Hyper V Deleting Checkpoints

Hi All

I have a general question about whether it is safe for me to delete my checkpoints on a Hyper V Virtual Machine.

I want to do this as I am having problems exporting my Hyper V Virtual PC and I have read that deleting the checkpoints can solve my issue with the export.

Before I do this though I want to know if it is safe for me to delete the checkpoints. The Virtual machine is running just as I want it now and I don't want to lose anything on it or for it to revert to an older checkpoint.

I have attached a screenshot of my Hyper V manager showing the checkpoints and also a screenshot of the .AVHDX and .VHDX files for that Virtual Machine.

What has me concerned is that if I right click on the actual Virtual machine and select settings and click on Hard Drive the Virtual Hard Drive is pointing to a checkpoint file ABaSS-2022_F18E906E-CB1A-45A9-90AC-DE64953A1ADD.avhdx instead of the VHDX file (This has me concerned that if I delete checkpoints this AVHDX file will be deleted?) See attached Screenshot. (Screen shot AVHDX)

If I right click the first checkpoint (Automatic Checkpoint -ABaSS 2022 28/08/2022 - See attached screenshot, Screen Shot VHDX) and click settings and click on Hard Drive the Virtual Hard Drive is pointing to the VHDX file for the Virtual PC. i.e. ABASS-2022.VHDX

If I delete the checkpoints will everything merge properly or am I at risk of corrupting the Virtual Machine?

Also, would it be safe to shutdown the Virtual Machine and copy all the files to another location as a backup before proceeding to delete the Checkpoints. (Can I safely get things to how they were with just a copy of the AVHDX and VHDX files?)

Any help would be much appreciated.

Kind Regards


Mark

Checkpoints are just for reverting to earlier points in time, so yeah you can delete them without any issues.

Yes, it's safe to delete checkpoints. You can even do so while the VM is up and running. Apart from making the VM a bit slower until the merge is complete it has no other effects.

You have automatic checkpoints turned on. I prefer to have that turned off, and only make a checkpoint when I feel one would be useful, such as just before an upgrade, or installing new software.

markv said:

...would it be safe to shutdown the Virtual Machine and copy all the files to another location as a backup before proceeding to delete the Checkpoints. (Can I safely get things to how they were with just a copy of the AVHDX and VHDX files?)

Click to expand...

No, that won't work. Checkpoints involve a lot more than just the .avhdx files. There's a whole lot of indecipherable configuration data in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Hyper-V\Virtual Machines.

Bree said:

You have automatic checkpoints turned on. I prefer to have that turned off, and only make a checkpoint when I feel one would be useful, such as just before an upgrade, or installing new software.

Click to expand...

Agreed but tbh I just copy the vhdx file as a temporary backup before upgrading or installing new software.

Thanks for the helpful replies everyone.

Should I be concerned that one of the AVHDX files looks to contain all the actual Virtual Machine data.

My VHDX file is only 11gb (No where near big enough with the data that is on the machine) and hasn't been modified for 2 years.

I have an AVHDX file which is 133gb (which has the latest modified date on it and must be the actual Virtual Machine Data).

I am concerned that if I delete my checkpoints, I will lose the 133gb AVHDX file or will Hyper V sort it out correctly and merge the data back into the VHDX file from the AVHDX file?


Cheers


Mark

markv said:

....will Hyper V sort it out correctly and merge the data back into the VHDX file from the AVHDX file?

Click to expand...

Yes, that's exactly what it does.