Create and Use Hyper-V Checkpoints in Windows 10  

Can you detail the steps you took in creating a checkpoint?

I thought that you could easily disable checkpoints, and they would be removed, but I may be incorrect. I haven't tried running a VM on my desktop for a while now, as it is just simply not powerful enough to run VMs *and* do other things I need and want to do - gaming being the primary problem.

I understand Checkpoints to be similar in concept to Restore Points - but better. However, in all the reading I've done about Hyper-V Checkpoints, I concluded two things: 1) This feature is exactly what I need and 2) I have no idea how to use them once created - So I'm either missing some key piece of information, or I'm out of my depth trying to use Hyper-V checkpoints.

I'm seriously confused about Revert vs. Apply vs. Save - why is there a Save option in VMConnect, but not in HVM? What does Save do? In the Connect window, there's also a Revert. In HVM why are there different Actions available, depending on whether one clicks on the VM or the Checkpoint? When one select the VM, the option is Revert. When selecting a checkpoint, the option is Apply. When do you use which and why?

Reading this tutorial as well as MS Docs, both suggest using Apply in order to Revert - then there's Save... I'm so confused.

For the sake of example, let's say I have a VM with standard checkpoints enabled. I decide to uninstall some software on the VM that I think is causing a problem. I create a checkpoint of its current state (snapshot?), then I uninstall the software. Turns out, that software wasn't a problem after all, so I want to scrap that test and go back to that last checkpoint I created. I close the connection window and am back in HVM. Do I select the checkpoint and choose Apply, or do I select the VM and choose Revert? I just want to get rid of the state where I made changes.

Another example... When I created the VM, it ran with an MS Account - that's its first checkpoint. Later, I changed the VM to a local account, got enhanced mode, sharing resources, etc. and created a checkpoint. Then I disabled a few startup items on the VM and created another checkpoint. How do I launch the VM to the state where the startup items were not disabled - that previous checkpoint?

If I have multiple checkpoints representing sequential changes I made, how can I launch the VM at the state it was in at say, checkpoint 3? Do I have to lose/delete the subsequent checkpoints?

If anyone would be willing to take pity on me and provide a little clarity, I sure would be grateful.

Silky said:

I understand Checkpoints to be similar in concept to Restore Points - but better.

Yes, Hyper-V Checkpoints are like Windows Restore Points on steroids.

To apply a checkpoint means to restore VM to the same state it was when checkpoint was created, with a significant difference between a production checkpoint and a standard checkpoint.

A production checkpoint does not save the state of any open applications, documents and so on. It just saves the state of Windows, exactly as it was when booted to sign-in screen.

A standard checkpoint (my recommendation) however saves both Windows and application state. For instance, let's say you have an unsaved Word document open, you have Ten Forums open in browser, and you are in the middle of copying a big 5 GB file on VM, copy process showing 47% done, when you create a standard checkpoint. When you apply this checkpoint, your unsaved Word document is there, browser will be open at Ten Forums, and file copy continues from 47%.

A checkpoint can be applied by selecting it and selecting Apply, either from checkpoint context menu, from Hyper-V Manager's VM pane (bottom right), or from VM Connection window's Action menu.

"Revert" simply means applying the last checkpoint, checkpoint last created for that specific VM.

An example: I have a VM which originally had Windows 7 Ultimate installed on it. Before I upgraded it to Windows 8.1, I created a checkpoint. After upgrading it to Windows 8.1, I again created a checkpoint before upgrading it to Windows 10. I then upgraded it to Windows 10 Insider Preview, and finally to Windows 11, creating checkpoints at every step.

The VM currently runs Windows 11 PRO Dev Channel, but if I want to, I can for instance return it to Windows 8.1 simply by applying respective checkpoint:


Saving a VM means saving its current state, pausing it and freeing the RAM it has used to Hyper-V host computer. Saving VM is in fact as "quick standard checkpoint", when restored the VM, Windows and all applications, is restored to exactly same state it was in, when VM was saved.

Kari

Kari said:

Yes, Hyper-V Checkpoints are like Windows Restore Points on steroids.

To apply a checkpoint means to restore VM to the same state it was when checkpoint was created, with a significant difference between a production checkpoint and a standard checkpoint.

Is it fair to say then, that when you Apply a checkpoint, you're telling HVM to use that state when you connect to the VM? If you later apply a subsequent or previous checkpoint, THAT will be the configuration you will connect to. And you can go back and forth between checkpoints by applying them as you wish. Do I have that right?

Further, just so I understand, if you apply a checkpoint from HVM when you connect to the VM again, the NOW checkpoint should be pert near exactly the same as it's parent checkpoint. As you work in the VM, NOW will be the previously applied checkpoint plus whatever you've done since. Is that right?

"Revert" simply means applying the last checkpoint, checkpoint last created for that specific VM.

So basically, discard anything you've done in the VM since that checkpoint was created, and NOW is the same as it's parent checkpoint. Right?

Regarding Reset in the Connect menu... From what I read, it looks like it is the equivalent to holding down the power button on a physical machine for a few seconds to make it turn off - if that's true, what's the difference between Reset and Turn Off?

Saving a VM means saving its current state, pausing it and freeing the RAM it has used to Hyper-V host computer. Saving VM is in fact as "quick standard checkpoint", when restored the VM, Windows and all applications, is restored to exactly same state it was in, when VM was saved.

So, it's similar to Hibernate, right? Once you Save and shut the machine down, HVM shows a state of "saved" for that VM - like a hibernate. When you next connect to that VM it will load the "hibernation" file and be in the NOW state - which is a child of whichever checkpoint was last applied, PLUS whatever changes had occurred since that checkpoint.

How can I tell if there is a difference between NOW and it's parent checkpoint?

Are Saved states preserved until they are manually removed? What happens if I apply a checkpoint prior to the Saved state - apply a parent? Does the Saved state disappear, and if so is the associated data deleted from the host HDD?