42

It seems like a simple thing to find the answer too. But, I can't seem to find it in the Hyper-V doc. I'm sure it's there somewhere.

Simple question, when I am in Hyper-V manager there are two options that seem similar but I am sure they are different. "Turn Off..." and "Shut Down..." What do they each do?

My gut tells me that "Turn Off..." is like pulling the plug on a physical machine where as "Shut Down..." sends a shut down message to the guest. Is that correct?

In both cases is the VM no longer running and using memory and CPU resources on the host.

PilotBob
  • 531

4 Answers4

32

you are correct in what your gut tells you.

Keith
  • 2,449
4

Not quite, at least in concept:

< PULLING THE PLUG > The 'worst' you could do in terms of control, i.e. no control.

< TURN OFF > Should have a circuit which takes care of the hardware components, i.e. makes sure that various components are properly turned off. = take care of hardware stuff -> < TURN OFF >.

< SHUTDOWN > = take care of software/OS stuff (e.g. save files) -> < TURN OFF >.

Spikey
  • 41
1

Turn Off

What it does: Forces the VM to stop immediately, like pulling the power cable on a physical machine.

How: It cuts power to the VM without notifying the guest operating system.

Risks:

  • Can corrupt files or lose unsaved data.
  • May leave the VM in an improper state.

When to use:

Only when the VM is frozen, unresponsive, or stuck.

Shut Down

What it does: Sends a graceful shutdown signal to the guest OS, just like clicking "Start > Shut down" inside the VM.

How: Uses Hyper-V Integration Services (if installed and enabled) to signal the guest to shut down cleanly.

Benefits:

  • Preserves data and prevents corruption.
  • Safely closes running applications and services.

When to use:

  • Always preferred for routine shutdowns.
  • Ensures the OS handles the shutdown process properly.
chicks
  • 3,915
  • 10
  • 29
  • 37
Flexx Williamz
  • 11
  • 1
0

Have a look at this blog post from the virtual pc guy: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2011/01/10/turning-off-a-virtual-machine.aspx

When you select to “turn off” a virtual machine – you are actually getting an “old school” “cut the power” kind of turn off.

juFo
  • 443