Need to attach HDD to Windows 7 standalone

[apparatus]

@leo493

But, I tried the QWT, and everything worked until the step of really executing the .msi which you find in the new volume created by Qubes in Windows when you start the Windows standalone with qvm-start my-standalone --install-windows-tools after installing qubes-windows-tools with sudo qubes-dom0-update qubes-windows-tools, I couldn’t find anything other than a README file that contains one line that says like: Qubes Windows Tools are currently unavailable due to security concerns.

So, I believe the option of Windows PV via QWT is not available now, right?

Note: Due to the security problems described in QSB-091, installation of Qubes Windows Tools is currently blocked. Instead, a text file containing a warning is displayed. Currently, it is difficult to estimate the severity of the risks posed by the sources of the Xen drivers used in QWT possibly being compromised, so it was decided not to offer direct QWT installation until this problem could be treated properly. While Windows qubes are, in Qubes, generally not regarded as being very trustworthy, a possible compromise of the Xen drivers used in Qubes Windows Tools might create a risk for Xen or dom0 and thus be dangerous for Qubes itself. This risk may be small or even non-existent, as stated in QSB-091. If you understand this risk and are willing to take it, you can still install the previous versions of Qubes Windows Tools, using the command

sudo qubes-dom0-update qubes-windows-tools-4.1.68

for Qubes R4.1.2, or

sudo qubes-dom0-update qubes-windows-tools-4.1.69

for Qubes R4.2.0, respectively, instead of the command listed in step 1 of the installation described below. This will provide the .iso file to be presented as an installation drive to the Windows qube in step 3 of the QWT installation.

If you prefer to download the corresponding .rpm files for manual QWT installation, these are still available from the repositories (version 4.1.68-1 for Qubes R4.1.2 and version 4.1.69-1 for Qubes R4.2.0). After downloading, copy the file to dom0 as described in How to copy from dom0 and install it via sudo dnf install /path/to/rpmfile. Now you can proceed according to step 3 of the description below.

Warning: These older versions of Qubes Windows Tools will be replaced during the next dom0 update by the current dummy version 4.1.70-1. This can be inhibited by appending the line exclude=qubes-windows-tools to the file /etc/dnf/dnf.conf in dom0. But this will also stop any further QWT updates - so be sure to remove this line when - hopefully - a new functional version 4.1.71-1 of Qubes Windows Tools will be made available!!!

Qubes Windows Tools (QWT)

@leo493

The other option you mentioned: Windows PV Drivers by the Xen Project. I think there’s a problem here: How will I have that in my Windows 7 standalone if I can’t copy to it in the first place. (Isn’t it right that I need to have the Windows PV Drivers tarball content in the Windows 7 standalone, and execute something in it?) Do I have to give it internet (e.g. via changing its NetVM to sys-whonix, or if that’s not the way, what is the way?) and download the Windows PV Drivers by the Xen Project via the Internet Explorer in the Windows 7 standalone?

1. You can set net qube for your Windows qube and download the file from internet inside qube.
2. You can copy the file on the USB disk and attach the USB disk to your WIndows qube by enabling stubdom-qrexec feature, but maybe Windows 7 will require additional drivers for USB so it won’t work:
   Windows USB integration with R4.1
3. You can mount the Windows qube storage in disposable qube and copy the files there:
   How to mount LVM images | Qubes OS