How to create snapshots in VMware Workstation Player for free

Virtualization is an easy way to try out multiple operating systems without having to go through complicated installation and uninstallation processes. Modern virtualization software like VMware offers many advanced features that make virtual machine management much easier.

One of those features is the ability to create virtual machine (VM) snapshots. Let's learn how to create VM snapshots in VMware Workstation Player for free.

What is a virtual machine snapshot?

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A VM snapshot is a preserved state of a virtual machine. When you create a snapshot, the virtualization software saves the state of the virtual machine and all the data in it. This is especially useful when analyzing malware or testing with virtual machines. If a virtual machine becomes corrupted, you can restore it to a healthy state at any time by restoring its snapshot from an earlier date.

While users with a paid subscription can enjoy this feature in VMware, those with the free version will not be able to create snapshots. However, there is an easy workaround to create snapshots. This takes a bit of time and effort, but works great!

How to create snapshots in VMware Workstation Player for free

When you create a snapshot, it essentially backs up the data and state of the machine. There are two steps to this process. First, create a backup and second, add it as a separate virtual machine in VMware Workstation Player.

1. Back up all virtual machine files

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1. First, you must copy and paste all the VM files into a backup folder. These are the steps to take:
2. As a first step, shut down the virtual machine and close VMware Workstation Player. Additionally, test and terminate all instances of VMware using Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on Mac.
3. Right-click on the VM and open Settings > Hard Disk to find the path where all its data is stored.
4. Go to the location in file explorer.
5. Press Ctrl + A on the keyboard to select all items and copy them using Ctrl + C .
6. Now, create a new folder anywhere on your drive and name it, for example "Vm_snapshot".
7. Paste all the items you copied inside the folder using Ctrl + V .

2. Add the backup as a new virtual machine in VMware Workstation Player

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Now that you have prepared a backup, that is, an identical copy of the virtual machine in use, it's time to load it into VMware to use as a snapshot. Here's how you can add VMs to VMware Workstation Player:

1. Activate the new version of VMware Workstation Player.
2. Click Player > File > Open and navigate to the location of the virtual machine backup.
3. Confirm the installation and add the VM to VMware Workstation Player.
4. Run it as you would with a regular image. It will boot fine and you will find it in the same state as when you closed the original VM.

That's all you need to do to manually store virtual machine snapshots in the free VMware Workstation Player. Repeat the process each time you need to create a snapshot.

While there are several options for getting started with virtualization, VMware and VirtualBox are the market leaders for all the right reasons. However, depending on your budget and more importantly the nature of your work, either of these options may be a better choice. If you're not sure which one to choose, check out this guide: VirtualBox vs VMware: Which virtual machine software is better? - where their pros and cons have been fully analyzed.

David Pac

Update 19 October 2023