Windows Server 2012 Qcow2 |work| Online

Microsoft provides "cloud-ready" VHDX images for Windows Server. While they don't officially provide QCOW2, you can download the VHDX and convert it.

If you need a modern Windows Server with QCOW2, use or 2022 with: windows server 2012 qcow2

in KVM if you’re willing to manage virtio drivers and accept its end-of-life status. For labs or legacy containment, it’s fine. For greenfield or internet-exposed workloads, upgrade. For labs or legacy containment, it’s fine

Running a legacy OS on modern storage requires tuning. Windows Server 2012 expects spinning disks (SATA/IDE). QCOW2 behaves like an SSD if backed by fast NVMe storage. Windows Server 2012 expects spinning disks (SATA/IDE)

Additional resources for managing legacy Windows Server images: Cloud Optimization Licensing & Support Cloud-Init & Performance For automated cloud deployments, consider installing Cloudbase-Init

You generally have three routes to get a Windows Server 2012 QCOW2 file: Download a pre-configured one, convert an existing VM, or install from scratch.