What is VMDK File & How to Open VMDK File in VMware

Written By Mithilesh Tata
Updated on January 25th, 2022

Are you trying to open VMDK file with no success? Then read below for more information about VMDK files.

Table of Contents

Let’s Know What is VMDK File?

VMDK is a virtual disk file that is used to store the content of virtual hard disk drives. It is an open file format by VMware. VMDK files contain all the information about a virtual machine. VMDK is normally used for virtualization and cloud computing.

The virtual disk which contains a VMDK file can work as a single virtual machine. Henceforth, one can use the virtual machine as an independent machine that can be used for the test run of certain software on a different system. It implies that the virtual machine can be used as different testing machines. VMDK files are supported on QEMU, VirtualBox, and Sun XVM.

Since virtual disks are made up of a .vmdk file, thus if any file size is allotted like 1 GB, then multiple .vmdk files of 1 GB will be created. Almost all the content of the VMDK file is the virtual machine’s data, and only a little portion is used for the virtual machine’s overhead.

Let’s Know How to Open VMDK File?

VMDK file consists of two files: descriptor and flat file. The descriptor contains geometry, virtual hardware, ids, etc. i.e., and it is a normal text file. Flat, on the other hand, contains the actual data. So, if you have a VMware Workstation player, you must first save the descriptor and flat file in the same folder. Then, right-click on the file and choose any one of the options like Read-only or Read-Write. It will open the VMDK file without any problem.

Automatic Approach to open VMDK file

To open a VMDK file, i.e., virtual machine disk file, one can use a reliable software known as Aryson VMDK Recovery software. This software repairs the .vmdk file and smartly supports both the descriptor and flat file. This software can recover entire data in a few minutes, even if it is corrupted or not corrupted. Moreover, it contains a powerful algorithm for restoring all the data that cannot be viewed otherwise.

Follow the Steps to Open VMDK File in VMware

Run Aryson VMDK Recovery Software and select VMDK files.
Click on the Browse button and Open the VMDK File.
Now choose the Recovery Mode options and scan the corrupted VMDK File.
Click on Recovered Item and preview the VMDK file data.
Choose the destination path to save the recovered data as a new VMDK File.
Click on the OK button and save successfully.

Excellent Features of Automated Methods

Efficient recovery of the maximum possible data from corrupt VMDK
It supports VMDK files saved in Fixed disk and Dynamic disk type
It supports VMDK files which are split, SPARSE, & FLAT, as well as descriptor
The VMDK Recovery software features two scanning modes, standard, and advanced, for different levels of corruption
It supports both partition tables, i.e., Master Boot Record (MBR) & GUID Partition Table (GPT)
Custom settings option is enabled for a selected volume before recovery
Supports file systems of all popular OS, such as FAT, FAT16, FAT32, FAT64, NTFS, HFS+, and EXTX
RAW recovery mode to perform powerful recovery of corrupt VMDK files
It features three different recovery modes: Standard, Advanced, and Deep for a successful recovery
Allows the user to preview recovered files and folders; shown in a tree-structure view
It features auto-search for searching for files in the tree structure by simply entering their names/file types.

5/5 - (1 vote)

About The Author:

Mithilesh Tata

Mithilesh Tata is dedicated to making the lives of his customers as simple as possible. He enjoys learning about new applications and utilities that can help people protect their data. Mithilesh also has a strong grasp on email migration & data recovery. He enjoys validating every component of the software, technical materials, and anything else that has to do with his working life.

Realted Post