Deleting VM checkpoint leaves orphaned .avhdx file

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Hello,

When a checkpoint deletion fails, the orphaned .avhdx file is left outside the merge chain, which prevents the VM from starting. The supported way to manually merge these files back into the base .vhdx is to use the Merge-VHD PowerShell command.

The typical workflow is:

• First, ensure the VM is powered off to avoid file locks.
• Run Merge-VHD -Path <orphaned.avhdx> -DestinationPath <parent.vhdx> to merge the delta file back into its parent.
• If there are multiple orphaned .avhdx files, merge them sequentially in the correct order (child into parent, then parent into its parent, until you reach the base .vhdx).
• After the merge completes, confirm the integrity of the base disk and reattach it to the VM.

It’s important to back up the VM files before running the merge, as mistakes in the merge order can cause data loss. Once the merge is successful, the VM should start normally again.

I hope this gives you a safe and reliable path forward. If this answer helps resolve your issue, please don’t forget to hit “accept answer”

Jason