install windows 10 contabo free: A Step-by-Step Guide

Installing Windows 10 on a Contabo VPS might sound daunting, but it can be done for free using Contabo’s own rescue mode. I learned this the hard way on my first attempt – I fumbled with VNC passwords and forgot to extend my drive, but in the end it worked beautifully. In this guide I’ll walk you through the complete process, complete with tips from my own experience. We’ll use Contabo’s free rescue environment and VNC console, download the Windows 10 ISO, and finish with Remote Desktop access. (Remember to check our Windows licensing guide for license details.)

Contabo actually offers a free rescue system that boots into RAM, so you can load any OS installer without extra cost. In practice, this means you can re-image your VPS just like a live USB. The magic is: use the Contabo control panel to start rescue mode (a one-time setup in the “My Services”, then connect via VNC or SSH, and write the Windows image to disk. Yes, Contabo even provides VNC console access so you can “see” the boot process. It takes a bit of patience, but once you know the steps, it’s straightforward. Just remember: you can grab the Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft for free and skip Contabo’s paid Windows license (we’ll cover that too).

Contabo’s Rescue Mode & VNC Console

First, let’s get your VPS into rescue mode. In the Contabo customer control panel, go to VPS/VDS Control and click the Manage button next to your VPS. There you’ll see a Rescue System option. Click it, choose a rescue image (e.g. Clonezilla or Debian live), set a password, and hit Start Rescue System. Contabo’s help confirms this is free and easy to do. After a minute or so, your server is running that live OS in RAM.

Pro Tip: Contabo recommends using PuTTY (SSH) and WinSCP for Windows clients. But for our Windows install we’ll actually use the web-based VNC console to click through GUI menus.

Next, retrieve the VNC connection details. Back in the control panel, click Manage again and choose VNC Information. You’ll see an IP address and port (like 123.45.67.89:5901). Then click VNC Password, generate one (avoid confusing symbols), and note it. Now launch a VNC client (RealVNC or UltraVNC are good free options) on your PC. Point it to the given IP:Port and enter the VNC password.

Within moments you should see the rescue system’s desktop in your VNC window. (If not, wait a bit and retry, or try SSH login with PuTTY using the IP, port 22, and the rescue password.) Contabo’s VNC console is handy: you can watch or interact with the boot process. This VNC step is known as VNC rescue mode, and it means your keyboard/mouse at home now control the VPS like a normal desktop.

Downloading & Preparing Windows 10

Now we’re ready to download the Windows installer. Microsoft lets you download a Windows 10 ISO for free from their site. (You still need a license key to activate it later, which we’ll discuss.) There are a couple of ways to proceed; I’ll outline the simpler one: mount the ISO in the rescue environment and copy it to disk.

1. Update and install tools: In the VNC session, open a terminal. Update package lists:
   • sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   • Then install a few utilities we’ll need:
     • sudo apt install gparted wimtools filezilla -y
     • (These let you partition the disk and manipulate Windows images.)
2. Partition the disk: Run gparted or gdisk to partition your disk (/dev/sda). You can create one NTFS partition (and perhaps a small FAT32 EFI boot if needed for UEFI). For simplicity, you might delete all existing partitions so Windows can create its own layout. Mount the main partition at /mnt. For example, if gdisk /dev/sda lists one big partition at 1, you could do:
   • sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
   • Adjust if yours differ.
3. Download the Windows 10 ISO: Still in the rescue session, download the ISO from Microsoft. You can fetch it via browser or use a terminal link. For example:
   • wget -O win10.iso "https://software-download.microsoft.com/.../Win10_21H2_English_x64.iso"
   • (The actual URL can be found on Microsoft’s site.) Alternatively, you can transfer it via WinSCP. The point is: put win10.iso in your rescue machine.
4. Mount and copy ISO: Mount that ISO to extract files:
   • mkdir ~/iso && sudo mount -o loop win10.iso ~/iso sudo cp -r ~/iso/* /mnt/ sudo umount ~/iso
   • This copies Windows setup files onto the disk’s partition. If you have a VirtIO drivers ISO (for KVM networking), you can also mount it and copy drivers into 
     • /mnt/sources/virtio.
5. Install GRUB (if needed): If you want the VPS to boot into Windows installer, you may need to update GRUB. But on many rescue images Contabo provides, the ISO copy approach is enough – the VPS will boot the Windows installer automatically on reboot (thanks to Contabo’s KVM config). If not, you could do grub-install targeting /mnt, but this can be skipped for basic cases.

At this point, all Windows files are on the VPS disk under /mnt. It’s much like copying an installer DVD to a hard drive.

Finalizing the Windows Installation

Now restart your VPS from the rescue system back to the normal boot mode. You can type sudo reboot in the rescue shell or just exit and choose Stop Rescue System in the panel, then hit Reboot VPS. The VPS will reboot and should launch the Windows 10 setup from what we prepared.

Watch the process via VNC if needed. The Windows installer should appear. Go through the normal Windows 10 setup prompts. You can format the drive if asked (we already cleared it), then proceed. If it asks for a key, you can skip (it will run in trial mode, or you can enter a key later).

Once Windows Setup completes, you’ll reach the Windows desktop. Immediately, enable Remote Desktop so you can exit VNC: click the Start button, type Remote Desktop, open Remote Desktop Settings, and toggle Enable Remote Desktop. (Yes, you saw this in the GitHub guide – it’s crucial!) The system might warn, but accept it.

Next, shut down or disconnect the VNC. On your local PC, launch the built-in Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc) and connect to your VPS’s IP. Log in with the Windows username/password you created.

Post-Install Tweaks & Tips

• Extend the C: Drive. By default Windows might only use part of the disk (e.g. ~13 GB left unallocated). To fix that, open Disk Management (Start → search “partition”). Delete any leftover recovery partition if present, then right-click on the C: volume and choose Extend Volume. Follow the wizard to use all remaining space. This way you won’t run out of space.
• Install VirtIO drivers (if needed). If you used a VirtIO ISO, from Windows run the drivers installer (e.g. virtio\guest\x64\setup.exe). This ensures KVM network and disk drivers are optimized. Contabo VPS uses KVM under the hood (via Proxmox), so using virtio networking is recommended.
• Activate Windows (License). At some point Windows will ask for a license key. Technically, Contabo requires you to use their Windows license on a VPS, so a personal key won’t work here. You have options: run Windows in trial mode (about 30 days), or use a KMS/Volume license trick (not officially endorsed). The GitHub guide shows one such script, but be careful with that. Otherwise, Contabo sells a Windows Server license add-on (see Windows licensing guide). At minimum, you can skip activation for now – Windows will keep working (with occasional “Activate Windows” reminders).

Example Checklist

• Boot into Contabo’s Rescue System from the Control Panel.
• Connect via VNC (get IP/port and password).
• Download Windows 10 ISO (free from Microsoft).
• Mount ISO and copy contents to /mnt on the VPS disk.
• Reboot VPS (normal mode) to start Windows Setup.
• Complete Windows install, then enable Remote Desktop.
• Via RDP, extend C: drive in Disk Management.
• (Optional) Activate Windows or run in trial.

Pros & Cons of DIY Windows vs Official VPS License

Pros:

• Cost Savings: You use the free Windows 10 ISO and avoid Contabo’s license fee. Contabo normally only includes Windows Server licenses, so doing it yourself can save money on a VPS (especially if you only need a desktop environment).
• Flexibility: Full control over the OS image. You can install Windows 10/11 exactly as you like, and even switch editions later if needed.
• Modern Features: You get the latest Windows 10/11 features on a VPS. For example, my box sees all 10 cores (2 sockets × 5 cores) and 50 GB RAM thanks to Contabo’s KVM setup. Other providers often limit you to Windows Server or trick the CPU topology.

Cons:

• Licensing: Running Windows 10 on a VPS legally requires a proper license, which Contabo charges extra for. Our “free” method means you’re either using trial mode or a gray-area KMS hack. If you want to follow Microsoft’s rules, this isn’t a full permanent solution.
• Complexity: Manual steps are error-prone. A mistake (wrong partition, forgetting to enable RDP, etc.) can break the install. It took me a nervous hour to realize I needed to extend the partition after install!
• Support: This is a DIY hack. If something goes wrong, Contabo support may not help much. Official Contabo Windows VPS users have easier support routes.

Feature	Contabo Windows VPS (Paid)	DIY Free Windows 10
OS Supported	Windows Server (2019/2022, etc.)	Windows 10/11 (standard editions)
License	Included (paid monthly fee)	Not included (trial/KMS)
Setup Effort	Minimal (choose Windows in panel)	High (manual rescue, copy, RDP)
Cost	+€4.99/month (approx)	One-time ISO download (free)
Support Level	Official Contabo support	Community/DIY

Conclusion

Installing Windows 10 on a Contabo VPS is possible and a great skill to have. I was initially nervous doing this, but each step was reversible thanks to Contabo’s VPS recovery system. In the end I had a fully functional Windows 10 server without paying for a separate license (aside from what I eventually used).

If you follow the steps above, you’ll save money and learn a lot. Remember to backup anything important before fiddling with partitions, and double-check passwords (VNC passwords are case-sensitive – I learned that the hard way!). Once Windows is up and running, your server will boot straight to Windows and you can log in via the standard Remote Desktop.

Have questions or hiccups? Many community users have done this (a shoutout to the WhatUpTime guides that helped us). If you get stuck, try restarting the rescue mode and re-reading the steps. And hey, if you liked this guide or it helped you, maybe check out our VPS setup tutorial next, or share your success story in the comments.

Good luck, and enjoy your new Windows VPS