sudo apt update sudo apt install qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system virt-manager bridge-utils
Most Linux distributions and WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) include qemu-img . Open your terminal:
If you have deleted files inside Windows 7, the qcow2 file may still be large because the space is not automatically freed. To shrink the file back down, you can use the qemu-img tool with the convert command, which effectively performs a "garbage collection" by writing only the active data blocks to a new, optimized file. Windows 7.qcow2
Understanding and Using Windows 7.qcow2 in Virtualized Environments
Running /opt/unetlab/wrappers/unl_wrapper -a fixpermissions to ensure the system can read the file. Understanding and Using Windows 7
-drive file=windows7.qcow2,format=qcow2,cache=writeback
Set the disk cache to Write back for the best balance of safety and speed. After that, you need a valid key
qemu-img convert -O qcow2 win7.qcow2 win7-compacted.qcow2
You may run Windows 7 in a VM for up to 90 days without activation (trial). After that, you need a valid key. Using pre-activated images from torrent sites violates the EULA.