An easy to follow guide on uploading and installing a Windows Server 2022 ISO with Vultr.

Vultr is a reliable cloud computing provider with a massive range of locations, features and VPS plan sizes, check them out here.

Limited time get free $100 credit on new Vultr accounts here!

At Vultr Windows, servers cost extra to deploy but you get the option to upload your own ISO file. This guide shows you how to do the upload and install with the Windows Server 2022 preview build.

Instructions

At the Vultr deploy server section; You need to upload the Windows Server 2022 ISO, use this link here (build 20348.169) or make your own and host it.

Scroll down to Server type and click the Upload ISO tab and then the Upload ISO button, add in the URL and click upload (you’ll have to wait several minutes for it to upload).

Scroll back up and choose your server location.

By now the ISO should have loaded make sure it’s selected (Server2022x64.iso). Now choose your instance size (amount of NVMe SSD space, ram and CPU amount).

Don’t worry about any of the other options (Additional features, startup scripts, SSH Keys), type in a server hostname and label then click Deploy now.

Navigate to the instance page for the server you just deployed. You will have to wait a few minutes for the ISO to be mounted, once it has click the little computer screen in the upper right to open the view console.

Installing the ISO using view console

Click the Install now button in the middle of the screen

I am going to be choosing the Server 2022 Datacenter evaluation desktop experience version.

Read and click that you accept the terms, then click the Next button.

Click the bottom option: Custom install Microsoft Server Operating System only (advanced)

Click Load driver and then browse on the pop up.

Navigate into the D drive, The VirtIO directory and then amd64 and click 2k19 and then the OK button.

Now click next as the RedHat VirtIO SCSI controller is selected.

Make sure Drive 0 unallocated space is highlighted and click the Next button.

This will run through the installation that will take several minutes.

Once it has been done, create a password for the administrator user.

Then send ctrl + alt + delete using the button at the top right of the tab. Login using the password you just set.

Go to Device manager by searching it (taskbar search input). Then find Other devices and expand it if needed.

Right-click on Ethernet controller, go Update driver and then Browse my computer for drivers.

Browse to the VirtIO directory. Click OK and Next make sure that “Include subfolders” is checked.

Click the install button once it has found the Red Hat VirtIO Ethernet adapter.

You are now connected to the network and have a Server 2022 preview build VPS.