Windows 2025 Server ISO Boot Loop

Packer
1

Hello All,

When loading the Windows 2025 Server eval ISO packer/qemu will do a boot loop after the windows logo, packer will show ‘Loading Files’, then briefly show the windows logo, then restart back to loading files.

I’m using qemu plugin version 1.1.1 and packer version 1.12.0

The template I’m using is

source "qemu" "template" {
  accelerator          = "none"
  boot_wait            = "120s"
  communicator         = "winrm"
  cpus                 = 4
  disk_cache           = "unsafe"
  disk_compression     = true
  disk_discard         = "unmap"
  disk_interface       = "virtio-scsi"
  disk_size            = "80G"
  format               = "qcow2"
  headless             = true
  host_port_min        = 10082
  host_port_max        = 10089
  http_directory       = "files"
  iso_checksum         = "sha256:d0ef4502e350e3c6c53c15b1b3020d38a5ded011bf04998e950720ac8579b23d"
  iso_url              = "https://software-static.download.prss.microsoft.com/dbazure/888969d5-f34g-4e03-ac9d-1f9786c66749/26100.1742.240906-0331.ge_release_svc_refresh_SERVER_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso"
  memory               = "2048"
  net_device           = "virtio-net"
  output_directory     = "output"
  vnc_bind_address     = "0.0.0.0"
  vnc_port_min         = 5900
  vnc_port_max         = 5900
  winrm_username       = "Administrator"
  winrm_password       = "Password"
}

build {
  sources = ["source.qemu.template"]
}

The log isnt very helpful, with it just waiting for WinRM after the boot wait time

==> qemu.template: Starting VM, booting from CD-ROM
    qemu.template: The installation may take considerably longer to finish.
    qemu.template:
    qemu.template: WARNING: The VM will be started with no hardware acceleration.
    qemu.template: The installation may take considerably longer to finish.
    qemu.template:
    qemu.template: view the screen of the VM, connect via VNC without a password to
    qemu.template: vnc://0.0.0.0:5900
    qemu.template: The VM will be run headless, without a GUI. If you want to
2025/03/26 21:59:02 packer-plugin-qemu_v1.1.1_x5.0_darwin_arm64 plugin: 2025/03/26 21:59:02 Qemu Builder has no floppy files, not attaching a floppy.
2025/03/26 21:59:02 packer-plugin-qemu_v1.1.1_x5.0_darwin_arm64 plugin: 2025/03/26 21:59:02 Executing /usr/local/bin/qemu-system-x86_64: []string{"-m", "2048M", "-drive", "if=none,file=output/packer-template,id=drive0,cache=unsafe,discard=unmap,format=qcow2", "-drive", "file=/Users/username/.cache/packer/45173890bb9e0fc063f71cfb6d5ec40a0210e2d9.iso,media=cdrom", "-device", "virtio-scsi-pci,id=scsi0", "-device", "scsi-hd,bus=scsi0.0,drive=drive0", "-device", "virtio-net,netdev=user.0", "-vnc", "0.0.0.0:0", "-smp", "4", "-boot", "once=d", "-name", "packer-template", "-machine", "type=pc", "-netdev", "user,id=user.0,hostfwd=tcp::10083-:5985"}
    qemu.template: view the screen of the VM, connect via VNC without a password to
    qemu.template: vnc://0.0.0.0:5900
2025/03/26 21:59:02 packer-plugin-qemu_v1.1.1_x5.0_darwin_arm64 plugin: 2025/03/26 21:59:02 Started Qemu. Pid: 7645
==> qemu.template: Waiting 2m0s for boot...

Any idea what I could try to get past the windows logo?

Thanks!