How to Open a VMDK File in Windows 10

If someone handed you a .vmdk file (an old virtual machine, a backup or a download), you can’t double-click it in Windows 10, but you don’t need much to use it. To run the system stored inside, attach it to a virtual machine in free VirtualBox or VMware Workstation. To copy files out without running anything, 7-Zip can often open it. Before installing either, check the file’s size and its neighbors in the folder: that tells you which route will work.

Start with the file: descriptor, flat, split or snapshot?

VMDK is VMware’s virtual hard disk format. One “disk” can be stored as a single file or as several that only work together, so look at the folder in File Explorer (switch to the Details view to see sizes) before you pick a tool.

What you see	What it is	What to open
One large .vmdk (gigabytes)	A complete disk in a single file	That file, with any route below
A tiny .vmdk (around 1 KB) plus a big file ending in -flat.vmdk	The small file is a text “descriptor” that points to the data file	The small descriptor; keep both files in the same folder
A small .vmdk plus many files ending in -s001.vmdk, -s002.vmdk and so on	A split disk stored in chunks	The descriptor, with every chunk present
Files ending in -000001.vmdk or similar	Snapshot (delta) files that hold only changes since a snapshot	Run it in a VM so the snapshot chain is read correctly; 7-Zip usually can’t
A .vmx file next to the disks	The VMware machine’s settings file	Open the .vmx in VMware Workstation, or attach the main disk in VirtualBox
An .ova or .ovf file	An exported appliance that contains the disk	Import it in VirtualBox with File > Import Appliance

If the folder has a descriptor but the matching data files are missing, no tool can rebuild the contents. Ask whoever gave you the file for the whole folder.

Pick the route that fits what you want to do

Goal	Best route	Cost
Boot and use the operating system inside the VMDK	VirtualBox or VMware Workstation	Free
Copy a few files out	7-Zip	Free
Browse the disk as a drive letter	Convert to VHDX with qemu-img, then attach in Disk Management	Free
Use the disk in Hyper-V	Convert to VHDX	Free

When in doubt, start with VirtualBox: it reads VMDK directly and handles split and snapshot disks that simpler tools choke on. Use 7-Zip when you only need a few documents and the disk is a single file with a Windows (NTFS or FAT) partition.

Run the disk in VirtualBox

Oracle’s VirtualBox manual says it fully supports VMDK, so no conversion is needed. Work on a copy if the disk is your only backup (see the safety section below).

1. Install Oracle VirtualBox. The VirtualBox manual’s first chapter walks through the new-VM wizard.
2. Select New, give the machine a name, and choose the type and version of the operating system on the disk, such as Windows 10 (64-bit) or Ubuntu (64-bit). Picking the wrong family is a common reason a disk won’t start.
3. Set memory and processors. 4 GB of RAM is a sensible floor for a Windows guest; most Linux systems are fine with 2 GB.
4. On the virtual hard disk page, choose Use an Existing Hard Disk File (the wording differs slightly between VirtualBox versions), select the folder icon, then Add, and pick your VMDK. For a split or descriptor-based disk, pick the small descriptor file.
5. Finish the wizard and select Start.

If the VM starts but shows a black screen or a boot error, open the machine’s Settings and try toggling EFI on or off under System, or move the disk to a different controller type (SATA or SCSI) under Storage to match how the original VM was set up. If VirtualBox reports that hardware virtualization is unavailable, the processor setting is off; see enabling virtualization (the firmware steps are the same on Windows 10). New to VirtualBox? The setup screens are explained in installing Windows 10 in VirtualBox.

See it as a drive: convert, then attach in Disk Management

Windows 10 can attach VHD and VHDX disks natively, but not VMDK. Converting makes a new copy in Microsoft’s format that shows up in File Explorer with its own drive letter. The free qemu-img tool from the QEMU project does the conversion.

1. Install QEMU for Windows, then open Command Prompt in the folder that contains qemu-img.exe.
2. Run the conversion, replacing the file names with yours:
   qemu-img convert -p -f vmdk -O vhdx C:\VMs\olddisk.vmdk D:\olddisk.vhdx
   The -p switch shows progress, -f names the source format and -O the output format. If you specifically need an older .vhd file, use vpc instead of vhdx; that is the qemu-img documentation’s name for the VHD format.
3. Open Disk Management as an administrator (right-click Start > Disk Management), then choose Action > Attach VHD.
4. Select Browse, pick the new .vhdx file and select OK. The disk appears in the list, and partitions with a Windows-readable file system get drive letters.
5. When you’re done, right-click the disk’s label on the left of Disk Management and choose Detach VHD.

Microsoft’s Disk Management page on virtual hard disks covers the attach and detach steps for Windows 10 and 11, and other ways to open the result are in opening a VHD file in Windows 10. If VirtualBox is already installed, it can convert too: VBoxManage clonemedium disk olddisk.vmdk olddisk.vhd --format VHD. A converted VHDX also works as a Hyper-V disk.

Plan for space: a converted disk can be as large as the data stored in the original, and sometimes larger, so put the output on a drive with plenty of room.

Peek inside with 7-Zip (and when it can’t)

The 7-Zip project lists VMDK, VHD, VHDX and VDI among the formats it can unpack, which makes it the lightest way to pull out a few files.

1. Install 7-Zip from the 7-Zip download page.
2. Right-click the VMDK (or its descriptor) and choose 7-Zip > Open archive. On Windows 11, select Show more options first.
3. 7-Zip shows one entry per partition. Open the largest one, which is usually the system or data partition, and browse to the folder you need.
4. Select the files and choose Extract, then pick a destination on your own drive.

Expect trouble with snapshot chains, encrypted disks and some Linux file systems. An error such as “Cannot open the file as archive” usually means one of those, or a missing data file. Fall back to running the disk in a VM.

Run it in VMware Workstation (and why Map Virtual Disks is gone)

VMware Workstation Pro is the native home for VMDK files. VMware’s Workstation team announced that Workstation and Fusion became free for all users on November 11, 2024, though free users don’t get Broadcom’s paid support.

1. Download and install VMware Workstation Pro through Broadcom’s support portal.
2. If you have the original .vmx file, use File > Open and select it. The VM opens with its original settings.
3. With only the VMDK, start File > New Virtual Machine, choose the custom setup, and when asked about the disk, pick the option to use an existing virtual disk and select your VMDK.
4. Power on the virtual machine. If Workstation offers to upgrade the disk’s format, decline unless you’ll never open it in an older VMware product again.

Older articles tell you to use File > Map Virtual Disks to give the VMDK a drive letter. That no longer applies: VMware’s Workstation Pro 17 release notes state that the option to map or mount a virtual disk to a drive on the host is no longer available. Use the qemu-img conversion above for drive-letter access instead. More on Workstation setup is in installing Windows 10 on VMware Workstation.

Rescue files by attaching the disk to a working VM

When the operating system on the VMDK won’t start, the files are often still fine. Attach the broken disk as a second drive to a virtual machine that does boot:

1. Shut down a working Windows VM in VirtualBox or Workstation.
2. Open its settings and add a second hard disk, choosing your VMDK as an existing disk.
3. Start the working VM. In Windows, open Disk Management; if the new disk is marked Offline, right-click it and choose Online.
4. Copy what you need to a shared folder or a network location, then shut down and remove the extra disk.

For example, a small office with a retired accounting VM that blue-screens on start can attach its disk to a fresh Windows VM, copy the company files out, and then archive the old disk without ever repairing it.

Keep the original safe

• Copy before you open. VMs write to their disks as soon as they start, and VMware may offer to upgrade the format. If the VMDK is a backup or evidence, work on a copy.
• Treat disks from strangers like any download. Running one inside a VM keeps it separate from your PC, but don’t turn on shared folders, clipboard sharing or drag and drop for a disk you don’t trust, and scan files you copy out.
• Close other programs that use the disk. VirtualBox and Workstation lock VMDKs while a VM is running, and a second tool will fail with a “file is locked” or “in use” message.
• Check you may take a work disk. A VMDK copied off a work server needs the descriptor and every data file, and confirm you’re allowed to take it off the server first.
• Expect a password on encrypted VMs. Without it, none of these tools can read the contents.

A note on the operating system: Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, with consumer Extended Security Updates available through October 12, 2027 (see Microsoft’s end of support page). Every route here works the same way on Windows 11, and if you’d rather build fresh, there’s creating a virtual machine in Windows 11.

VMDK file questions

Can Windows 10 open a VMDK without extra software?

No. Windows attaches VHD and VHDX disks and opens ISO images on its own, but it has no VMDK reader. One of the free tools above, or a conversion to VHDX, is required.

Is VMDK the same as VHD?

No, though they do the same job. VMDK is VMware’s virtual disk format and VHD or VHDX is Microsoft’s. VirtualBox reads both, and qemu-img or VBoxManage converts between them.

Is VMware Workstation really free now?

Yes. Since November 11, 2024, Workstation Pro has been free to download and use. What free users don’t get is Broadcom’s paid support entitlement.

Will converting the VMDK change the original?

No. qemu-img and VBoxManage clonemedium read the VMDK and write a separate new file, so the original stays as it was. Once you’ve copied what you need, you can delete the converted copy. Check free space first, since the copy can be as large as the data inside the original.

Next step: identify your file type with the first table, then start with VirtualBox if you need the system or 7-Zip if you only need files.