---
title: Windows
url: https://docs.vultr.com/products/storage/file-system/mount/windows
description: A family of Microsoft operating systems that provides a graphical user interface for managing applications, files, and system resources on Vultr instances.
publish_date: 2024-12-10T16:08:56.261852Z
last_updated: 2026-05-26T19:42:44.063407Z
---

# How to Mount a Vultr File System Volume on Windows

Mounting a Vultr File System volume on a Windows instance requires multiple third-party software installations and is dependent on the software working well together to create a dedicated `virtiofs` service to manage VFS volumes. As a result, Vultr can only offer best-effort support for the use of VFS on Windows. The `virtiofs` protocol is not natively supported on Windows, and installing the `virtio-win` driver and the Windows File System Proxy (WinFsp) application creates a `virtiofs` service that manages the Vultr File System volumes attached to your Windows instance.

Follow this guide to mount a Vultr File System volume on a Windows instance.

## Install `virtio-win`

1. Visit the [Fedora `virtio-win` releases page](https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/archive-virtio/), open the latest `virtio-win` archive and download the `virtio-win-guest-tools.exe` file.

    ![Download the virtio-win guest tools installer](https://docs.vultr.com/public/doc-assets/collection-items/1346/1a5756da-2241-4350-84ee-843f809764b8.png)

1. Open the downloaded `virtio-win-guest-tools.exe` file to launch the installation wizard.
1. Agree to the `virtio-win` license terms and click **Install**.
1. Click **Next** and accept the end-user license agreement.
1. Click **Next** and keep the default `virtio-win` features.
1. Click **Install** to start the installation.
1. Click **Finish** to complete the installation.
1. Close the `virtio-win` installation wizard.

    ![Close the virtio-win installation wizard](https://docs.vultr.com/public/doc-assets/collection-items/1346/c662483d-b31e-4bd9-a839-6b0e6896ce56.png)

## Install WinFsp

1. Visit the [WinFsp releases page](https://winfsp.dev/rel/) and download the latest WinFsp Installer to your server.

    ![Download the WinFsp Installer for Windows](https://docs.vultr.com/public/doc-assets/collection-items/1346/3b5392da-37db-40fb-a409-c7fbe0ba261d.png)

1. Open the downloaded `winfsp-<version>.msi` package to launch the WinFsp installation wizard.
1. Click **Next** to start the installation wizard.
1. Keep the default `WinFsp` features and click **Next** to continue.
1. Click **Install** to start the WinFsp installation process.
1. Click **Finish** to close the WinFsp installation wizard.

    ![Finish WinFsp installation wizard](https://docs.vultr.com/public/doc-assets/collection-items/1346/32fe426b-5e6b-4b7f-860e-1eba97ab601e.png)

## Enable the VirtIO-FS Windows Service

1. Press :key_win:+:key_r: to open the Windows run dialog.
1. Enter `services.msc` in the input field and press :key_enter: to open the **Services** window.

    ![Open the Windows services menu using the run dialog](https://docs.vultr.com/public/doc-assets/collection-items/1346/4abfd6bd-e75a-41fe-806b-88c45366fd52.png)

1. Find and right-click **VirtIO-FS Service** from the list of services.
1. Select **Properties** from the list of options.

    ![Open the VirtIO-FS Service Properties](https://docs.vultr.com/public/doc-assets/collection-items/1346/20f8f082-12c9-40b1-98c5-75510b5b33f4.png)

1. Click the **Startup type** drop-down and select **Automatic** to enable the **VirtIO-FS Service** to start automatically at boot.

    ![Set the VirtIO-service type](https://docs.vultr.com/public/doc-assets/collection-items/1346/fc58b69a-518d-47fb-ba5d-2169b6f44ae8.png)

1. Click **Start** to run the **VirtIO-FS Service**.
1. Verify that the service status changes to **Running** and click **Apply** to save the changes.
1. Click **OK** to close the **VirtIO-FS Service** properties window.

## Access a Mounted Vultr File System Volume

The `virtio-fs` service automatically mounts all Vultr File System volumes attached to your Windows instance when it starts. Follow the steps below to access a mounted VFS volume if the `virtio-fs` service is running correctly on your Windows instance.

1. Open the Windows File Explorer.
1. Click **This PC** and verify that the Vultr File System volume is mounted as a new disk drive.

    ![Open the mounted VFS volume](https://docs.vultr.com/public/doc-assets/collection-items/1346/41ea0df4-f38b-40fe-9843-091c73281972.png)

1. Double-click to open the Vultr File System volume.
1. Create a new `greetingsfromvultr.txt` file to test the write permissions on your VFS volume.

    ![Add a new text file to a VFS volume](https://docs.vultr.com/public/doc-assets/collection-items/1346/780556fc-aa7a-4d98-ade5-8ac18ae18e6e.png)

> [!NOTE]
> Reboot your Windows instance if the `virtiofs` service is not available immediately after installation, does not run correctly or the Vultr File System volume is not detected. Verify that the VFS volume is attached to your Windows instance and start the `virtiofs` service to access the volume using the Windows File Explorer.