.PVM File Extension

A PVM file is a virtual machine created by Parallels Desktop for Mac, a virtualization application for Macs that can run other operating systems. It is a macOS package that stores all of the information for a virtual machine required by Parallels Desktop for Mac to load and run an operating system, such as Windows or macOS.

To open a PVM file as a virtual machine, you must install Parallels Desktop for Mac on your Mac. Place your PVM file in the folder you set as the default location for storing virtual machines (Parallels default location is Macintosh HD/​Users/​[username]/​Documents/​Parallels/​). Then, open Parallels, select File → Open, and select your PVM file.

Opening a PVM file as a macOS package

In macOS, you can right-click a PVM file and select Show Package Contents to view the package's directories and files with Apple Finder. Files you may find stored within a PVM file include PVS, HDD, .LOG, .ISO, and .DAT files.

NOTE: Modifying the contents in a PVM file may corrupt the virtual machine.

Index file used for organizing collections of digital content; developed by the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) as part of the Music/Photo/Video (MPV) standard; formatted in XML.

PVM files may be generated by various digital media devices such as printers and digital cameras. They can be read by any program that supports PVM format.

Digital photo album created with HP digital camera software; contains a list of images imported from an HP digital camera; often named "album.pvm" or "index.pvm;" used by HP Image Zone Express, which has been replaced by Photosmart software.