WAL Why Proxmox
✅ Proxmox vs Windows Host — Headless Operation & Crash Resilience
Running Proxmox as host (with Windows in a VM) gives major benefits over running Windows directly on the hardware — especially for headless remote access and crash recovery.
🧠 Headless and Remote Access Comparison
| Feature | Proxmox (Linux Host) | Windows Bare Metal Host |
|---|---|---|
| Headless operation | ✅ Full CLI + web GUI over network — no monitor/keyboard needed | ❌ Often needs GUI or local access for setup/troubleshooting |
| Remote recovery after crash | ✅ Always accessible via web interface or SSH (unless entire host crashes) | ❌ If Windows crashes, you lose all access remotely |
| VM crash isolation | ✅ Only the VM goes down — Proxmox stays stable | ❌ Entire system crashes if Windows fails |
| VM power/reset controls | ✅ Can reset or restart a VM even if Windows inside is frozen | ❌ Not possible unless you reboot the entire PC |
| Backup & snapshots | ✅ Can snapshot or restore a VM, even headless | ❌ Needs full system tools or imaging |
| Host OS corruption risk | ✅ Lower — Linux base is stable and update-resistant | ❌ Higher — Windows updates or drivers can break system |
🧩 In Practice for a Sage 50 Server
- Windows Server runs as a VM on Proxmox
- If the Windows VM crashes, you can still:
- Access the Proxmox web GUI via
https://your-ip:8006 - SSH into the host
- Reboot, restore, or snapshot the VM
- Access the Proxmox web GUI via
- You retain full control of the system without a screen or keyboard
🛠️ Real-World Scenarios
| Situation | How Proxmox Helps |
|---|---|
| Windows update gets stuck | Force reboot the VM from Proxmox web interface |
| Windows login is broken | Restore a prior VM snapshot in seconds |
| Power failure | Auto-resume VMs on boot (if enabled) |
| Need to access files in a broken VM | Mount the VM disk in another VM or recover via CLI |
✅ Conclusion
Proxmox gives you true server-grade remote access and VM control, even if your Windows environment fails.
It’s far more resilient and maintainable than running Windows directly on bare metal.