: is encrypted, run Terminal (Admin):
manage-bde -off C:
Wait until C: shows Fully Decrypted / 0%.
STOP CHECK: C: is fully decrypted.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO:
powercfg /h off
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
STOP CHECK: Cleanup is complete and hibernation is off.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: Run:
$p = Get-Partition -DriveLetter C
$s = Get-PartitionSupportedSize -DriveLetter C
$v = Get-Volume C
$o = @(
"CurrentPartitionGB=$([math]::Round($p.Size / 1GB,1))"
"MinimumSupportedGB=$([math]::Ceiling($s.SizeMin / 1GB))"
"UsedGB=$([math]::Round(($v.Size-$v.SizeRemaining) / 1GB,1))"
"FreeGB=$([math]::Round($v.SizeRemaining / 1GB,1))"
) -join "`n"
$o
$o | Set-Clipboard
Open diskmgmt.msc → right-click C: → Shrink Volume → enter {{WINDOWS_SHRINK_AMOUNT_MB}} MB.
Do not change EFI or Recovery partitions.
STOP CHECK: C: is smaller and Windows still has comfortable free space.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: Mount the VirtIO Windows ISO. Enter its drive letter.
Run:
{{VIRTIO_ISO_DRIVE}}\virtio-win-guest-tools.exe
Then run Terminal (Admin):
pnputil /add-driver {{VIRTIO_ISO_DRIVE}}\vioscsi\w11\amd64\*.inf /subdirs
pnputil /add-driver {{VIRTIO_ISO_DRIVE}}\NetKVM\w11\amd64\*.inf /subdirs
STOP CHECK: VirtIO guest tools, storage driver, and network driver are installed/staged.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: Reboot. Sign in normally. Open Device Manager and check for unexpected errors.
STOP CHECK: Windows boots normally.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: Open your router's DHCP settings. Enter the DHCP range and choose a free Proxmox address outside it.
STOP CHECK: {{PROXMOX_IP}} is free, inside {{NETWORK_CIDR}}, and outside the DHCP range.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: Keep the migration drive plugged into the source PC. Enter its drive letter.
The VHDX name is the source hostname in uppercase:
{{VHDX_WINDOWS_PATH}}
STOP CHECK: The path is the migration-drive root, for example E:\SOURCE-PC.vhdx.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: Open Disk2vhd as Administrator.
{{VHDX_WINDOWS_PATH}}.If Volume Shadow Copy makes Disk2vhd crash, turn it off, close other apps, and run the capture again.
STOP CHECK: {{VHDX_WINDOWS_PATH}} exists and has a plausible size.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: Run:
$o = Get-FileHash '{{VHDX_WINDOWS_PATH}}' -Algorithm SHA256 | Format-List Algorithm,Hash,Path | Out-String
$o
$o | Set-Clipboard
STOP CHECK: The VHDX path and SHA-256 are saved.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO: On the source PC:
STOP CHECK: The installer USB and migration drive are different devices.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state to the migration drive.
DO:
STOP CHECK: The Proxmox installer starts, the migration drive is unplugged, and you know exactly which internal disk will receive Proxmox.
SAVE STATE: Already exported before reboot.
DO: Install Proxmox VE 9.2 to the selected target disk.
Recommended two-disk path: select the new secondary SSD/NVMe. Do not select or format the original Windows disk.
Single-disk fallback: selecting the original Windows disk will erase the physical Windows installation.
Use:
Hostname: {{PROXMOX_HOSTNAME}}
Address: {{PROXMOX_IP_CIDR}}
Gateway: {{DEFAULT_GATEWAY}}
DNS: {{PRIMARY_DNS}}
WARNING: The disk selected in the Proxmox installer will be erased.
After installation:
STOP CHECK: The console shows https://{{PROXMOX_IP}}:8006/. On the recommended two-disk path, the original Windows drive is still intact and Proxmox boots from the secondary SSD/NVMe.
SAVE STATE: Complete this after reopening the guide in STEP 017.
DO: Now use the second PC for the first time.
docs\index.html from that local copy.https://{{PROXMOX_IP}}:8006/ and sign in as root.STOP CHECK: The guide and Proxmox web UI are open on the second PC.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: In Node → Shell, run:
pveversion
ip -4 addr show vmbr0
pvesm status
In Datacenter → Storage, confirm local-lvm exists and has enough free space for the imported Windows disk. Do not delete or resize the default Proxmox storage for this migration.
STOP CHECK: Proxmox is 9.2.x, vmbr0 has {{PROXMOX_IP_CIDR}}, local-lvm is active, and it has enough free space for the Windows VM.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: Confirm your rollback path before importing Windows.
If you used the recommended second SSD/NVMe, run:
lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,MODEL,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINTS
Identify:
Leave the original Windows disk alone. It is your physical fallback and can be selected from the PC's firmware boot menu if you need to return to the original installation.
If you used the single-disk path, the physical Windows installation has already been erased; your rollback path is the migration-drive VHDX plus your separate file backup.
STOP CHECK: You can clearly identify your Proxmox disk and your rollback path. On the recommended two-disk path, the original Windows disk has not been modified.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO:
lsblk -f
Enter the migration-drive partition, for example sdb1.
Mount it and find the VHDX:
mkdir -p /mnt/p2v
mount /dev/{{PVE_EXTERNAL_PARTITION}} /mnt/p2v
find /mnt/p2v -maxdepth 2 -type f -iname '*.vhdx'
Before importing the disk, verify the copy that Proxmox can actually read:
sha256sum '{{PVE_VHDX_PATH}}'
Compare that value with the SHA-256 saved in STEP 013:
{{VHDX_SHA256}}
HARD STOP: If the hashes do not match exactly, do not import the VHDX. Recheck the selected file and migration drive first.
STOP CHECK: {{PVE_VHDX_PATH}} points to the expected VHDX and its SHA-256 matches {{VHDX_SHA256}}.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: In Proxmox click Create VM.
Use:
vmbr0Remove the placeholder disk. Do not start the VM.
STOP CHECK: The empty VM exists with OVMF, TPM 2.0, VirtIO NIC, and VirtIO SCSI.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: In Node → Shell, run:
qm importdisk {{VM_ID}} '{{PVE_VHDX_PATH}}' local-lvm
Wait for 100% and a successful import message.
STOP CHECK: The Windows disk appears under the VM as Unused Disk.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO:
If Windows does not boot on SCSI, attach the Windows disk as SATA, boot once, add a small temporary SCSI disk, then move the Windows disk back to SCSI0.
STOP CHECK: Windows boots from SCSI0.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: In the Windows VM, confirm:
STOP CHECK: Network, storage, and Guest Agent work.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: In the Windows VM console, run:
ipconfig
Enter the VM IPv4 address below.
STOP CHECK: Windows and Proxmox have different IP addresses and both are reachable from the second PC.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO:
If you created P2VAdmin in STEP 001, open Terminal (Admin) and remove it:
net user P2VAdmin /delete
Do not remove an administrator account that existed before this guide.
STOP CHECK: Windows works normally, activation is confirmed or its reactivation path is known, and the temporary P2VAdmin account is removed if this guide created it.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: Create a full Proxmox backup to storage outside the internal system disk.
Keep the original VHDX until the backup is tested.
Final record:
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Source PC | {{SOURCE_COMPUTER_NAME}} |
| Source Windows | {{WINDOWS_PRODUCT_NAME}} build {{WINDOWS_BUILD}} |
| Firmware | {{SOURCE_BIOS_MODE}} |
| Proxmox | {{PROXMOX_HOSTNAME}} · {{PROXMOX_IP_CIDR}} |
| VM | {{VM_ID}} · {{VM_NAME}} |
| VM IP | {{WINDOWS_VM_IP}} |
| VHDX | {{VHDX_WINDOWS_PATH}} |
| VHDX SHA-256 | {{VHDX_SHA256}} |
STOP CHECK: A tested external VM backup exists and the original VHDX is still available.
SAVE STATE: Export the final saved state on the second PC.
DO: From the second PC:
https://{{PROXMOX_IP}}:8006 and confirm the Proxmox Web UI loads.ssh root@{{PROXMOX_IP}}
hostname
qm status {{VM_ID}}
qm stop {{VM_ID}}
qm config {{VM_ID}} | tee /root/vm-{{VM_ID}}-before-igd.txt
cp /etc/pve/qemu-server/{{VM_ID}}.conf /root/{{VM_ID}}.conf.before-igd
STOP CHECK: The Web UI works from the second PC, SSH is connected and still available, the VM is stopped, and /root/{{VM_ID}}.conf.before-igd exists.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: In the open Proxmox SSH session, run:
dmesg | grep -Ei 'DMAR|IOMMU'
lspci -nnk | grep -A4 -Ei 'VGA compatible controller|Display controller'
pvesh get /nodes/$(hostname)/hardware/pci --pci-class-blacklist ""
grep -R "disable_vga=1" /etc/modprobe.d /etc/default/grub 2>/dev/null || true
Find the Intel HD Graphics 530 / Skylake entry. Record its full PCI address and vendor:device ID. Do not assume the address, even though 0000:00:02.0 is common.
Check its IOMMU group:
readlink -f /sys/bus/pci/devices/{{IGPU_PCI}}/iommu_group
ls -l /sys/bus/pci/devices/{{IGPU_PCI}}/iommu_group/devices
On Proxmox VE 9, do not add old intel_iommu=on instructions by default. If no DMAR/IOMMU is active, stop and enable Intel VT-d in the EliteDesk firmware first.
If the grep command finds disable_vga=1, stop and remove that setting before continuing; it conflicts with legacy IGD passthrough.
STOP CHECK: IOMMU is active, {{IGPU_PCI}} is the Intel HD 530, its IOMMU group is acceptable, and disable_vga=1 is not configured.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: This ZIP does not bundle third-party Intel firmware. On the second PC, open the community project below and use its release/checksum information:
https://github.com/LongQT-sea/intel-igpu-passthru
For the EliteDesk 800 G3 / Skylake HD 530, use:
SKL_CML_GOPv9_igd.rom
Universal_noGOP_igd.rom is a last-resort fallback, not the normal Skylake choice.
Rename the selected Skylake ROM to igd.rom, then copy it to Proxmox:
scp .\igd.rom root@{{PROXMOX_IP}}:/usr/share/kvm/igd.rom
Back in SSH, verify the file and compare its SHA-256 with the checksum published by the ROM project's release page:
ls -lh /usr/share/kvm/igd.rom
sha256sum /usr/share/kvm/igd.rom
STOP CHECK: /usr/share/kvm/igd.rom is the Skylake SKL_CML_GOPv9_igd.rom file and its checksum matches the project's published checksum.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: This guide created the VM as q35 in STEP 021. QEMU legacy IGD requires the i440fx machine family, IGD at guest 00:02.0, no competing virtual VGA device, and a valid ROM.
Configure the stopped VM:
qm stop {{VM_ID}}
qm set {{VM_ID}} --machine pc
qm set {{VM_ID}} --vga none
qm set {{VM_ID}} --bios ovmf
qm set {{VM_ID}} --hostpci0 {{IGPU_PCI}},legacy-igd=1,romfile=igd.rom
qm config {{VM_ID}}
Do not add pcie=1 to the legacy IGD device.
Do not blacklist i915 yet. Current Proxmox/iGPU guidance does not require the old blanket VFIO preparation for this path; blacklist i915 is kept only as a troubleshooting fallback if it is actually needed.
The original q35 configuration is preserved in /root/{{VM_ID}}.conf.before-igd.
STOP CHECK: qm config {{VM_ID}} shows machine: pc, bios: ovmf, vga: none, and hostpci0 with legacy-igd=1,romfile=igd.rom.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: Connect a monitor to an onboard EliteDesk DisplayPort and start Windows from SSH:
qm start {{VM_ID}}
Watch the physical monitor. With the recommended GOP ROM, display output may appear early in VM startup. If Windows loads before the display appears, wait for the Intel graphics driver to initialize.
From SSH, confirm the VM remains running:
qm status {{VM_ID}}
At this point, do not blacklist i915 just because the host driver is present. If the physical display works, leave the host configuration alone.
If the VM immediately fails to start, Windows reports Code 43, or the DisplayPort remains black after Windows should be loaded, go to STEP 035 for diagnostics before changing host-driver binding.
When the display test is complete, shut the VM down from SSH before assigning the physical USB ports:
qm shutdown {{VM_ID}}
STOP CHECK: The iGPU passthrough starts without requiring a permanent i915 blacklist, or you have captured the failure and will use STEP 035.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: Keep the keyboard and mouse connected to the two EliteDesk USB ports you want Windows to own. In SSH, run:
lsusb
lsusb -t
Unplug and reconnect one device at a time to identify the physical port path for each port, such as 1-3 or 1-3.2.
Assign only those ports:
qm set {{VM_ID}} --usb0 host={{USB_KEYBOARD_PORT}}
qm set {{VM_ID}} --usb1 host={{USB_MOUSE_PORT}}
qm config {{VM_ID}}
This leaves the rest of the EliteDesk USB controller available to Proxmox.
STOP CHECK: qm config {{VM_ID}} shows only the selected keyboard and mouse physical USB ports under usb0 and usb1.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: Start the VM from SSH:
qm start {{VM_ID}}
Then confirm:
vga: none is intentional.If one onboard DisplayPort remains black after Windows finishes loading, test the other onboard DisplayPort before changing the VM configuration.
STOP CHECK: The Windows desktop is visible on the EliteDesk DisplayPort, Intel HD 530 has no Code 43, and the selected physical keyboard/mouse ports control the VM.
SAVE STATE: Export saved state on the second PC.
DO: If the VM will not boot correctly, Windows shows Code 43, the physical display stays black, or the iGPU is unreliable, stay on the second PC and use SSH.
First collect diagnostics:
qm status {{VM_ID}}
qm config {{VM_ID}}
lspci -nnk -s {{IGPU_PCI}}
journalctl -b | grep -Ei 'vfio|IOMMU|DMAR|i915'
Use this only after the normal legacy-IGD configuration has failed or the iGPU project guidance indicates the host i915 driver is preventing reliable output/resolution. This will usually remove the Proxmox host's local video console after reboot.
qm stop {{VM_ID}}
cat >/etc/modules-load.d/p2v-igd-vfio.conf <<'EOF'
vfio
vfio_iommu_type1
vfio_pci
EOF
cat >/etc/modprobe.d/p2v-igd-vfio.conf <<'EOF'
blacklist i915
options vfio-pci ids={{IGPU_PCI_ID}}
EOF
update-initramfs -u -k all
reboot
After Proxmox returns, reconnect with SSH and verify:
lspci -nnk -s {{IGPU_PCI}}
If you used the fallback, Kernel driver in use: vfio-pci is expected. Retry the VM.
To return the VM to its pre-passthrough q35 configuration and remove the optional host-driver fallback:
qm stop {{VM_ID}}
cp /root/{{VM_ID}}.conf.before-igd /etc/pve/qemu-server/{{VM_ID}}.conf
rm -f /etc/modprobe.d/p2v-igd-vfio.conf
rm -f /etc/modules-load.d/p2v-igd-vfio.conf
update-initramfs -u -k all
reboot
After reboot, verify the original VM configuration is restored. If you used the VFIO fallback, lspci -nnk -s {{IGPU_PCI}} should show i915 again when the host reclaims the iGPU.
STOP CHECK: Either the physical-console passthrough works, or the original q35 VM configuration and normal Proxmox iGPU ownership have been restored.
SAVE STATE: Export the final saved state on the second PC.