Where Does Proxmox Store VM Configs and Disks?
Proxmox /etc/pve configs and /var/lib/vz storage with qemu-server, lxc and templates on Linux.
Last updated
Proxmox splits cluster config from bulk storage: VM and container definitions live in /etc/pve while disks, ISOs, templates and backups sit in /var/lib/vz. The config tree syncs across cluster nodes automatically.
Backups need both halves plus the storage definitions. Copying raw disk images without their configs produces orphans the UI cannot see.
Where Proxmox VE stores this, by platform
/etc/pve
Cluster filesystem with qemu-server per-VM configs, lxc container configs, firewall rules and storage.cfg. Bulk data lives under /var/lib/vz in dump, images, template and private subfolders. Back up /etc/pve plus storage.cfg and the vzdump archives, never live disk images alone.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up Proxmox properly?
Schedule vzdump backups to the dump folder and copy /etc/pve plus storage.cfg alongside. Restoring means reinstalling Proxmox, restoring configs, then restoring guests from dumps.
Where are Proxmox ISOs and templates?
Under /var/lib/vz/template/iso and /var/lib/vz/template/cache. Uploads through the UI land there automatically.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.