Remove snapshots using script

[Vimal348]

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

[LucD]

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

[Vimal348]

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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[LucD · Accepted solution]

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

[Vimal348]

Thank you LucD

The script works perfectly...

[ansar2]

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

[LucD]

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

[Jocker-H]

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

[LucD]

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

[ChristianCGI]

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

[LucD]

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.

[cool_breeze]

This is a good thread.

[Jocker-H]

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

Thanks