.PVMZ File Extension

Parallels Compressed Virtual Machine

Developer Parallels
Popularity
2.0  |  3 Votes
Category Compressed Files
Format Zip

What is a PVMZ file?

A PVMZ file is a compressed virtual machine created with Parallels Desktop emulation software. It contains all the information for a virtual machine (VM) required by Parallels Desktop for Mac to load and run an operating system, such as Windows, macOS, or Linux. PVMZ files are the same as .PVM files but are Zip-compressed to save space.

More Information
Screenshot of a .pvmz file in Parallels Desktop for Mac 18
PVMZ file open in Parallels Desktop for Mac 18

Parallels Desktop for Mac is an operating system virtualization program that can run Windows, Linux, Android, and additional versions of macOS on Macs. When users create a VM with Parallels Desktop, the software creates a PVM file, which is a macOS package, to store its contents. Since PVM files can grow large, users typically compress PVM files as PVMZ files to reduce their size. This functionality is only available in Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro and Business Editions.

To create a PVMZ file with Parallels Desktop, right-click the VM in Control Center, then select Archive. After archiving the VM, the PVM file becomes a PVMZ file in the same location.

How to open a PVMZ file

You can open a PVMZ file with Parallels Desktop for Mac in macOS. Place your PVMZ 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 PVMZ file.

If the virtual machine (VM) is listed as "Archived" in the Parallels Desktop for Mac Control Center, you can double-click it to unarchive it or right-click the VM and select Unarchive.

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Programs that open or reference PVMZ files

Updated August 26, 2022

Verified by FileInfo.com

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