Revert a Virtual Machine Snapshot

To return a virtual machine to its original state, or to return to another snapshot in the snapshot hierarchy, you can use the revert options.

When you revert a snapshot, you return the virtual machine's memory, settings, and the state of the virtual machine disks to the state they were in when you took the snapshot. You can revert any snapshot in the snapshot tree and make that snapshot the parent snapshot of the current state of the virtual machine. Subsequent snapshots from this point create a new branch of the snapshot tree.

Restoring snapshots has the following effects:

• The current disk and memory states are discarded, and the virtual machine reverts to the disk and memory states of the parent snapshot.
• Existing snapshots are not removed. You can revert those snapshots at any time.
• If the snapshot includes the memory state, the virtual machine will be in the same power state as when you created the snapshot.

  Table 1. Virtual Machine Power State After Restoring a Snapshot

  Virtual Machine State When Parent Snapshot Is Taken	Virtual Machine State After Restoration
  Powered on (includes memory)	Reverts to the parent snapshot, and the virtual machine is powered on and running.
  Powered on (does not include memory)	Reverts to the parent snapshot and the virtual machine is powered off.
  Powered off (does not include memory)	Reverts to the parent snapshot and the virtual machine is powered off.

Virtual machines running certain kinds of workloads can take several minutes to resume responsiveness after reverting from a snapshot.

Note: vApp metadata for virtual machines in vApps does not follow the snapshot semantics for the virtual machine configuration. vApp properties that are deleted, modified, or defined after a snapshot is taken remain intact (deleted, modified, or defined) after the virtual machine reverts to that snapshot or any previous snapshots.

When you revert to a snapshot, disks that you added or changed after the snapshot was taken are reverted to the snapshot point. For example, when you take a snapshot of a virtual machine, add a disk, and revert the snapshot, the added disk is removed.

Independent disks are also removed when you revert to a snapshot that was taken before the disk was added. If the latest snapshot includes an independent disk, its contents do not change when you revert to that snapshot.

Prerequisites

Verify that you have the Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Revert to snapshot privilege on the virtual machine.

Procedure

1. To revert a snapshot, navigate to a virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory and click the Snapshots tab.
2. Navigate to a snapshot in the snapshot tree, click Revert, and click the Revert button.