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DaDesktop

Switching from Legacy Boot to UEFI on a Windows 10 Template

Should you have a DaDesktop machine and wish to utilise a GPU or other pass‑through, you must first convert it to UEFI boot mode.

We still advise using win10-template-v53 or later, but if you find it more convenient to perform the upgrade yourself, here are the necessary steps:

  1. Turn on the defrag service
  2. Generate boot files on the C: drive
  3. Mark the C: partition as active
  4. Transition the system to UEFI
  5. Adapt the kvm configuration for UEFI support
  6. Repair the DaDesktop BIOS boot option
  7. Update the virtio-win drivers
  8. Deactivate the defrag service
  9. Optional: relocate a partition before the system partition to enable automatic disk resizing
     

1. Activate the Defrag Service

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator
  2. Run:
    sc config defragsvc start= demand

2. Render the C: Drive Bootable

  1. From an elevated command prompt, execute:

    bcdboot.exe c:\windows /s c:

3. Designate the C: Drive as Active

  1. Launch Disk Management
  2. Right-click on the C: partition
  3. Set Active
     

4. Transition the System to UEFI

  1. In an administrator command prompt, run:
   mbr2gpt.exe /conver /allowFullOS

 

5. Adapt the KVM Configuration for UEFI

  1. SSH into the ddnode
  2. Make sure to work as root

  3. Copy OVMF_VARS.fd and qemu.conf from a UEFI-capable template, for instance:

    cp /var/lib/kvm/win10-template-v51/OVMF_VARS.fd /var/lib/kvm/yourimagename/
    cp /var/lib/kvm/win10-template-v51/qemu.conf /var/lib/kvm/yourimagename/

6. Resolve the DaDesktop BIOS Boot Option

  1. Stop and start the instance via the dd4t.dadesktop.com GUI or API
  2. The system will boot into the UEFI Shell
  3. Enter: "exit"
  4. Navigate to Boot Management (TODO: finish this)
  5. Press F10 to save
  6. Exit the BIOS
     

7. Update the VirtIO Drivers

Certain templates may contain an outdated VGA driver, which can cause problems such as the inability to change resolution. To remedy this:

  1. On your desktop, obtain the latest driver version from: https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/archive-virtio/virtio-win-0.1.240-1/virtio-win-0.1.240.iso
  2. Install: (TODO provide exact file name)
  3. Reboot
     

8. Deactivate the DEFRAG Service

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator
  2. Run:
    sc config defragsvc start= disabled

 

9. Optional: Shift a Partition Ahead of the System Partition for Automatic Disk Resizing

 

  1.  Boot the system into rescue mode
  2.  Use GParted to move the partition before the system partition
  3.  Reboot

10. Install the Idd Drivers

  1. https://github.com/ge9/IddSampleDriver
  2. Download from: https://github.com/ge9/IddSampleDriver/releases
  3. Extract to C:\ (otherwise it will not work)
  4. Install the certificate (as root)
  5. Install the driver (right-click the .inf file and select Install)