Where Does Hyper-V Store Virtual Machines?
Hyper-V splits guests across two default roots: XML configs under ProgramData and virtual disks under the Public Documents folder.
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Hyper-V keeps configuration and disks apart by default. VM definitions land in a Hyper-V folder under ProgramData, while the big .vhdx disk files go to a Virtual Hard Disks folder under Public Documents. Checkpoints nest beside the configs they belong to.
Both roots are changeable in Hyper-V Settings, and per VM overrides scatter files further. Before hunting disk usage, open each VM's settings and read the actual disk path. The defaults only describe machines created by someone who never touched the settings.
Where Hyper-V stores this, by platform
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Hyper-V
Config XML files live here per VM under GUID names. Disks default to C:\Users\Public\Documents\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks. Check Hyper-V Settings for custom roots.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move a VM to another host?
Use Export and Import rather than raw copies. Exports bundle configs, disks, and checkpoints with consistent paths. Plain file copies work only when every path matches, which they rarely do.
Why are the config files unreadable names?
The config filenames are GUIDs, not VM names, so the folders read as alphabet soup. Match them through Hyper-V Manager's inspect dialog or the settings UI instead of guessing by name.
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