Create and Use Virtual Machine Templates

On the basis of your virtual machines you can create templates. Later you can use them to create multiple identical virtual machines. To create a virtual machine template, you can:

Note: Virtual machine templates are available in Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition only.

  • convert a virtual machine to a template; or
  • clone a virtual machine to a template.

The difference between these two ways is that when you convert a virtual machine to a template, you can't run it until you convert the template back to the virtual machine. And when you clone a virtual machine to a template, the template appears separately from the virtual machine and you can work with both.

A template, in its turn, can be converted or deployed back to the virtual machine. When you convert a template, it turns back to the virtual machine. And when you deploy it, the resulting virtual machine appears separately from the template and you can work with both.

Convert a Virtual Machine to a Template

To convert a virtual machine to a template:

  1. Start Parallels Desktop.
  2. In Control Center , select the virtual machine you want to convert (it must be shut down) and choose File > Convert to Template .

Convert a Template to the Virtual Machine

To convert a template back to the virtual machine:

  1. Start Parallels Desktop.
  2. In Control Center , right-click the template you want to convert and choose Convert to Virtual Machine .

Clone a Virtual machine to a Template

To clone a virtual machine to a template:

  1. Start Parallels Desktop.
  2. In Control Center , select the virtual machine you want to clone (it must be shut down) and choose File > Clone to Template .
  3. Choose where you want to store the resulting template.

    By default, Parallels Desktop stores templates in your Documents > Parallels folder.

  4. Click Save to start cloning the virtual machine to the template.

Deploy a Template to the Virtual Machine

To deploy a template back to the virtual machine:

  1. Start Parallels Desktop.
  2. In Control Center , right-click the template you want to deploy and choose Deploy to Virtual Machine .
  3. Choose where you want to store the resulting virtual machine.

    By default, Parallels Desktop stores virtual machines in your Documents > Parallels folder.

  4. Click Save to start deploying the template to the virtual machine.
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