Share via

Windows Hyper-V Server: How to Import and Export Virtual Machines

  • Article

Using import and export feature, we can create a new virtual machine with the same configuration of an existing machine in Hyper-V.

The exported virtual machine files or VHD are saved in the server, and we can be reused as many time as we want to create new VM.

So let’s start from the beginning and describe all details with associated screenshots:

  • Log in to the server or system where hyper-v machines are deployed.
  • Now search for Hyper-V manager on the machine and click the same to open
  • Once Hyper-V manager is opening, now click on the server to Connect Hyper-V server from Hyper-V Manager -> Right-click your virtual machine and select the export option.
  • If we have hosted the same on local server, it will be showing on the same; see below
  • Now select any one of the servers which you want to export, and right-click the same. Here select Export option from the option came from right-click. See below:
  • It will open start with specifying where you want to save the files, select your path by clicking Browse option and select path where you want to save the file.

Please note that you can export a virtual machine even when it is in “On” or turn off state. But prefer server should be down to export properly, also delete an unwanted snapshot from the same to avoid the issue in importing the same.

  • Once all done, click export and wait for time till exporting is done we can see the progress status from the status bar.
  • Once exporting completing export operation we can see the virtual machine files in the destination folder. This folder will contain Snapshots (In case if you have snapshot), Virtual Disks and Virtual machine files.

To import the VM, you need to copy all these three folders to the other server.

Import Virtual Machine in Hyper-V

Now we will discuss and see the steps to import the Virtual machines in Hyper-V Manager step by step with screenshots.

We are using Importing a virtual machine registers the virtual machine with the Hyper-V host. We can import back into the host, or new host and reuse the same server settings. If we are importing into the same exported server.

The Import Virtual Machine wizard also helps us fix mismatches that can exist when moving from one machine to another. This is commonly differences in physical hardware, such as memory, virtual switches, and virtual processors.

Below are the step by to import the same:

  • Copy the VM Files: We need to Copy the exported Virtual machine files and folders to your local server before we start to import a virtual machine. See the above option how we have exported machine and saved the file.
  • Just for example we are trying to export windows server
  • Before importing the virtual machine, we have Copied Windows server exported machine files from the machine to the server.
  • Import Virtual Machine Menu Option, now click in Hyper-V Manager and select the added server and right-click the same, we will getting option called Import Virtual machines
  • Once selected above option, we will get new Import virtual machine wizard.
  • The first option, we will get before you begin, just select Next.
  • On the next page, we will get Locate folder here we need to select Virtual Machine by selecting browse option and select copied exported server.µ
  • Select the VM to Import: After selecting the path, it will show the machine name in import virtual Machine page. Select machine and click next.
  • Choose Import Type: Clicking next we will get the option called choose import type.

Here we need select the Import mode as per your requirement. Please note that transferred files can be used again to clone machines only using “Copy The virtual machine (create a new unique ID)” option.

This has the following three options:

Register the virtual machine in-place

Restore the virtual machine

Copy the virtual machine (In our example, we are going to select this option)

  • Select above option and click on next, on the next page Select the Virtual Machine storage location path to store virtual machine files. Here accept the default values here. If we want to change the location, select the “Store the virtual machine in a different location” checkbox. Currently, we are going to default feature.
  • Once clicked next option we will get choose storage folders. Here select the folder path to store Virtual machine Hard disk. This will be your storage location.
  • Now click Next to Finish the Import. Here review the machine configuration selection, and click Finish to complete the import process.