Deleting a Virtual Machine

Virtual Machines can be deleted manually, however we recommend to do it using Delete VM Wizard that detects all the files that make up Virtual Machine and are connected to it.

The Wizard helps to remove the following Virtual Machine components and associated files:

• configuration file,
• virtual hard disk drives connected to the Virtual Machine,
• CD/DVD disc .iso images connected to the Virtual Machine (if any),
• floppy disk .fdd image connected to the Virtual Machine (if any),
• output files of serial and parallel ports (if any),
• home directory where Virtual Machine files are stored.

The Wizard can delete a currently opened Virtual Machine that meets the following conditions:

• Its guest OS is not running. If it is running, the menu item that starts the wizard is disabled.
• The Virtual Machine is not opened by another instance of the Parallels Workstation.
• The Virtual Machine is not blank.

To delete a Virtual Machine:

1. Open the desired Virtual Machine.
2. Select Delete VM in VM menu. The Welcome to the Delete Virtual Machine Wizard screen is opened.

   

   Click Next to proceed to the next wizard step.

3. The Wizard detects all the files related to the Virtual Machine and presents them on the Review files to be deleted screen. Each device/file is displayed in a separate string, i.e. if two hard disks are connected to the Virtual Machine, there will be two hard disk strings on the screen. The full path is displayed for each component.

   Configuration file, virtual hard disk, output files of serial and parallel ports, and home directory are pre-selected for deleting while connected CD-ROM .iso images and floppy .fdd images do not, because they can be useful for other Virtual Machines. If you do not consider them to be useful, mark them for deletion on this screen. Note that virtual hard disks can also be attached to other Virtual Machines.

   

   Review selected files, check those that should be deleted and click Finish when you are ready.

4. The Virtual Machine wizard removes the selected files from your hard disk. If everything is OK the final wizard screen will be:

   

   The Virtual Machine is considered to be successfully deleted if all the selected components or all selected components except home directory (if it was chosen for deleting) have been removed. If home directory contains any files it will not be deleted.

   Click Exit to close the wizard.

After the Virtual Machine is deleted a blank VM is opened in the Parallels Workstation screen. The deleted machine disappears from the list of recently used configurations in the File menu.