Deleting a virtual machine from Parallels Desktop involves more than simply dragging its icon to the Trash. It requires a specific process within the application’s interface to ensure all associated files and resources are correctly handled. This action permanently frees up disk space occupied by the virtual machine, its snapshots, and configuration files. For example, users might choose this action to reclaim storage or after testing a different operating system.
Properly decommissioning a virtual machine is crucial for system hygiene and efficient resource management. Failing to use the designated removal process can leave orphaned files, consuming valuable disk space and potentially leading to conflicts with other virtual machines or the host operating system. The ability to cleanly remove virtual machines has become increasingly important as storage demands grow and users experiment with diverse operating system environments.
