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By: Dervish

Virtualization allows organizations to deploy workloads quickly, but over time unused virtual machines can accumulate and consume valuable storage and compute resources. Knowing how to delete a virtual machine in VMware properly is an essential skill for virtualization administrators.

Whether you’re using VMware ESXi, vSphere Client, or VMware Workstation, deleting a virtual machine requires more than simply removing it from the inventory. Administrators must ensure that all associated VM files are removed from the datastore to avoid wasted storage space.

This comprehensive guide explains:

How to delete a virtual machine in VMware step by step
How to completely delete a virtual machine in VMware
How to delete a virtual machine in VMware ESXi
How to delete a virtual machine in VMware vSphere Client
How to delete a virtual machine in VMware Workstation
Best practices to prevent accidental data loss

What Happens When You Delete a Virtual Machine in VMware?

Before learning how to delete a virtual machine in VMware, it’s important to understand what a VMware VM actually consists of.

A typical VMware virtual machine includes multiple files stored in a datastore or local disk:

File Type	Description
.vmx	Virtual machine configuration file
.vmdk	Virtual disk file storing VM data
.nvram	BIOS/firmware configuration
.log	VM activity logs
.vmsn / .delta.vmdk	Snapshot files

When a VM is removed incorrectly, only the inventory entry disappears, while these files remain in the datastore.

This leads to orphaned VM files consuming storage space.

For this reason, administrators should always verify they completely delete a virtual machine in VMware when decommissioning workloads.

Before Deleting a VMware Virtual Machine

Deleting a VM permanently removes its files. Before proceeding, follow this checklist.

Important Pre-Deletion Checklist

✔ Ensure the virtual machine is powered off
✔ Confirm the VM is no longer needed
✔ Check whether the VM has active snapshots
✔ Verify that no other systems depend on the VM
✔ Create a backup if necessary

In enterprise environments, deleting a VM without backup can lead to irreversible data loss.

Backup platforms provide agentless VMware backup, incremental protection, and rapid recovery, allowing administrators to restore deleted virtual machines when needed.

Remove from Inventory vs Delete from Disk

A common mistake when deleting VMs is choosing the wrong option.

Option	What It Does
Remove from Inventory	Removes VM from VMware interface but leaves files on disk
Delete from Disk	Removes VM from inventory and deletes datastore files

If your goal is to completely delete a virtual machine in VMware, always choose Delete from Disk.

How to Delete a Virtual Machine in VMware vSphere Client

The vSphere Client is the primary interface used for managing VMware environments in enterprise infrastructure.

This method explains how to delete a virtual machine in VMware vSphere Client.

Step 1. Log in to the vSphere Client.

Step 2. Navigate to Virtual Machines and Templates.

Step 3. Locate the virtual machine you want to remove.

Step 4. Ensure the VM is powered off.

Step 5. Right-click the virtual machine.

Step 6. Select Delete from Disk.

Step 7. Confirm the deletion.

Once completed, VMware will automatically:

Remove the VM from inventory
Delete the VM folder from the datastore

How to Delete a Virtual Machine in VMware ESXi

If you’re managing VMs directly through an ESXi host, you will use the ESXi Host Client.

Here is how to delete a virtual machine in VMware ESXi.

Step 1. Open a web browser.

Step 2. Access the ESXi Host Client using the host IP address.

Step 3. Log in with administrator credentials.

Step 4. Navigate to Virtual Machines.

Step 5. Select the VM you want to remove.

Step 6. Power off the virtual machine.

Step 7. Right-click the VM.

Step 8. Click Delete.

Step 9. Confirm the operation.

VMware will then remove the VM and its associated files.

How to Delete a Virtual Machine Using Datastore Browser

Sometimes administrators remove a VM from inventory but the files remain in the datastore.

To fix this, you must manually delete the VM folder.

Step 1. Open vSphere Client

Step 2. Navigate to Storage

Step 3. Select the datastore containing the VM

Step 4. Click Datastore Browser

Step 5. Locate the VM folder

Step 6. Delete the entire folder

This ensures you completely delete a virtual machine in VMware and reclaim storage space.

How to Delete a Virtual Machine in VMware Workstation

Developers and lab environments often use VMware Workstation rather than ESXi.

Below is how to delete a virtual machine in VMware Workstation.

Step 1. Open VMware Workstation.

Step 2. Locate the virtual machine in the library panel.

Step 3. Right-click the VM.

Step 4. Select Manage → Delete from Disk.

Step 5. Confirm the deletion.

VMware Workstation will delete both:

The VM entry in the library
All VM files stored on the host system

If you choose Remove from Library, the VM files will remain on disk.

How to Completely Delete a Virtual Machine in VMware

To completely delete a virtual machine in VMware, administrators should verify that all associated files are removed.

Verification Checklist

After deletion, confirm that:

The VM folder no longer exists in the datastore
VMDK disk files are deleted
Snapshot files are removed
No orphaned VM files remain

If files remain, manually delete the entire VM folder using Datastore Browser.

Backup VMware Virtual Machines Before Deletion to Prevent Data Loss

Before you permanently remove a virtual machine, it is strongly recommended to create a backup. In many organizations, virtual machines are deleted for reasons such as environment cleanup, infrastructure upgrades, or migration to new platforms. However, accidental deletion or unexpected data requirements can quickly become a problem if no backup exists.

A reliable VMware backup solution ensures that deleted virtual machines can be restored quickly without affecting business operations.

Enterprise data protection platforms such as i2Backup help administrators safeguard VMware workloads before performing operations like VM deletion.

Agentless VMware backup without installing agents inside virtual machines
Incremental forever backup to reduce storage usage and backup windows
Granular recovery for restoring entire VMs or specific files
Cross-platform protection for databases, applications, and virtual environments

FREE Trial for 60-Day

By maintaining consistent VM backups, administrators can confidently manage VM lifecycle operations—including provisioning, migration, and deletion—without risking critical data loss.

Common Problems When Deleting VMware Virtual Machines

Even experienced administrators sometimes encounter issues.

VM Cannot Be Deleted

Possible reasons include:

VM is still running
Active snapshots exist
File lock issues

Solution:
Power off the VM and consolidate or remove snapshots.

VM Files Still Exist After Deletion

This occurs when administrators choose Remove from Inventory instead of Delete from Disk.

Solution:
Delete the VM folder manually from the datastore.Datastore Space Not Reclaimed

Sometimes storage is not immediately released due to snapshot chains or linked clones.

Verify that all VM files have been removed.

Best Practices for Managing VMware Virtual Machine Lifecycle

Deleting VMs is only one part of proper virtualization management.

Implement VM Lifecycle Policies

Organizations should define policies for:

VM creation
VM expiration
Decommissioning procedures

Prevent VM Sprawl

VM sprawl occurs when unused virtual machines accumulate across the infrastructure.

Regular audits can help maintain a clean environment.

Protect Virtual Machines with Backup

Before deleting production VMs, administrators should ensure reliable backups exist.

This ensures critical workloads can be restored even after accidental deletion.

FAQ of Delete Virtual Machines in VMware

How do I delete a virtual machine in VMware?

To delete a virtual machine in VMware, power off the VM, right-click it in vSphere or ESXi, and select Delete from Disk. This removes the VM and all associated files.

What is the difference between Remove from Inventory and Delete from Disk?

Remove from Inventory only removes the VM from the interface, while Delete from Disk removes both the VM and its datastore files.

How do I completely delete a virtual machine in VMware?

To completely delete a virtual machine in VMware, choose Delete from Disk and verify the VM folder is removed from the datastore.

Can I recover a deleted VMware virtual machine?

Yes, if a backup exists. Backup solutions like Info2Soft i2Backup allow administrators to restore deleted VMware virtual machines quickly.

Conclusion

Understanding how to delete a virtual machine in VMware helps administrators maintain a clean and efficient virtualization environment.

Whether you are using VMware ESXi, vSphere Client, or VMware Workstation, the correct approach is to delete the VM from disk and confirm that all datastore files are removed.

With proper procedures and backup protection from solutions like info2Soft, administrators can safely manage the lifecycle of VMware virtual machines while avoiding data loss.

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What Happens When You Delete a Virtual Machine in VMware?