Build a custom Hyper-V Quick Create gallery from a source manifest

Source facts

The VM gallery uses sources defined in the Windows registry; each source points to a local or remote JSON file listing virtual machines. The gallery combines the entries from its configured sources each time it opens. Microsoft documents testing the intended image through the local installation-source option before placing it in a gallery. Microsoft Learn.

Applicability

Identify who owns the image, the gallery JSON, and the configured source location. Keep image qualification separate from presentation in the gallery. A visible name and description do not demonstrate that the underlying operating system or application image meets organizational requirements.

DSE recommendation

Prepare a small gallery with a clearly identified image and descriptive metadata. Have the image owner approve the source files and the intended audience before distributing the gallery location. Test that image through the documented local-source route first. Preserve the previous manifest and give each image revision an unambiguous identity so operators can distinguish a changed image from a changed description.

Verification

Open the gallery from a representative client and verify that the intended entry appears from the expected source. Create an isolated test machine and compare the resulting operating system and image identity with the approved release. Check that an obsolete gallery entry is no longer offered when its manifest is deliberately withdrawn.

Official references

Microsoft Learn: Create a custom virtual machine gallery. Source reviewed September 8, 2026.