Manage a VM

Manage instances from Virtual Machine / Instances. Select a VM to view its details, or use Edit to change its configuration.

Start and stop

Select Stop, then wait for the status to show Stopped. The VM keeps its disk and files. Select Start when you want to use it again.

Save your work before stopping. Running programs close, and anything saved only in memory is lost. To start again, the VM needs enough available resources for its plan, including GPUs if you chose a GPU plan.

Change the compute plan

1. Wait until the VM has finished being created, starting, stopping, or making another change. You can change the plan when it is running or stopped.
2. If it is running, save your work. Changing the plan will restart the VM.
3. Select Edit, choose the new plan, and save the change.
4. Watch the operation status until it finishes. After the VM starts, log in and check that it has the resources you selected.

A stopped VM stays stopped after a plan change. Renaming a VM without changing its plan does not restart it. If a plan change fails, check the selected plan and VM status before retrying. They may differ from the settings before the attempt.

The VM keeps its OS, disk, installed software, and login settings when you change its plan.

Switch between CPU and GPU plans

Switching from GPU to CPU disconnects the GPU from the VM. Any driver files stay on the disk, but the VM no longer has a GPU to use.

Switching from CPU to GPU adds the GPUs included in the new plan. It does not install or change any drivers inside the VM. Follow GPU drivers to check the driver before running your application.

Increase storage

1. Back up important data outside this VM.

2. Wait for any startup, shutdown, or other change to finish, then select Edit.

3. Choose a larger Storage option and save the change.

4. Follow the operation status. A running VM is stopped and started again; a stopped VM stays stopped.

5. After the VM starts, run these commands inside it to compare the disk size with the space available to the OS:

   lsblk
   df -h /

You can increase the root disk size using the available Storage options. Shrinking a disk is not supported.

The first command lists disks and partitions. The second shows the size and free space of /, the filesystem that holds your OS and files. If the disk shows the new size but / is still smaller, the partition or filesystem also needs to grow. Use an expansion procedure for your disk layout. Reformatting or recreating partitions can erase your files.

Rebuild the operating system

Rebuilding replaces the root disk with a fresh image. It removes the files, applications, and settings on that disk. Back up the data you need outside the VM before rebuilding.

1. Select Edit and open Danger Zone.
2. Under Rebuild instance, select an image for the VM's plan.
3. Enter the root password and optional SSH public keys to use after the rebuild.
4. Select Rebuild and confirm the replacement of the root disk.
5. Watch the rebuild status. A VM that was running starts again after the rebuild. A VM that was stopped stays stopped; select Start when you want to use it.

The VM keeps the same compute plan, storage size, and public IPv4 address. Its SSH host key can change because it now has a fresh OS.

If you want to change CPU, memory, or GPU resources and keep your software and files, change the plan instead of rebuilding.

Delete an instance

1. Copy any data you need to storage outside the VM.
2. Select Edit and find Delete instance under Danger Zone.
3. Enter the VM name exactly as requested and confirm deletion.
4. Wait for deletion to finish.

Deletion removes the instance and its root disk and releases its public IPv4 address. Creating another VM with the same name does not restore the disk or guarantee the same address.

Data and charges

Compute and disk storage are billed separately. When you stop a VM, you keep its disk and continue paying for that storage. Open Billing in the console to check your usage and wallet balance.

Use this table to check what happens to your resources:

Action	Root disk	Public IPv4	Compute
Stop	Retained; storage charges continue	Retained	Stops after shutdown completes
Start	Reused	Reused	Starts when capacity is available
Change plan	Retained	Retained	Running VM stops and starts; stopped VM stays stopped
Rebuild	Replaced with a fresh image	Retained	Starts again if it was running; stays stopped otherwise
Delete	Deleted	Released	Removed

After a failed start, check whether the VM's disk is still in your account. You may still be paying for it. Keep enough credits in your wallet for both compute and any disks you keep.

Read next

• Read GPU drivers before using a changed GPU plan.
• Read Connect to a VM after starting or rebuilding.
• Read VM troubleshooting when an operation fails.