How to Add Custom Windows Templates on Virtualizor – Step by Step Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Adding Custom Windows Templates on Virtualizor (2026 Edition)

In the competitive landscape of cloud hosting, speed and consistency are everything. Adding custom Windows templates to Virtualizor allows system administrators to deploy high-performance Windows VPS instances in under three minutes, eliminating the tedious manual installation process.

This guide provides a technical deep-dive into configuring Windows Server 2019, 2022, and 2025 on KVM-based nodes, including the latest automation techniques using Unattended XML files.

Why Custom Windows Templates Matter for SEO and Performance

For hosting providers, offering “Instant Windows Deployment” is a powerful USP (Unique Selling Proposition). By utilizing KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) virtualization, you ensure that Windows environments have dedicated resources and near-native performance, which directly impacts the user experience and, consequently, your service’s search ranking.

Key Benefits:

• Standardization: Ensure every VM has the same security patches and pre-installed software.
• Automation: Used autounattend.xml to skip the “Out of the Box Experience” (OOBE).
• Scalability: Deploy 1 or 100 servers with identical configurations.

Phase 1: Preparing the Virtualizor Node

Before downloading images, ensure your master or slave node has sufficient disk space in the template directory. Windows templates are thick-provisioned and can range from 10GB to 25GB after extraction.

Step 1: Access Your Server via SSH

Connect to your Virtualizor node as the root user:

Bash

ssh root@your-server-ip

Step 2: Navigate to the KVM Template Directory

Virtualizor looks for KVM templates in a specific system path.

Bash

cd /var/virtualizor/kvm

Phase 2: Downloading & Extracting 2026 Templates

Virtualizor maintains high-speed mirrors for official Windows images. As of 2026, Windows Server 2025 is the recommended standard for new deployments.

Step 3: Download the Official Images

Choose the version that fits your licensing model:

Step 4: Decompress the Template

The images are compressed to save bandwidth. You must extract them before Virtualizor can mount them to a VM:

Bash

gunzip windows-2025.img.gz

Pro Tip: The extraction takes 3-5 minutes. If the terminal looks “frozen,” it is simply processing a large file. Do not interrupt it.

Phase 3: Adding the Template to the Admin Panel

Once the file is on your disk, you must register it within the Virtualizor GUI.

1. Login: Go to your Virtualizor Admin Panel (usually port 4082).
2. Navigate: Click on Media -> Add OS Template.
3. Fill the Details:
   • Virtualization: KVM
   • OS Family: Windows
   • Filename: windows-2025.img (Ensure this matches the file in /var/virtualizor/kvm)
   • Admin Username: Administrator
   • Perform Operations: Check this box. (Critical for automated password resets and resizing).

Phase 4: Advanced Automation with Unattended XML

To truly “zero-touch” your deployment, use an Unattended XML file. This bypasses language selection, EULA prompts, and partition disks automatically.

Creating the autounattend.xml

For Windows Server 2025, you can use the Windows System Image Manager (SIM) to generate an XML. Place this file in the root of your custom ISO or mount it as a secondary floppy/drive during the initial template creation.

Key XML Sections to Include:

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup: Sets the default Administrator password.

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE: Sets language and locale.

Microsoft-Windows-Setup / UserData: Accepts the EULA and inputs the KMS key.

Troubleshooting & Best Practices

• Template Not Showing: Run the Virtualizor cron manually to refresh the database: /usr/local/emps/bin/php /usr/local/virtualizor/scripts/cron.php
• Disk Resize Failing: Ensure you have the VirtIO drivers installed in your custom image. Without VirtIO, Windows cannot see the underlying KVM storage controller effectively.
• Security: Always run Sysprep before finalizing a custom template to clear unique identifiers (SIDs).

Conclusion

Setting up custom Windows templates in 2026 is a blend of traditional server management and modern automation. By leveraging Virtualizor’s KVM support and automated XML files, you can provide a world-class VPS experience.

Would you like me to generate a sample autounattend.xml file tailored for a Windows Server 2025 installation?

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