VMware ESXi – How to Clone an Existing VM Without Re-Importing

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I have imported a VM into an ESXi server using the VMware "Converter stand alone utility". However, this process is a little tedious. Since I eventually want several copies of this VM (or, to be more accurate, several more-or-less identical instances of this VM) to be running at the same time, is there a way to clone the already imported VM? Or do I have to re-import for each instance I want?

Best Answer

No need to use the converter to clone a VM.

Simply browse to the datastore:

  • Click on the host > Configuration tab
  • Select Hardware > Storage to display the datastores
  • Right-click on the datastore with the VM you want to clone > Browse Datastore
  • Create a new folder in the store
  • Right click on the VM folder and select Copy (must be done in the right pane of the Datastore Browser)
  • Paste the VM to a new sub folder (otherwise the VM will overwrite itself)
  • Once copied, rename and move the folder if desired
  • Select the .vmx file within the cloned VM and select 'Add to Inventory'
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