Note: This article applies when you are running VM Backup V9 and you are looking to restore from backups taken by V8.

VMs that have been backed up with VM Backup V8 can be restored but will require a V8 installation to do so. A VM can be restored both from the local backup location, or even directly from the offsite copy location by following the steps below:

1. Firstly, install the latest VM Backup V8. You may download the installer here if you need it.
   
   

2. Click the [Restore] option from the left hand side menu. You will see the restore options in the drop-down menu.
   
   

3. In this case we want to perform a full VM restore, so we'll pick [Restore VM as a Clone]
   
   

4. Click the [Add Restore Source] button shown below:
   
   
   
   

5. You will then be prompted with a wizard for selecting the restore source, be it a Local Drive, Network Path, Offsite Backup Server or Cloud Storage Account. Follow the on-screen instructions and click [Finish] to complete.
   
   

6. Once done, the new Restore Source will show up in the list of locations, so simply tick the box next to the Restore Source you added and click [Next]
   
   

7. You will then be shown a list of VM backups detected in the selected Restore Source. Choose the VM(s) you wish to restore and click [Next]

    

8. Choose the version of the VM you want to restore and give it a name
   
   

9. When you're at the point of the restore where you're prompted to choose the target host, you'll see an option called [OR Choose Unconfigured Host]
   
   
   
   Next, you will be prompted to enter the details for your host you'd like to add. Add the connection details and click [Finish]
   
   Once the host is added, you will be able to select it as the target host for this restore operation, then select a path where you wish to restore the VM(s) to, enter the encryption key (if encrypted) and finally click [Restore]
   
   Note: By default the cloned VM will have its Network Card (NIC) disabled to avoid IP conflicts. Should you want the new VM to have its NIC enabled immediately then you can uncheck this tick box.

The restore operation will begin in the background and progress can be monitored from the Dashboard under Active & Upcoming Operations. Once the restore operation completes, you will see the completed restore in the Dashboard under Restore History, and your restored VM(s) will show up on your selected Host.

It is recommended that once the required restore has been completed you uninstall VM Backup V8 to avoid any potential conflicts with VM Backup V9 which is performing backup operations. Naturally, V8 should only be utilised to restore from V8 backups and not for any other operation.