Skip to content

Checkpoints

The Checkpoints window displays and manages all checkpoints associated with a selected virtual machine in VirtualProg.

📸 Screenshot: Checkpoints Window

Checkpoints let you capture the current state of a virtual machine instantly — without copying the entire disk. Only the changes since the last checkpoint are stored, making them fast to create and storage-efficient. They are ideal for iterative workflows where you want to save progress frequently and roll back quickly.

⚠ī¸ Checkpoints require macOS 27 Golden Gate or later. External bookmarked disks are not covered and continue writing directly to their base image.

Access

You can open the Checkpoints window by right-clicking a VM in the Control Center and selecting Checkpoints, or by clicking the Checkpoints icon in the Virtual Machine toolbar (when the VM is stopped).

Checkpoints vs Snapshots

Checkpoints Snapshots
Creation speed Instant — no disk copy Full disk copy (slower)
Storage Delta writes only Full disk image
Structure Sequential chain Independent copies
Restore Rolls back in chain order Restore any, any order
OS requirement macOS 27+ Any
Disk requirement Any internal disk (Dynamic or Fixed) Any

Use Checkpoints for fast, frequent save-points during active development. Use Snapshots for long-term backups or when you need independent, portable copies of VM state.

🔝 Top Toolbar

From left to right:

Top Toolbar

  1. ★ Favorites
    Mark or unmark the selected checkpoint as a favorite.

  2. 🏷 Tag Colors
    Assign or remove a color tag to visually organize checkpoints.

  3. ℹī¸ Quick Info
    View a summary of the VM configuration in a popover.

  4. ✏ī¸ Edit
    Edit the selected checkpoint's name and notes.

  5. â†ē Restore
    Restore the VM to the selected checkpoint's state. Disabled for the Current (topmost) checkpoint — it already represents the live state.

  6. 🗑 Delete
    Delete the most recent checkpoint. Only the topmost checkpoint can be deleted to preserve chain integrity.

  7. 📸 Take Snapshot
    Take a full-copy snapshot of the current VM state for long-term preservation.

  8. ➕ Create Checkpoint
    Capture the current VM state as a new checkpoint. The VM must be stopped.

  9. ❓ Help
    Checkpoints Help

🖱ī¸ Right-Click Context Menu

  • Edit: Rename the checkpoint or update notes.
  • Delete: Delete the selected checkpoint. Only available for the topmost checkpoint.
  • Restore: Revert the virtual machine to this checkpoint's state. Disabled for the topmost checkpoint.
  • Take Snapshot: Take a full-copy snapshot of the current VM state.
  • Show Overlay in Finder: Reveal the checkpoint's overlay file in Finder.
  • Tag Colors: Apply or remove a color tag.

Checkpoint List Items

Each checkpoint entry displays its name and the date it was created.

  • The topmost checkpoint is badged Current — it represents the live state of the VM and cannot be restored to (it already is the current state) or deleted unless it is the most recent.
  • On the right side of each item, there is a Restore button â†ē. Clicking this reverts the VM to that checkpoint's state. It is disabled for the Current checkpoint.
  • Enable Extra Details (bottom toolbar) to show the overlay file size for each checkpoint.

âŦ‡ī¸ Bottom Toolbar

From left to right:

Bottom Toolbar

  1. 📄 All – Show all checkpoints
  2. ⭐ Favorites – Show only favorites
  3. 🎨 Tag Color Filter – Filter by tag color
  4. 📃 List View – Display in a vertical list
  5. 🧩 Grid View – Display in a grid layout
  6. 🔍 Search – Show or hide the search bar
  7. đŸ“Ļ Extras – Show or hide overlay file sizes
  8. ↑↓ Sort – Sort by oldest first or newest first

💡 Checkpoints are ideal for saving progress at each step of a complex installation, configuration change, or software build — letting you roll back in seconds without losing the whole VM state.