topic Re: Remove snapshots using script in VMware PowerCLI Discussions

Remove snapshots using script

Vimal348 — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 20:59:04 GMT

Hello,

I have created snapshots for many VMs with the description:"Prior to install VM Hardware"

Can someone please tell me how to remove those snapshots that has a description : "Prior to install VM Hardware"

$vmlist = Get-Content "C:\VM\Snapshots\vmlists.txt"

foreach($VM in $VMlist) {

Get-Snapshot -VM $vm |

Remove-Snapshot -Confirm:$false

}

Disconnect-VIServer -Confirm:$false

Re: Remove snapshots using script

LucD — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 21:31:42 GMT

Try like this

$vmlist = Get-Content "C:\VM\Snapshots\vmlists.txt"

foreach($VM in $VMlist) {

Get-Snapshot -VM $vm -Name 'Prior to install VM Hardware' |

Remove-Snapshot -Confirm:$false

}

Disconnect-VIServer -Confirm:$false

Re: Remove snapshots using script

Vimal348 — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 21:50:41 GMT

Hello LucD,

Thank you for your script. Your suggestion works for the snapshot that has the name: 'Prior to install VM Hardware',

Here my snapshot names are different for each VMs, but Description is same : 'Prior to install VM Hardware',

Hence, is it possible to delete the snapshot collecting that Description name: 'Prior to install VM Hardware',

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Re: Remove snapshots using script

LucD — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 21:55:24 GMT

Then you could try like this

$vmlist = Get-Content "C:\VM\Snapshots\vmlists.txt"

foreach($VM in $VMlist) {

Get-Snapshot -VM $vm | where{$_.Description -eq 'Prior to install VM Hardware'} |

Remove-Snapshot -Confirm:$false

}

Disconnect-VIServer -Confirm:$false

Re: Remove snapshots using script

Vimal348 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 00:49:58 GMT

Thank you LucD

The script works perfectly...

Re: Remove snapshots using script

ansar2 — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 13:37:15 GMT

what is a general script i can use to delete snapshot from my environment?

Re: Remove snapshots using script

LucD — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 16:12:07 GMT

What do you mean by "general"?
Remove all snapshots?

Re: Remove snapshots using script

Jocker-H — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 10:34:33 GMT

Hello Luc,

Quick question please can we remove Snapshot from the listed VMs but based on Date and time of the snap wich should be listed into the CVS file ?

Exemple for the Csv VM Name / Date / Time of Snap Creation /

Thanks in advance

Re: Remove snapshots using script

LucD — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 11:39:14 GMT

The object returned by Get-Snapshot contains a property Created.
You could use a Where-clause to only select the snapshot corresponding with a specific DateTime.
Just be aware that specifying the correct time in your CSV might be inaccurate since a DateTime is very precise (sub-second).
I would approach this with a time interval based on the value in your CSV

Re: Remove snapshots using script

ChristianCGI — Tue, 09 May 2023 12:23:19 GMT

Hello,

For me I create a 3 lines script to remove all snapshot older then 3 days, but it looks like the log file not working, I get nothing in the file.

Do you have any suggestion ?

Connect-VIServer -server blablabla

$snapshot = Get-VM | Get-Snapshot | Where {$_.Created -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-3)} | Out-File "C:\Temp\deletesnap\logs.txt" -Append

$snapshot | Remove-Snapshot -RemoveChildren -RunAsync -Confirm:$false | Out-File "C:\Temp\deletesnap\logs.txt" -Append

Re: Remove snapshots using script

LucD — Tue, 09 May 2023 12:34:22 GMT

With the RunAsync switch the snapshot removal becomes a background task, and hence not producing any output.

You could use Get-Task, wait till all background tasks are completed, and then capture the info in the object returned by Get-Task.

Re: Remove snapshots using script

cool_breeze — Wed, 10 May 2023 17:44:00 GMT

This is a good thread.

Re: Remove snapshots using script

Jocker-H — Wed, 10 May 2023 17:56:11 GMT

Hello, could you please share with us the script after the modification. Im intrest in it.

Thanks