--- /usr/share/perl5/PVE/API2/Qemu.pm.orig	2021-11-22 17:07:13.000000000 +0100
+++ /usr/share/perl5/PVE/API2/Qemu.pm	2022-01-11 16:24:06.339326806 +0100
@@ -1105,10 +1105,16 @@
 
     my $background_delay = extract_param($param, 'background_delay');
 
+    my $conf = PVE::QemuConfig->load_config($vmid);
+
+    my $ostype = $conf->{ostype};
+
     if (defined(my $cipassword = $param->{cipassword})) {
 	# Same logic as in cloud-init (but with the regex fixed...)
-	$param->{cipassword} = PVE::Tools::encrypt_pw($cipassword)
-	    if $cipassword !~ /^\$(?:[156]|2[ay])(\$.+){2}/;
+	if (!(PVE::QemuServer::windows_version($ostype))) {
+	    $param->{cipassword} = PVE::Tools::encrypt_pw($cipassword)
+	        if $cipassword !~ /^\$(?:[156]|2[ay])(\$.+){2}/;
+	}
     }
 
     my @paramarr = (); # used for log message