Disable Windows Registry Backup on Windows Virtual Machines

Disabling the Windows registry backup feature, RegIdleBackup, avoids some I/O operations to the file system and can reduce the growth of an instant clone's or a linked clone's virtual disk.

The following steps apply to Windows 7 and Windows 8. The steps might vary on different Windows operating systems.

Procedure

1. In vSphere Client, select the parent virtual machine and select Open Console.
2. Log in as an administrator.
3. Click Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools.
4. Select Task Scheduler and click Open.
5. In the left pane, expand Task Scheduler Library, Microsoft, Windows.
6. Double-click Registry and select RegIdleBackup.
7. In the Actions pane, click Disable.