Azure – Restore VM disk from a snapshot

On a LAB or even a production environment, it can be useful to restore the system with a snapshot if something goes wrong.

Despite you can use Azure backup or site recovery for this, Azure is offering a simple feature called “Snapshot”. You can create a snapshot from an existing disk, even being up and running on a VM.

If you need to create a snapshot, just go to the disk and click on “Create snapshot”

Click on create snapshot

1. Determine the snapshot you want to use for restore

Ensure your snapshot is available

2. Add a new Managed disk

Click on Add to add a manged disk from Azure market

3. Search for Managed disk

4. Create the managed disk

Click on create

5. Create from snapshot like in the example image below

Select the right snapshot as determined at point 1

6. Once you created the new disk from the snapshot, assign it to the VM (Must be deallocated)

Click on swap OS Disk

7. Assign the right disk to your VM.

Select the new OS disk from snapshot to replace the actual disk

That’s it! You can now restart your vm and work again!

2 Replies to “Azure – Restore VM disk from a snapshot

  1. What if have issues with other Disks ( D,E etc …).
    Is there any way to take Snapshot of those also ?
    Or Full VM restore is the only option.

    Thanks,
    Madhan Mani
    madhanapt@gmail.com

    1. Hi Madhan,

      As far as I know, you can only switch VM OS Disk.
      But if I had to change a managed data disk, I would do the following steps as there is only data :
      1. Create a new disk and integrate the snapshot
      2. Add the newly created disk to the VM
      3. Change the drive letter on the system

      Hope this helps.

      Best regards,
      Karl

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