Windows 11 in Qubes

Some more observations on using the new version 4.2.1-1 of Qubes Windows Tools in Qubes R4.2.4, both with Windows 10 and 11:

  • It is possible to start an application in a non-running Linux or Windows 7 (with QWT) VM by calling an entry in the Qubes menu. The VM is started, and when it is running, the application is started. For Windows 7 with QWT, this works both in seamless and non-seamless mode. With Windows 10 and 11, the VM will just start, but the application does not start. As soon as the VM is running, calling the Qubes menu entry will start the application. This happens with and without using the Qubes graphics driver, and in the latter case, in seamless and non-seamless mode.

  • In general, Windows 10 with the Qubes graphics driver will run quite reliably in both seamless and non-seamless mode. Sometimes, however, calling the Windows menu by pressing the Windows key may present a misbuilt, unusable menu. Pressing the Windows key again will normally show a good menu again.

  • The Qubes graphics driver does not seem to like Windows 11. It doubles application windows, both in seamless and non-seamless mode, when used in an AppVM, making this AppVM quite unusable. A TemplateVM will behave roughly the same way in non-seamless mode, but will show, most of the time, normal application windows in seamless mode. Without the Qubes graphics driver, Windows 11 will work o.k., as it did with the old QWT version 4.1.68-1 under Qubes R4.1.2.

  • With the Qubes graphics driver, Windows 10 will remember over boot whether it was running in seamless or non-seamless mode, and in non-seamless mode, it will come up with the screen resolution used in the previous run. Windows 11, however, will remember nothing and come up with a full window in both modes, and switching to seamless mode does not remove this window, most of the time.

So, the new graphics support no longer has many problems with Windows 10, contrary to Windows 11. In this respect, it is similar to many users forced by Microsoft to make the transition from Windows 10 to 11. :nauseated_face:

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