How to Create a Checkpoint
Use the following procedure to create a checkpoint for a selected virtual machine. Checkpoints enable you to recover a virtual machine to a previous state. You can create as many as 64 checkpoints per virtual machine. You can create checkpoints only when a virtual machine is deployed on a host. For more information, see About Virtual Machine Checkpoints.
It is advisable to shut down the virtual machine before creating a checkpoint. However, you can create a checkpoint while a virtual machine is in a Stopped or Turned Off state. Doing so stops the virtual machine momentarily while the checkpoint is created. If Virtual Machine Additions is not installed on the virtual machine, the virtual machine is not shut down. Instead, it is simply stopped; this is similar to switching off the power on a physical machine while it is still running. To avoid losing any data, ensure that the virtual machine is not in use and that no processes are running on the virtual machine.
Note
You can also create a checkpoint while you manage checkpoints in Virtual Machine Properties. For more information, see How to Manage Checkpoints.
To create a checkpoint
In Virtual Machines view, expand All Hosts in the navigation pane, and navigate to the host on which the virtual machine is deployed.
In the results pane, select the virtual machine and then, in the Actions pane, click New checkpoint.
If the virtual machine is running, VMM warns you that the checkpoint operation will turn off or shut down the virtual machine and ask if you want to continue.
To continue, click Yes.
Under Checkpoint description, enter a description to add to the timestamp that identifies the checkpoint.
See Also
Concepts
About Virtual Machine Checkpoints
How to Edit a Checkpoint Description
How to Manage Checkpoints
Other Resources
How to Merge a Checkpoint
How to Restore a Virtual Machine to a Checkpoint