Table of Contents
Backing up and restoring VMware virtual machines is essential for data protection, disaster recovery, and safe system maintenance.
Step 1: Power Off the VMware Virtual Machine
Before taking a proper backup, the virtual machine should be powered off to ensure data consistency and avoid corrupted snapshots or disk files.
VMware Workstation: VM → Power → Shut Down Guest
Step 2: Locate the VMware Virtual Machine Files
Each VMware VM is stored in a dedicated folder containing important files such as .vmx, .vmdk, and .nvram, which together make up the complete virtual machine.
Windows: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Virtual Machines\
Linux: /home/username/vmware/
Step 3: Backup the VMware Virtual Machine
Once the VM is powered off, simply copy the entire VM folder to an external disk, NAS, or backup server for safe storage.
cp -r MyVM /backup-location/MyVM-backup
Step 4: Backup VMware VM Using OVF/OVA Export
Exporting a VM as an OVA file is a clean and portable backup method supported by VMware products.
VMware → File → Export to OVF
Step 5: Restore VMware VM from Folder Backup
To restore a VM from a folder backup, copy the backup folder back to your system and open the .vmx file using VMware.
VMware → File → Open → Select .vmx file
Step 6: Restore VMware VM from OVA Backup
OVA files can be easily imported and restored on any compatible VMware system with just a few clicks.
VMware → File → Open → Select .ova file
Step 7: Verify the Restored Virtual Machine
After restoration, power on the VM and confirm that the operating system, network settings, and applications are working correctly.
Check IP, services, and disk usage inside the VM
Step 8: Use Snapshots for Short-Term Backup
Snapshots provide a quick and lightweight way to capture the current state of a VMware virtual machine before changes, making them useful for short-term backup, testing, or rollback scenarios without replacing full backups.
VM → Snapshot → Take Snapshot
