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When Should You Remove a VMware Snapshot
Snapshots are designed for temporary use, such as before applying software patches or making risky configuration changes. Once you verify that the virtual machine is stable after an update, you should remove VMware snapshots as soon as possible. VMware generally recommends keeping these files for no more than 24 to 72 hours.
If left for too long, these files will grow in size and can lead to severe performance issues. Large delta files consume significant storage space and can make the VM snapshot removal process much slower. In extreme cases, an oversized snapshot can cause the virtual machine to freeze or result in storage exhaustion on your datastore.
How to Remove a Snapshot in VMware
There are several ways to perform a VMware snapshot removal, depending on your environment and access level.
Method 1: Using vSphere Client
The vSphere Client is the most used tool for removing a VMware snapshot. It displays a clear, visual snapshot tree, so you can easily view all currently saved virtual machine states.
- Log in to the vSphere Client and find your target virtual machine in the inventory list.
- Right-click the VM name, then select Snapshots > Manage Snapshots from the dropdown menu.
- Choose the specific snapshot you want to remove from the generated list.
- Click the Delete button; select Delete All if you want to merge all existing snapshots into the base disk.
- Confirm the action when prompted and monitor the progress via the Recent Tasks panel.
Note: The total completion time depends on the snapshot size and your storage speed, as VMware needs to merge all delta data changes.
Method 2: Using ESXi Host Client
If you’re managing a standalone host without vCenter, you can remove a VMware snapshot directly through the ESXi Host Client. This method is handy for quick fixes on specific servers.
- Open a web browser and log in to your ESXi Host Client using the host’s IP address.
- Click Virtual Machines in the left-hand navigation menu.
- Right-click the VM you want to manage, then select Snapshots > Manage Snapshots.
- In the pop-up window, select the snapshot you wish to remove and click Delete snapshot.
- Click Close and monitor the task progress at the bottom of the screen.
Method 3: Using PowerCLI
PowerCLI is a great tool to automate VMware snapshot removal for one or multiple virtual machines. It is often faster for experienced administrators and reduces manual work in the web interface.
1. Launch PowerCLI and connect to your vCenter or ESXi host with this command:
Connect-VIServer -Server YourServerName
2. Identify the target snapshot by running:
Get-VM "VM_Name" | Get-Snapshot
3. To delete the snapshot without a confirmation prompt, use:
Get-VM "VM_Name" | Get-Snapshot -Name "SnapshotName" | Remove-Snapshot -Confirm:$false
Method 4: Delete All Snapshots (Optional)
The Delete All option is the fastest way to clean up a virtual machine with multiple snapshots in a single chain. Instead of removing them one by one, this option consolidates every snapshot and merges all accumulated changes into the base virtual disk.
- Open the Snapshot Manager for your selected virtual machine.
- Click the Delete All button at the top of the snapshot list.
- Confirm the action when prompted to begin the consolidation process.
Note: Using Delete All on several large snapshots can place a heavy load on your storage. Only run this process when the VM is not performing business‑critical, high‑I/O tasks.
Why Is Snapshot Removal Taking So Long
A VMware snapshot removal often takes a long time if the snapshot has been active for days or weeks. During this process, VMware need to read every piece of data from the temporary delta file and write it back into the original virtual disk.
If you notice that removing a VMware snapshot is slow, it is usually due to high disk activity or limited storage performance. If the removal task appears to be stuck at 99% during VMware snapshot removal, it is typically still working on background data consolidation. You should avoid restarting the host or the virtual machine during this phase to prevent data corruption.
Tip: To speed up the process, perform snapshot deletions during off-peak hours when the virtual machine’s disk usage is at its lowest.
Best Practices for Managing VMware Snapshots
To keep your virtual environment running efficiently, it’s important to follow simple, consistent guidelines when managing VMware snapshots.
1. Follow the 72-Hour Rule
Try to delete a VMware snapshot within 24 to 72 hours of creating it. Snapshots are designed for short‑term use, such as testing updates or patches—not for long‑term data retention. Leaving snapshots active for days or weeks will drastically increase file size and consolidation time.
2. Limit the Number of Snapshots
Avoid building long snapshot chains on a single virtual machine. Having more than two or three snapshots can severely degrade VM performance, increase I/O latency, and make snapshot removal much slower.
3. Avoid Using Snapshots as Backups
A VMware snapshot is not a replacement for a proper backup solution. It depends entirely on the original base disk to function. If the base disk becomes corrupted or lost, the snapshot cannot restore your data.
4. Monitor Disk Space
Always check your datastore free space before creating a snapshot. Delta files can expand quickly during normal VM activity, and insufficient storage can lead to failed snapshots, slow performance, or even virtual machine outages.
i2Backup for VMware: Safe and Efficient Backup
While snapshots provide a quick way to roll back changes, they are not a substitute for a true VMware data protection strategy. Relying on snapshots for long-term storage can lead to disk performance issues and high risks if the base disk becomes corrupted.
To ensure your environment remains resilient, it is best to use a professional and reliable VM backup solution like i2Backup.
Key Features of i2Backup
- Agentless VM Backup: This tool provides a high-performance snapshot alternative for VMware that uses native APIs to perform backups at scale without needing to install agents on every guest machine.
- Instant VM Recovery: In the event of a server failure, you can instantly recover by remotely mounting backups to your target platform, achieving ultra-low recovery time objectives (RTOs).
- Granular File Restoration: Instead of restoring an entire virtual machine, you can quickly recover specific files or folders from a backup to improve operational efficiency.
- Automated “Set-and-Forget” Workflow: Administrators can configure flexible backup schedules and smart cleanup rules, allowing the system to handle VMware data protection tasks automatically and silently.
Implementing i2Backup provides an efficient VMware backup environment that protects against data loss while keeping your storage hardware optimized. This proactive approach ensures stable VM management and helps you avoid the common performance lags associated with excessive snapshots.
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FAQs
Q1: Does removing a VMware snapshot delete my recent work?
No. Deleting a VMware snapshot simply merges all delta file changes back into the parent virtual disk. Your recent work and current VM state stay fully intact, with no data loss.
Q2: Can I delete a VM snapshot while the virtual machine is powered on?
Yes, you can delete a snapshot while the VM is powered on. For large snapshots, run this task during low-traffic hours to avoid temporary disk performance slowdowns from data consolidation.
Q3: Why is my VMware snapshot removal taking a long time to finish?
Slow snapshot removal is usually caused by large snapshot files and limited storage speed. Long-active snapshots hold more incremental data, which takes extra time to rewrite to the base disk.
Q4: What should I do if a VMware remove snapshot task gets stuck at 99%?
A 99% “stuck” task is usually finishing background consolidation. If it fails, right-click the VM and select Snapshots > Consolidate to manually merge files and fix errors.
Conclusion
Properly removing VMware snapshots is essential to running a smooth, high-performance virtual environment. Whether you use the vSphere Client, ESXi Host Client, or automate tasks via PowerCLI, consistent snapshot management keeps your VMs lean and efficient.
Keep in mind that snapshots are temporary tools, not permanent backups. Regular, timely removal prevents long, laggy consolidation processes and avoids performance hits to your servers.
Follow the step-by-step methods and best practices in this guide, and pair them with a dedicated backup solution like i2Backup to protect your data. Staying proactive with snapshot management is the simplest way to maintain long-term stability for your VMware infrastructure.
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