Where Does Tart Store Virtual Machines?
Tart keeps virtual machine images in a .tart folder in your home directory on Mac, one subfolder per VM.
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Tart stores each virtual machine as a directory inside ~/.tart, holding the disk image plus metadata. Clones and layered images reference their parents, so the folder reads like a small image library.
Disk usage surprises come from that layering: deleting a base while clones exist orphans them. List with tart list, stop running guests before copying, and treat the folder as live VM storage rather than an archive.
Where Tart stores this, by platform
~/.tart
One subfolder per VM with disk image and metadata. Stop guests before copying. Layered clones reference base images, so keep parents until clones are gone.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up a Tart VM?
Copy the matching VM subfolder to external storage with the VM stopped. Restore it into .tart on the new Mac, then run tart list to confirm it appears.
How do I delete a Tart VM fully?
Delete the VM subfolder inside .tart after stopping it. Snapshots or layered clones reference the base image, so remove those first.
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