Migrating virtual machines from Hyper-V to Proxmox VE involves several steps, including exporting the VM from Hyper-V, transferring it to the Proxmox host, creating a new VM in Proxmox, convert the VHDX file to QCOW2, and assigning the new file to the VM.
Updated by Iris Lee on 2026/05/19
The previous article provided a detailed overview of the features of Proxmox VE and Hyper-V as virtualization platforms, as well as how to migrate virtual machines from Proxmox VE to Hyper-V. This article will now guide you on the process of migrating virtual machines from Hyper-V to Proxmox VE.
Hyper-V and Proxmox VE are both popular virtualization platforms, but they utilize different virtual machine formats. Hyper-V uses VHD or VHDX formats, whereas Proxmox VE uses QEMU and typically employs QCOW2 or raw formats. Therefore, to migrate Hyper-V virtual machines to Proxmox VE, certain conversion steps need to be taken.
Over the past few years, Proxmox VE has become increasingly attractive for SMBs, MSPs, homelabs, and even enterprise environments.
1. Licensing Cost Reduction
2. KVM + LXC Integration
Proxmox combines: KVM virtualization, LXC containers, built-in clustering, Ceph integration, web-based management
3. Flexible Storage Support
Proxmox supports: ZFS, Ceph, NFS, iSCSI, LVM-Thin, Directory storage
Manual migration gives you full control but involves several detailed steps best suited for smaller environments—or when you want deep understanding of each stage involved.
1. Exporting the Hyper-V Virtual Machine
Launch the Hyper-V Manager, right-click on the selected virtual machine you wish to migrate and choose Export.
The disk image file for the virtual machine can be found in the "Virtual Hard Disks" folder.
2. Transferring the File to the Proxmox Host
To transfer this file to the Proxmox host, you can utilize the WinSCP tool if remote transfer is required.
Create a new session and log in to Proxmox host.
Copy the VHD/VHDX to Proxmox host.
3. Validating the File on Proxmox VE
Once the file is transferred to the Proxmox host, you can use the following command in the Proxmox VE Shell page to check the file's integrity:
qemu-img check -r all "/root/VMtest/Virtual Hard Disks/Hyper-v-proxmox.vhdx"
Please ensure to replace the file path with the actual file path on your Proxmox host.
4. Converting the VHDX virtual hard disk image file to the QCOW2 format
Create a new virtual machine in Proxmox VE and convert the VHDX virtual hard disk image file to the QCOW2 format using the following command:
qemu-img convert -O qcow2 "/root/VMtest/Virtual Hard Disks/Hyper-v-proxmox.vhdx" /mnt/pve/NFS-test/images/107/vm-107-disk-1.qcow2
5. Recognizing your newly converted QCOW2 file
Utilize the “qm rescan” command to refresh the storage scanning in Proxmox, allowing it to recognize your newly converted QCOW2 file.
6. Employing the “qm set” command to add the new QCOW2 file to your new created virtual machine
For instance, if you have created a virtual machine with the ID 109, you can use the "pvesm" command to locate the disk file for that particular virtual machine.
Enter the following command：
qm set 109 -scsi0 NFS-test:107/vm-107-disk-1.qcow2
Then, you will notice that the Hard Disk of this virtual machine has been altered at this moment.
And you can attempt to start the virtual machine and see if it functions properly.
1. List All Hyper-V VMs
Get-VM
2. Export Hyper-V VM
Export-VM -Name $VMName -Path $ExportPath
3. Transfer VHDX Files to Proxmox
Using SCP tool command in PowerShell:
scp -r C:\Exports\$VMName root@ProxmoxIP:/var/lib/path/
4. Import Disk into Proxmox
qm importdisk 101 Server01.vhdx local-lvm
5. Automate Bulk Export with PowerShell
Example script:
$VMs = Get-VM
foreach ($VM in $VMs) {
Export-VM -Name $VM.Name -Path "E:\HyperV-Exports"
}To further simplify enterprise migrations while minimizing disruption, consider leveraging Vinchin Backup & Recovery, a professional-grade solution designed not only for comprehensive backup.
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You can also simply migrate data from a Proxmox VE host to another virtual platform and vice versa.
To migrate Hyper-V VMs to Proxmox VE, follow these steps:
1. Backup your Hyper-V VM, choose the backup destination and Backup strategies, then Submit it.
2. Choose the VM you want to restore.
3. Select the Proxmox VE host to run the restored VM
4. Select the restore strategy
5. Review and submit the job.
Start the job and then you can check the Proxmox VE web console and find that the VM has been restored and running.
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Q1: Can I migrate Generation 2 Hyper-V VMs with UEFI firmware?
A1: Yes, but configure OVMF firmware in Proxmox when creating/importing UEFI-enabled guests for proper boot support.
Q2: Will my existing Windows license remain valid after migrating?
A2: Not always, check Microsoft licensing terms since activation may depend on hardware signature changes during migration.
Q3: How do I optimize performance after importing my VM?
A3: Enable VirtIO devices where possible, increase CPU cores/memory allocation and set cache mode Write Back under Hardware settings in Proxmox UI.
Migrating VMs from Hyper-V to Proxmox VE allows you to take advantage of the features and benefits of Proxmox VE, such as its open-source nature, flexibility, and robustness. It's important to note that while this guide provides the basic steps for migration, the process might vary depending on the specific configurations of your virtual machines and host systems. Always ensure to back up your data and thoroughly test your configurations to ensure a successful migration.
You can choose Vinchin Backup & Recovery to easily backup and migrate VMs from Hyper-V to Proxmox VE. Don't miss the free trial!
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