How to Manually Merge Snapshot/Checkpoint in Hyper-v:-
There may be many articles similar to this blog, however, I am just going to share my last experience:
I have VM with only two AVHDX (snapshot/checkpoint). If your VM has a lot of AVHDX files, you need to find the latest file (avhdx).
Note:– AVHDX is the extension of snapshot or checkpoint file extension. in Windows 2008 there was .avhd file for a snapshot.
For example,If you have 5 snapshots for VM (VHDX & AVHDX1 & AVHDX2 & AVHDX3 & AVHDX4 & AVHDX5).
VHDX is the parent disk for AVHDX1, AVHDX1 is the parent for AVHDX2 and AVHDX2 is the parent for AVHDX3 and AVHDX3 is the parent for AVHDX4 and AVHDX4 is the parent for AVHDX5.
Merging process:AVHDX5 to AVHDX4, AVHDX4 to AVHDX3, AVHDX3 to AVHDX2, AVHDX2 to AVHDX1 , AVHDX1 to VHDX .
In my hands-on, I have two AVHDX, AVHDX1, AVHDX2 and parent VHDX (showing in the picture below)
Note:- In Windows 2008/2008R2 “File Name Extensions” will be VHD and AVHD.
As we have two snapshot/checkpoint so first we have to rename the last snapshot file extension from .avhdx to .vhdx (we just change snapshot file to vhd file)
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Now Go to Hyper-V Manager, Open VM Settings and click on Hard drive on the right pane, Browse and locate your renamed checkpoint (.vhdx)
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Once we click on Edit, We will see below the screen, Click on Next-
Once Click Next you will see below the screen, Please select the Merge Option and Click on Next button-
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 In the above screenshot, it’s asking the place to save the merged snapshot. Give location and click Next
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Now Click on Finish to finish the task as showing in the screenshot.
Editing Process |
Once we click on Finish the process to merge snapshot to his parent file is being started which may take some time depends on the data size in the snapshot.
Now when this process is completed we have to follow the same step to the remaining snapshot file. See below snapshot there is only two file remaining now as AVHDX2 has been merged to AVHDX1. Now we have only one AVHDX and one VHDX (parent disk).
| Steps need to follow are- |
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1. Rename .avhdx (TEST_VM_CBD46D1B-7A3F-4905-BE93-0054DA587193.avhdx) to .vhdx and browse and select the renamed file.
2. Select the Edit button.
3. Follow the next step and select Merge.
4. Next Option to merge to Parent disk.
5. Process again will take time to merge the avhdx file to the main parent disk (TEST_VM.vhdx).
Finally, After this complete process, there will be a single vhdx file. Browse and select this file and apply, OK and try to start VM.
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| Now Attach this final vhdx to the virtual machine and start it. |
 Now we have started VM, you can see below VM has been started.
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Thanks for reading this blog. If you are facing any issue with this process please comment here we will try to provide a solution to your problem.
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