Hyper-V deleting a checkpoint when the delete option is missing

Hyper-V is a powerful virtualization platform that allows users to create and manage virtual machines efficiently. One of its handy features is the ability to take snapshots, which capture the state of a virtual machine at a specific point in time. These snapshots serve as restore points, allowing you to roll back your VM to a previous state if needed. However, sometimes you may encounter an issue where the delete option for a snapshot is not available in Hyper-V Manager.

Method 1: Using the Keyboard Shortcut in Hyper-V Manager

When the delete option is missing from the Hyper-V Manager interface, you can use a keyboard shortcut to delete the snapshot. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Launch Hyper-V Manager

Open Hyper-V Manager by searching for it in the Start menu

Step 2: Select the Virtual Machine and Snapshot

In the left-hand pane of Hyper-V Manager, locate the virtual machine that contains the snapshot you want to delete. Click on the VM's name to select it. Then, select the specific snapshot you wish to delete from the list of checkpoints displayed in the centre pane.

Step 3: Press the Delete Key

With the VM and the desired snapshot selected, press the "Delete" key on your keyboard. This action will prompt a confirmation dialog.

Step 4: Confirm Snapshot Deletion

In the confirmation dialog, review the details of the snapshot you are about to delete. Ensure that you have selected the correct snapshot, as the deletion process is irreversible. Click "Yes" to proceed.

Method 2: Using PowerShell to Remove the Snapshot

If you prefer using PowerShell, you can employ the following steps to remove the snapshot using command-line tools:

Step 1: Launch PowerShell

Open PowerShell by searching for it in the Start menu or by using the Run dialog (press Win + R and type "powershell" followed by Enter).

Step 2: Remove the Snapshot

In the PowerShell console, run the following command to remove the desired snapshot:

Get-VM <VM-Name> | Remove-VMSnapshot

Replace <VM-Name> with the name of the virtual machine containing the snapshot you wish to delete. This command retrieves the specified virtual machine and pipes it to the Remove-VMSnapshot cmdlet to remove the snapshot.