Best, Fastest Order to Delete a Chain of Snapshots?

[vmxmr]

For context, see a.p. 's post, the fifth one in this thread, which correctly describes how snapshot files work. (Ignore my previous post, which is not correct):

Snapshot on a different drive

Here is my question:

If you have a virtual machine with several snapshots, what is the best or fastest order to delete them? Is there a preferred order? (e.g., Oldest in the chain first? Newest in the chain first?) What if there are side branches?

[vmxmr]

Bump. Does anyone know the best order to delete a long chain of snapshots? Oldest to newest? Newest to oldest?

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

By deleting a single snapshot, its data is merged into its direct parent .vmdk file.

Deleting the first snapshot in a chain (i.e. the oldest one) merges the delta data into the base .vmdk file. Deleting one of the other snapshots will merge the delta data into a parent snapshot, i.e. the data needs to be merged again if you want to delete all of a VM's snapshots.

So the answer to your question is, delete the snapshots from oldest to newest.

André

[vmxmr]

Thank you!

[mascorde]

Thanks!