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#1021
A Hyper-V VM is stored on a VHD or VHDX file. Checkpoint creates an incremental backup on a differencing AVHD or AVHDX file, containing changes made when compared to base VHD or VHDX, saving the VM current state.
When you apply a checkpoint, the exact state of the point when it was created will be restored. Cutting some corners to explain it as simplified as possible, you could say that your base VHD or VHDX is like a Macrium system image, and each AVHD or AVHDX like an incremental backup, main difference being that you can jump from a checkpoint to another, from a specific state to another specific state in few seconds.
Here checkpoints for one of my virtual machines as seen in Hyper-V Manager:
The same seen in File Explorer:
I can jump between checkpoints as I wish, same way than restoring incremental or differential Macrium backups.
An example: To get Finnish and Swedish Insider W10 PRO UUP upgrades to make ISO images, I only use one VM. I installed Finnish W10 PRO and created a checkpoint. I then installed Swedish language pack to that VM and changed Windows system language with Sysprep to Swedish, and created another checkpoint.
Now when new Insider builds will be released, I apply Finnish checkpoint, get the UUP files, make an ISO, and when ready apply Swedish checkpoint and get Swedish UUP & ISO.
Kari