How to Clone a Virtual Machine in vSphere Client – Step‑by‑Step Guide

In a vSphere environment, cloning a virtual machine is more efficient than creating one from scratch. This guide walks through the complete process using the vSphere Client.

Ensure the source VM is powered off. In the ESXi host, go to Configure → Hardware → Storage and locate the datastore (e.g., datastore1).

Right‑click the datastore and choose Browse Datastore .

Create a new folder in the root directory of the datastore to hold the cloned VM, and give it a clear name (e.g., VM_machine_dcp5_slave1).

Navigate to the folder containing the source VM (e.g., VM_CDH_dcp5_master01) and select its .vmx and .vmdk files.

Copy the selected files (right‑click → Copy or Ctrl+C).

Paste the files into the newly created folder (right‑click → Paste or Ctrl+V).

In the target folder, right‑click the .vmx file and choose Add to Inventory .

In the wizard, assign a name to the cloned VM (e.g., VM_CDH_dcp5_slave1) and proceed.

Select the appropriate resource pool (or accept the default) and finish the wizard.

After completion, the cloned VM appears in the selected resource pool.

Power on the cloned VM; when prompted, choose the “I Copied It” option to confirm the clone.

Once the VM boots, the cloning process is successful.