Windows Server 2022 Packer Template

This repository contains a Packer template for building a Windows Server 2022 VirtualBox image with minimal network configuration, designed for use with Terraform and Ansible, exported as a Vagrant Box.

All credentials, firewall rules, and security relaxations in this template support disposable development and lab environments; review and harden them for production use.

This repository is published for reference and learning purposes.

Features

• VirtualBox Provider: Uses VirtualBox for virtualization (requires x64/AMD64 system with hardware virtualization)
• WinRM Support: Configured for HTTP (port 5985) and HTTPS (port 5986)
• RDP Access: Remote Desktop Protocol enabled on port 3389
• Ansible Ready: Pre-configured for Ansible automation without internet dependency
• Minimal Network Config: Clean NAT-only network setup without complex configurations
• Vagrant Box Output: Automatically creates a .box file for Terraform/Vagrant use
• Automated Installation: Fully unattended Windows installation using Autounattend.xml
• HTTP Server: Scripts served via Packer HTTP server (no floppy/CD issues)

Prerequisites

1. x64/AMD64 System: VirtualBox cannot run 64-bit Windows on ARM (Mac M1/M2/M3) or without hardware virtualization
2. Hardware Virtualization: Intel VT-x or AMD-V must be enabled in BIOS/UEFI
3. VirtualBox: Version 6.1 or higher (with proper kernel modules loaded)
4. Packer: Version 1.8 or higher
5. Disk Space: At least 60GB free
6. RAM: At least 6GB available (4GB for VM + 2GB for host)
7. Internet Connection: Required for ISO download during first build (cached afterward)

File Structure

├── windows2022.pkr.hcl                # Main Packer HCL2 template
├── Autounattend.xml                   # Windows unattended installation config
├── scripts/
│   ├── enable-winrm.ps1               # WinRM HTTP/HTTPS configuration
│   ├── enable-rdp.ps1                 # RDP configuration  
│   ├── install-guest-additions.ps1    # VirtualBox Guest Additions installer
│   ├── setup-ansible.ps1              # Ansible preparation (no internet required)
│   ├── cleanup.ps1                    # System cleanup & optimization
│   └── create-vagrant-user.ps1        # Vagrant user setup (optional)
├── builds/                            # Output directory for .box files
├── build.sh                           # Automated build script (optional)
└── VALIDATION.md                      # Pre-build validation checklist

Usage

1. Verify Prerequisites

On your x64/AMD64 Linux system (Ubuntu, Debian, etc.), ensure hardware virtualization is enabled:

# Check CPU virtualization support
egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo
# Should return > 0

# Verify VirtualBox can see 64-bit capability
VBoxManage list hostinfo | grep -i "64-bit"

# Load VirtualBox kernel modules (if needed)
sudo /sbin/vboxconfig

⚠️ Important: This build will not work on:

• macOS ARM64 (M1/M2/M3) - VirtualBox doesn't support Windows on ARM Macs
• Systems without VT-x/AMD-V enabled in BIOS
• Systems without proper VirtualBox kernel modules loaded

2. Build the Image

# Initialize Packer plugins (first time only)
packer init windows2022.pkr.hcl

# Validate the template
packer validate windows2022.pkr.hcl

# Build the image (takes 35-55 minutes)
packer build windows2022.pkr.hcl

Using a local ISO (instead of downloading):

packer build -var "iso_url=/path/to/SERVER_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso" windows2022.pkr.hcl

Build process overview:

1. Downloads Windows Server 2022 ISO (~5GB, cached for future builds)
2. Creates VirtualBox VM with Desktop Experience edition
3. Performs automated Windows installation via Autounattend.xml
4. Configures WinRM (HTTP/HTTPS) for Packer connectivity
5. Installs VirtualBox Guest Additions
6. Enables RDP and configures for Ansible
7. Cleans up and creates Vagrant box (~6-8GB compressed)

3. Add to Vagrant

# Add the built box to Vagrant
vagrant box add windows-server-2022 builds/windows-server-2022.box

# Verify the box was added
vagrant box list

4. Use with Terraform

Create a main.tf file:

resource "vagrant_vm" "windows_server" {
  vagrantfile_dir = "."
  
  config = <<-EOF
    Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
      config.vm.box = "windows-server-2022"
      config.vm.guest = :windows
      config.vm.communicator = "winrm"
      
      # Network configuration
      config.vm.network "private_network", type: "dhcp"
      
      # WinRM configuration
      config.winrm.username = "vagrant"
      config.winrm.password = "vagrant"
      config.winrm.port = 5985
      config.winrm.guest_port = 5985
      config.winrm.host = "127.0.0.1"
      
      # VirtualBox configuration
      config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
        vb.memory = "4096"
        vb.cpus = 2
        vb.gui = false
      end
    end
  EOF
}

5. Use with Ansible

Example Ansible inventory:

[windows]
windows-server ansible_host=127.0.0.1 ansible_port=5985

[windows:vars]
ansible_user=vagrant
ansible_password=vagrant
ansible_connection=winrm
ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation=ignore
ansible_winrm_transport=basic

Example playbook:

---
- name: Configure Windows Server
  hosts: windows
  tasks:
    - name: Ensure IIS is installed
      win_feature:
        name: IIS-WebServerRole
        state: present
        
    - name: Test WinRM connectivity
      win_ping:

Configuration Details

Default Credentials

• Username: vagrant
• Password: vagrant

Network Ports

• WinRM HTTP: 5985
• WinRM HTTPS: 5986
• RDP: 3389

System Specifications

• Disk Size: 60 GB
• Memory: 4 GB
• CPUs: 2
• Guest OS: Windows Server 2022 Standard Evaluation

Customization

Modify VM Specifications

Edit windows2022.pkr.hcl:

source "virtualbox-iso" "windows2022" {
  disk_size = 102400    # 100 GB
  memory    = 8192      # 8 GB
  cpus      = 4         # 4 CPUs
  # ... other settings
}

Add Custom Software

Add provisioner steps in the build block:

provisioner "powershell" {
  inline = [
    "choco install git -y",
    "choco install nodejs -y"
  ]
}

Troubleshooting

Build Issues

1. Error: "64-bit application couldn't load" (0xc000035a)

• Cause: Hardware virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) not enabled or not available
• Solution:
  • Enable VT-x/AMD-V in BIOS/UEFI settings
  • If running in a VM, enable nested virtualization on the host
  • Verify: egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo returns > 0

2. Error: "Cleaning up floppy disk" / NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)

• Cause: VirtualBox floppy controller issues (resolved in current template)
• Solution: Template now uses CD for Autounattend.xml and HTTP server for scripts

3. Windows Setup stuck at "Select operating system" screen

• Cause: Autounattend.xml not detected or incorrect image index
• Solution: Template uses index 2 for "Desktop Experience" edition
• Verify: ISO contains "Windows Server 2022 SERVERSTANDARDEVAL (Desktop Experience)"

4. WinRM Timeout / Packer can't connect

• Cause: WinRM not enabled or firewall blocking connection
• Solution:
  • Check Autounattend.xml is downloading and running enable-winrm.ps1
  • Verify HTTP server on port 8100 is accessible during build
  • Increase winrm_timeout to "8h" if needed

5. VirtualBox kernel modules not loaded

# Reconfigure VirtualBox
sudo /sbin/vboxconfig

# Load modules manually
sudo modprobe vboxdrv vboxnetadp vboxnetflt

# Add user to vboxusers group
sudo usermod -aG vboxusers $USER

6. Build fails on macOS ARM64 (M1/M2/M3)

• Not Supported: VirtualBox cannot run Windows on ARM Macs
• Solution: Use an x64/AMD64 Linux or Windows system instead

Connection Issues After Build

WinRM Connection Failed:

• Verify firewall settings: netsh advfirewall firewall show rule name="WinRM HTTP"
• Check WinRM service: Get-Service WinRM
• Test from host: curl http://localhost:5985/wsman

RDP Connection Failed:

• Ensure RDP is enabled: Check System Properties → Remote Desktop
• Verify port forwarding in VirtualBox
• Test connection: mstsc /v:localhost:3389

Performance Optimization

• Faster Builds: Increase memory to 8GB, CPUs to 4
• SSD Storage: Use SSD for VirtualBox VMs directory
• Cached ISO: Keep downloaded ISO in packer_cache/ to avoid re-downloading
• Headless Mode: Set headless = true for background builds

Technical Details

Build Architecture

• Autounattend.xml: Provides Windows Setup with automated installation answers
• HTTP Server: Packer serves scripts on port 8100 (10.0.2.2:8100 from VM perspective)
• WinRM Bootstrap: Autounattend.xml downloads enable-winrm.ps1 via HTTP on first login
• Provisioners: All other scripts run via WinRM after initial connectivity established
• Guest OS Type: Windows2022_64 explicitly tells VirtualBox this is 64-bit

Network Configuration

• NAT Network: Default VirtualBox NAT (10.0.2.0/24)
• Port Forwarding: WinRM (5985, 5986), RDP (3389)
• No Internet Required: After ISO download, build works offline
• Private Network: Network profile set to Private for automation

What Gets Configured

✅ vagrant/vagrant user with admin privileges
✅ WinRM HTTP (5985) and HTTPS (5986) with self-signed cert
✅ RDP enabled on port 3389
✅ VirtualBox Guest Additions installed
✅ PowerShell execution policy set to RemoteSigned
✅ Password complexity disabled (dev environment)
✅ Auto-login enabled for vagrant user
✅ UAC disabled for automation
✅ Windows Updates manual (no automatic restart)
✅ Network discovery and file sharing enabled
✅ System cleaned up (temp files, logs removed)

Security Notes

⚠️ This template is designed for development/lab environments only

• Default credentials (vagrant/vagrant) are hardcoded - change for any environment exposed to network
• UAC disabled - Re-enable for production: Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" -Name "EnableLUA" -Value 1
• Password complexity disabled - Re-enable via Group Policy or secedit
• HTTP WinRM enabled - Use HTTPS (port 5986) and validate certificates in production
• Self-signed HTTPS cert - Replace with proper CA-signed certificate
• Auto-login enabled - Disable before deploying outside local dev
• Firewall rules permissive - Review and restrict as needed
• No antivirus/EDR - Install appropriate security software for production

License

This project is available under the MIT License.

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Additional Resources

• Packer Documentation
• VirtualBox Manual
• Ansible Windows Guide

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Note: This template creates a Windows Server 2022 Evaluation edition (180-day trial). For production use, ensure you have proper Microsoft licensing and use a licensed Windows Server ISO.