Never run Windows Update directly on your "master" QCOW2. Instead, use an overlay:
To build an optimized Windows 11 virtual machine, you must acquire two clean image files from trusted upstream vendors. windows 11 qcow2 download best upd
However, Microsoft does not provide a direct, pre-baked, official Windows 11 .qcow2 file from its standard portal. They distribute official pre-built virtual machines exclusively in formats like . Never run Windows Update directly on your "master" QCOW2