> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rafftechnologies.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Detach from a VM > Cleanly unmount a volume from a VM so it can be reattached elsewhere, while keeping all data intact Updated May 8, 2026 Detaching frees a volume from its current VM. The data is untouched — you can reattach the same volume to a different VM in the same region whenever you want. ## Before you start * **The dashboard recommends powering off the VM before detach** — it warns you in the confirmation dialog and offers a "Detach Anyway" option. Powering off is the safest path; if you need to keep the VM running, at minimum unmount the volume cleanly inside the OS first. * The VM must be in `active` or `passive` state. If the VM is `provisioning` (e.g. taking a snapshot or backup) the dashboard blocks detach with a warning. * The volume is currently attached to a VM. **Detach from VM** only appears in the actions menu when the volume is attached. ## 1. (Recommended) Power off the VM, or unmount cleanly The cleanest path is to **power off the VM** before detach — the dashboard explicitly recommends this in the confirmation dialog. If powering off isn't an option, unmount the volume inside the running OS first. ### Linux — unmount in the live OS ```bash theme={null} # Stop anything writing to the mount point sudo lsof +D /mnt/data # see what's using it # Stop the offending services first sudo umount /mnt/data ``` If `umount` complains the device is busy, find and stop the process holding it (`fuser -m /mnt/data`). Edit `/etc/fstab` and **remove or comment out** the line for this volume — otherwise the next boot can hang waiting for a missing device. (If you added `nofail` per the [Attach to a VM](/products/store/volumes/quickstart-guides/attach-to-vm) guide, the boot won't hang — but cleaning up the line is still good hygiene.) ### Windows — offline in Disk Management In **Computer Management → Disk Management**, right-click the volume → **Offline**. The drive letter disappears once Windows confirms there are no open handles. ## 2. Detach in the dashboard In the **Volumes** list, open the volume's row Actions menu and pick **Detach from VM**. Volume row Actions menu while attached, showing Detach from VM at the top A confirmation dialog opens with the data-corruption warning: Confirm Volume Detachment dialog warning that it's recommended to power off the VM before detaching, with Cancel and red Detach Anyway buttons If the VM is fully powered off, click **Detach Anyway** — the warning still shows, but there's no live filesystem at risk. If the VM is running and you've unmounted, click **Detach Anyway** to confirm. If you haven't unmounted yet, **Cancel**, unmount first, then come back. The volume's row updates to show **Not attached**. The actions menu narrows to **Attach to VM**, **Configure volume**, and **Delete** — **Increase size** and **Take snapshot** are only available while attached. ## If the VM is in `provisioning` If a snapshot or backup is in progress on the VM, detach is blocked with a top-of-page warning: Top-of-page warning: Please wait! VM is not ready to detach volume. VM should be in an active or passive state to detach volumes Wait for the snapshot/backup to finish (the VM returns to `active` or `passive`), then retry the detach. ## What's preserved on detach | Item | Result | | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | Volume contents | Untouched — every byte preserved | | Filesystem | Untouched (still ext4 / xfs / NTFS as before) | | `/etc/fstab` entry on the VM | Still there unless you removed it — clean it up | | Volume billing | Continues — the volume still exists, just isn't attached | | Snapshots taken from this volume | Untouched | ## After detaching The volume sits standalone in your region until you do something with it. Three options: | Goal | What to do | | --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Move to another VM | [Attach to a VM](/products/store/volumes/quickstart-guides/attach-to-vm) — pick the new target. The data is the same; you only need to mount it inside the new VM (`/etc/fstab`). | | Keep around as cold storage | Nothing — the volume keeps existing and billing for storage. | | Stop billing entirely | [Delete the volume](/products/store/volumes/quickstart-guides/delete-volume). Take a snapshot first if you want to preserve the data. | ## Next steps Move the volume to a different VM in the same region. Permanently remove if no longer needed.