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How-to · VMware and Hyper-V

Export a virtual machine from VMware as OVF or OVA

At the end you will have a powered-off copy of the VM as an OVF package (.ovf, .vmdk and .mf files) or a single .ova file on your workstation or file share, ready to import into another hypervisor or cloud.

Updated 4 Nov 20269 steps8 official sources
Start hereBack to the playbook
Before you start

What you need before step 1

Applies to: VMware vCenter Server and ESXi 6.5 and later, using the vSphere Client, the VMware Host Client and Broadcom OVF Tool, as documented by Broadcom

Admin roles you need

  • A vCenter Server account with the vApp.Export privilege on the VM (the vSphere Administrator role includes it), plus rights to power the VM off and edit its settings
  • For a standalone ESXi host: root or another host account allowed to export and power off VMs

Licences

None needed.

Reference documentation

Open Virtualization Format (OVF) ToolBroadcom developer portal: Windows MSI or Zip, Linux Bundle or Zip, macOS Zip. Needed for OVA files and command-line exportshttps://developer.broadcom.com/tools/open-virtualization-format-ovf-tool/latestRead
OVF Tool User's GuideFull option reference for ovftoolhttps://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere-sdks-tools/9-1/ovf-tool-user-s-guide.htmlRead
Broadcom KB 340425: OVF Tool command syntax to export and deploy OVA/OVF packagesExport command examples for ESXi and vCenterhttps://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/340425Read

Also have ready

  • The vSphere Client (https://vcenter.contoso.com/ui) or the VMware Host Client (https://esxi01.contoso.com/ui) open in a browser that allows downloads and pop-ups from that address
  • A maintenance window: Broadcom says export requires the VM to be powered off
  • Free space on the workstation or share at least equal to the VM's used disk space
Step by step

9 steps

  1. 1

    Record the VM's configuration

    Where: vSphere Client > (VM) > Summary tab and Configure tab

    Note the guest OS, number of CPUs, memory, firmware (BIOS or EFI), each hard disk and its size, network adapters and port groups, and the VMware Tools status on the Summary tab. Open Snapshots (Actions > Snapshots > Manage Snapshots) and record any snapshots; decide with the owner whether to delete them before export so you copy only the current state. You will need these details to rebuild networking and settings on the target.

    You should see: A short record for the VM: OS, vCPU, memory, firmware, disks, networks, VMware Tools status and snapshot list.
  2. 2

    Disconnect CD/DVD drives and ISO files

    Where: vSphere Client > right-click the VM > Edit Settings (or VMware Host Client > right-click the VM > Edit settings)

    For every CD/DVD drive, set the backing to Client Device (Host Client: change Datastore ISO file to Host Device), untick Connected and Connect at power on, and select OK or Save. Broadcom says an ISO that is no longer accessible, or a null CD/DVD backing, makes the export fail or hang.

    You should see: Each CD/DVD drive shows Client Device (or Host Device) and is not connected.
  3. 3

    Check the VM is not encrypted

    Where: vSphere Client > (VM) > Summary tab > VM Storage Policies, or Edit Settings > VM Options > Encryption

    Broadcom says you cannot export an encrypted virtual machine to an OVF template. If it is encrypted, change the VM storage policy to one without encryption and let the re-configuration finish before you continue.

    You should see: The VM shows no encryption and a storage policy without VM Encryption.
  4. 4

    Shut down the VM

    Where: vSphere Client > right-click the VM > Power > Shut Down Guest OS (Host Client: right-click > Guest OS > Shut down)

    Shut down cleanly from the guest so applications close their files. Broadcom says export requires the VM to be powered off. Wait for the power state to change.

    You should see: The VM's power state shows Powered Off.
  5. 5

    Export an OVF template from the vSphere Client

    Where: vSphere Client > (VM) > Actions > Template > Export OVF Template

    In Name enter a name for the template, optionally add an Annotation, and leave Enable advanced options unticked unless the target needs the BIOS UUID, MAC addresses, boot order, PCI slot numbers or extra configuration; Broadcom says these options limit portability. Select OK and respond to the browser prompts to save each file to the same folder.

    You should see: The browser saves a .ovf file, one .vmdk per disk and a .mf manifest. The Export OVF template task completes in Recent Tasks.
  6. 6

    Or export from a standalone ESXi host in the Host Client

    Where: VMware Host Client (https://esxi01.contoso.com/ui) > Virtual Machines

    Right-click the powered-off VM and select Export, choose the files to include and start the export. The browser downloads the files and an Export Vm task appears in Recent tasks. If the download does not start and the task stays Running, check step 2 for a missing ISO. For large VMs, OVF Tool (steps 7 and 8) is more reliable; Broadcom notes exporting directly from ESXi bypasses vCenter session timeouts.

    You should see: The .ovf, .vmdk and .mf files download to your browser's download folder and the Export Vm task completes.
  7. 7

    Install OVF Tool on Windows, macOS or Linux

    Where: Your workstation, in a browser at the Broadcom developer portal, then a terminal

    Open https://developer.broadcom.com/tools/open-virtualization-format-ovf-tool/latest and download the package for your OS. Windows: run the MSI; it installs to C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware OVF Tool. macOS or Linux: download the Zip, extract it and run ovftool from the extracted folder (Linux also offers a Bundle installer). Then check the version.

    cd "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware OVF Tool"
ovftool --version
    You should see: ovftool prints VMware ovftool followed by a version number such as 9.1.1.
  8. 8

    Export straight to an OVA with OVF Tool

    Where: Command Prompt run as administrator in the OVF Tool folder (Windows), or Terminal in the extracted ovftool folder (macOS or Linux)

    Broadcom says the vSphere Client in 6.5 and later cannot export directly to OVA, so use OVF Tool. Point it at the ESXi host or at vCenter using a vi:// locator. For vCenter the path is datacenter, then vm, then any folder, then the VM name. Enter the password when prompted. --noSSLVerify skips certificate checking; leave it out if your workstation trusts the host's certificate.

    ovftool.exe --noSSLVerify vi://root@esxi01.contoso.com/VM_Name "D:\Export\VM_Name.ova"
ovftool.exe --noSSLVerify "vi://administrator@vsphere.local@vcenter.contoso.com/Datacenter/vm/VM Folder/VM_Name" "D:\Export\VM_Name.ova"
    You should see: OVF Tool shows Opening VI source, then Writing OVA package with a progress percentage, then Completed successfully.
  9. 9

    Convert an OVF export into one OVA file (optional)

    Where: Command Prompt run as administrator in C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware OVF Tool, or Terminal on macOS or Linux

    If you exported OVF files in step 5 or 6 and the target wants a single file, convert them. Keep the .ovf, .vmdk and .mf files in the same folder.

    ovftool "D:\Export\VM_Name\VM_Name.ovf" "D:\Export\VM_Name.ova"
    You should see: A VM_Name.ova file is created and OVF Tool reports Completed successfully.
From experience

Expert tips

Use OVF Tool for anything large

Browser exports save each disk through the browser and can stall on big disks or long sessions. OVF Tool writes one OVA straight to disk, and Broadcom notes that exporting directly from ESXi with vi://host/VM bypasses vCenter session timeouts. Run it on a machine close to the host on the network.

Clear the CD/DVD drive first

The most common export failures in Broadcom's knowledge base trace back to a CD/DVD drive pointing at a missing ISO or a null backing. Set every CD/DVD drive to Client Device and untick Connected before you start, and you avoid both the null-file error and the Host Client export that never begins.

Leave advanced options off unless the target needs them

Including the BIOS UUID, MAC addresses and extra configuration keeps the VM identical but, as Broadcom says, limits portability. For a move to another hypervisor or cloud, export without them and set MAC addresses on the target only if licensing or DHCP reservations depend on them.

Check whether you need an export at all

Many targets have their own migration tooling that copies VMs without an OVF step, for example Azure Migrate or AWS Application Migration Service, which keep the source running until cutover. Use OVF or OVA export for offline moves, small VMs, labs and platforms that import OVA directly. Broadcom says export is not a backup solution.

Plan the downtime

Export needs the VM powered off for the whole copy. Time a test export of a similar-sized VM to estimate the window, and keep the source powered off until the imported copy is checked so you do not end up with two live copies writing data.

Check it worked

How to confirm it worked

  • The export folder holds a .ovf, a .mf and one .vmdk per disk (OVF), or a single .ova file.

  • Run OVF Tool with only the package as the source to read it back; it prints the VM name, disks and networks without errors.

    ovftool "D:\Export\VM_Name.ova"

  • In the vSphere Client, Recent Tasks shows the Export OVF template task as Completed.

Undo

How to reverse it

Rollback:

Exporting does not change the source VM apart from the settings you changed beforehand. Power the VM back on if it is staying in service, and reconnect any CD/DVD drive or reapply the encryption storage policy you removed. Delete the exported files when they are no longer needed, because they hold a full copy of the VM's data.

Troubleshooting

Errors you might see

File ds:///vmfs/volumes/<Datastore-UUID>/null was not found / Failed to export OVF package. A general system error occurred: Export operation failed.

Cause: A CD/DVD drive (or another device) points to an invalid or null backing file.

Fix: Edit Settings, set each CD/DVD drive to Client Device and untick Connected and Connect at power on, then retry. Broadcom notes OVF Tool exports can succeed when this error appears.

The selected virtual machine cannot be exported because it is encrypted.

Cause: Encrypted VMs cannot be exported to an OVF template, by design.

Fix: Change the VM storage policy to remove encryption, then export.

Export Vm task stays Running in the Host Client and no download starts

Cause: The VM is configured with an ISO image file that is no longer accessible.

Fix: In Edit settings change the CD/DVD source from Datastore ISO file to Host Device, save and retry.

OVA is not offered as an export format in the vSphere Client

Cause: Broadcom says this is by design in the vSphere Client for vSphere 6.5 and later.

Fix: Export to OVF and convert with ovftool, or export straight to OVA with ovftool.

com.vmware.vapi.std.errors.Unauthorized ... Unable to authorize user

Cause: Broadcom documents this when vCenter is at a lower version than the ESXi host.

Fix: Upgrade vCenter to the latest version, or export with ovftool directly from the ESXi host.

FAQ

Questions

Can I export a VM while it is running?

No. Broadcom says OVF or OVA export requires the virtual machine to be powered off.

Is an OVF export a backup?

Broadcom says export to OVF or OVA is not designed to be used as a regular backup solution. Use it to move a copy of a VM.

OVF or OVA?

OVF is a folder of files (.ovf descriptor, .vmdk disks, .mf manifest). OVA packs the same content into one file, which is easier to copy and is what many import tools ask for.

Does OVF Tool run on a Mac?

Yes. Broadcom offers OVF Tool for Windows (MSI or Zip), Linux (Bundle or Zip) and macOS (Zip).

Sources

Official sources

Vendors change menus and requirements. Confirm on the source before you rely on a detail. Last checked 4 Nov 2026.

Broadcom (VMware docs): Export an OVF templateBroadcom KB 373304: Exporting a virtual machine as a single OVA file in vSphere 6.5 and laterBroadcom KB 340425: OVF Tool command syntax to export and deploy OVA/OVF packagesBroadcom KB 434889: Cannot export virtual machines in OVA format from vSphere ClientBroadcom KB 424904: Exporting a VM to an OVF template failsBroadcom KB 430660: OVF export does not start in VMware Host ClientBroadcom KB 431565: Unable to export an encrypted virtual machine to an OVF templateBroadcom developer portal: Open Virtualization Format (OVF) Tool