Remove snapshots using script

Vimal348 · ‎09-15-2020

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 · ‎09-15-2020

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

Blog: lucd.info Twitter: @LucD22 Co-author PowerCLI Reference

Vimal348 · ‎09-15-2020

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 · ‎09-15-2020

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

Blog: lucd.info Twitter: @LucD22 Co-author PowerCLI Reference

View solution in original post

Vimal348 · ‎09-15-2020

Thank you LucD

The script works perfectly...

ansar2 · ‎03-14-2023

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

LucD · ‎03-14-2023

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

Blog: lucd.info Twitter: @LucD22 Co-author PowerCLI Reference

Jocker-H · ‎04-17-2023

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 · ‎04-17-2023

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

Blog: lucd.info Twitter: @LucD22 Co-author PowerCLI Reference

ChristianCGI · ‎05-09-2023

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 · ‎05-09-2023

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.

Blog: lucd.info Twitter: @LucD22 Co-author PowerCLI Reference

cool_breeze · ‎05-10-2023

This is a good thread.

Jocker-H · ‎05-10-2023

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

Thanks