Mount Vmfs 6 Windows Hot
If you have a flat VMDK file or device snapshot, you can open the -flat.vmdk inside 7-Zip, but this does not mount the entire file system. Not recommended for hot volumes.
Result: You can browse all VM folders, copy .vmdk, .vmx, and .vswp files to a healthy NTFS drive.
⚠️ Critical Warning: Writing to a VMFS 6 datastore that is still mounted to a running ESXi host will likely cause metadata corruption and VM crashes. Always use read-only for hot mounts unless the datastore is fully dismounted from all ESXi hosts.
If you are a VMware administrator, you have faced this nightmare: An ESXi host fails. A virtual machine (VM) won’t power on. Your backup is corrupted. The only hope is to pull a physical disk from the server, attach it to a Windows machine, and copy the VMDK files directly.
But here is the catch: Windows cannot natively read VMFS 6 (the file system used by ESXi 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, and 8.0).
Traditional solutions require installing third-party drivers that demand a restart (cold mount). In a disaster recovery scenario, rebooting a production Windows server is unacceptable. You need a "hot" mount – attaching and reading the VMFS 6 volume without shutting down or restarting your Windows system.
This article provides a step-by-step guide to hot mounting VMFS 6 on Windows using modern software tools, command-line tricks, and forensic techniques.
Yes, it’s a converter. But it has a hidden superpower: it can mount a VMFS 6 volume as a Windows drive letter.
Step-by-step (no fluff):
Hot Tip:
Once mounted, use 7-Zip or DiskInternals VMFS Recovery if StarWind fails on heavily corrupted volumes. But for 95% of cases, the free method works.
What About Write Access?
Don’t. Seriously. VMFS 6 has advanced locking and heap structures. Writing from Windows will corrupt the datastore 99% of the time. Mount as read-only, copy your VMDKs to NTFS, then do what you want.
Alternative – The Geek Way (No Extra Software)
If you’re on Windows Server, you can install Linux subsystem (WSL2) and use vmfs-tools (after compiling). But that’s a 2-hour journey. The hot method above takes 2 minutes.
Bottom Line
Yes, you can mount VMFS 6 on Windows. No, you don’t need a full ESXi host. Use StarWind’s free tool as a read-only bridge, grab your files, and get back to fixing your homelab or production environment.
Have you tried mounting VMFS 6 on Windows another way? Drop a comment below. And remember: always back up before attempting mounts on production disks.
Native support for mounting VMFS 6 on Windows does not exist. Windows cannot natively read VMFS partitions and typically identifies them as "Unknown" or "Offline" in Disk Management. To access data from a VMFS 6 volume on a Windows machine, you must use third-party recovery tools or a Linux-based intermediary. Option 1: Using Third-Party Windows Software
Several specialized tools can parse VMFS 6 structures directly within Windows. These are primarily used for data recovery or emergency file access.
DiskInternals VMFS Recovery: One of the most reliable options for modern VMFS versions. It can reconstruct VMFS volumes and allow you to mount them as local disks or export files to NTFS/FAT32.
Process: Install the software, connect the physical drive or iSCSI target, and use the "Mount" feature to assign a Windows drive letter to the VMFS partition.
BitRecover VMFS Recovery Tool: An alternative designed to scan and recover data from .vmdk files or raw VMFS partitions.
EaseUS Partition Master: While it cannot "mount" VMFS for file exploration, it is often used to manage the physical partition table if a drive appears incorrectly as MBR instead of GPT.
Option 2: The Linux Intermediary (Recommended for Stability)
Since Windows support is limited, the most stable way to "hot" mount VMFS 6 is through a Linux environment using vmfs6-tools.
How to Mount VMFS 6 in Windows: A Complete Guide Windows does not natively support VMFS 6, the proprietary file system used by VMware ESXi. While older versions like VMFS 3 could be accessed with specific drivers, modern VMFS 6 partitions require specialized tools or alternative environments to be read on a Windows machine. Why Windows Can't Read VMFS 6 Directly mount vmfs 6 windows hot
Windows is designed to understand file systems like NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT. VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) is a clustered file system specifically built for virtual machines, and its structure is fundamentally different from what Windows expects. If you connect a VMFS 6 disk to Windows, it will often appear as an "Unknown Partition" or "Unallocated Space" in Disk Management. How to Mount VMFS in Windows, Linux, and ESXi - NAKIVO
Do NOT initialize, format, or convert the disk when Windows prompts you. Cancel any "You need to format the disk" messages immediately.
To mount a VMFS 6 datastore on Windows—often required when a host is down and you need to "hot-plug" the drive to recover files—you generally need third-party tools because Windows cannot natively read this VMware proprietary file system. Best Methods for VMFS 6 on Windows
DiskInternals VMFS Recovery (Recommended for VMFS 6)This is one of the few tools that explicitly supports VMFS 6 on Windows 10 and 11. It can mount the datastore as a virtual drive or allow you to browse it in a "Recovery" mode to copy files.
Step 1: Download and install VMFS Recovery from DiskInternals.
Step 2: Connect your physical disk (via SATA, SAS, or USB) to the Windows PC. Step 3: Launch the software and select the physical drive.
Step 4: Run a "Fast" or "Full" scan to find the VMFS partition.
Step 5: Right-click the partition and select Mount as Disk to assign a Windows drive letter.
WSL2 with vmfs6-tools (Free/Open Source Workaround)Since the popular "Open Source VMFS Driver" (Java-based) typically only supports up to VMFS 3/5, Windows users often use WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) to run Linux-native tools.
Step 1: In an Admin PowerShell, identify your disk: GET-CimInstance -query "SELECT * from Win32_DiskDrive".
Step 2: Mount the bare disk to WSL: wsl --mount \\.\PHYSICALDRIVEx --bare (replace x with your disk number).
Step 3: Inside your WSL terminal (e.g., Ubuntu), install the tools: sudo apt install vmfs6-tools.
Step 4: Create a mount point and mount it: sudo vmfs6-fuse /dev/sdX /mnt/vmfs.
VMware Workstation (For .VMDK Files)If you have already moved the .vmdk files to a Windows drive and just need to "mount" them to see the data inside the virtual disk itself, use VMware Workstation. Go to File > Map Virtual Disks and select your .vmdk file.
Choose a drive letter to browse the internal files as if it were a local drive. Important Notes
Read-Only Access: Most third-party tools provide read-only access to prevent datastore corruption.
Safety: Always set the drive to Offline in Windows Disk Management before trying to mount it through WSL2 or recovery tools to avoid Windows attempting to initialize or format the "Unknown" partition.
Windows cannot natively mount VMFS 6 partitions . Because VMFS is a proprietary clustered file system used by VMware ESXi, you must use third-party drivers or recovery tools to access its contents on a Windows host. Experts Exchange Option 1: Using Open Source VMFS Drivers You can use Java-based drivers like the Open Source VMFS Driver to gain read-only access to your files. Identify the Disk Disk Management in Windows to find the disk number (e.g., Disk 1). Download & Extract : Obtain the driver archive (e.g., fvmfs_r95_dist.zip ) and extract it to a folder like Run via CMD
: Open Command Prompt as Administrator and navigate to your extraction folder. Mount via WebDAV
: Use the following command to share the disk via the WebDAV protocol: java -jar fvmfs.jar \\.\PhysicalDrive1 webdav Access Files
: Map a network drive in Windows to the WebDAV address provided by the tool. Option 2: Recovery & Browsing Tools
If you need a graphical interface or the partition is damaged, specialized tools are often more reliable. DiskInternals DiskInternals VMFS Recovery If you have a flat VMDK file or
: A common choice for mounting VMFS volumes to recover VMDK files or browse data directly within Windows. VMFS Recovery Tool
: Provides a CLI for mounting and analyzing volumes across Windows and Linux. DiskInternals
Option 3: The Virtual ESXi Method (Recommended for Stability)
For the most stable "hot" access without risky third-party drivers, you can use a nested ESXi environment. Experts Exchange VMware Workstation on your Windows PC. Create a virtual machine and install In VM settings, add a Physical Disk and select the drive containing your VMFS partition. Power on the virtual ESXi and use the vSphere Client to browse and download files. Experts Exchange Critical Limitations
: Most Windows-based VMFS tools only provide read access. Do not attempt to write data, as it may corrupt the volume. VMFS 6 Compatibility : Ensure the tool specifically supports (introduced with ESXi 6.5); older tools like vmfs-tools (v0.0.4) often only support VMFS 5 and below. vmfsrecover.com for this process? Can I mount a VMFS formatted HDD from Windows or Linux 26 Feb 2011 —
Mounting VMFS 6 on Windows: A Hot Topic
Are you a Windows user looking to access your VMware virtual machine file system (VMFS) on your local machine? Perhaps you have a VMFS 6 datastore that you want to browse or recover data from, but you're not sure how to mount it on your Windows system. Well, you're in luck! In this post, we'll explore the process of mounting VMFS 6 on Windows, and discuss some popular tools and methods for achieving this.
What is VMFS 6?
VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) is a file system used by VMware to store virtual machines (VMs) on a datastore. VMFS 6 is the latest version of this file system, introduced with VMware vSphere 6.5. It's designed to provide high-performance storage for VMs, with features like thin provisioning, deduplication, and compression.
Why Mount VMFS 6 on Windows?
There are several reasons why you might want to mount a VMFS 6 datastore on your Windows system:
Methods for Mounting VMFS 6 on Windows
There are a few methods to mount a VMFS 6 datastore on Windows:
Step-by-Step Guide to Mounting VMFS 6 on Windows
Here's a step-by-step guide to mounting a VMFS 6 datastore on Windows using VMFS Tools:
Conclusion
Mounting a VMFS 6 datastore on Windows can be a useful skill for VMware administrators and power users. With the right tools and knowledge, you can access your VMFS 6 datastore on your Windows system, recover data, or migrate data to a Windows-based storage system. While the process may seem daunting at first, it's relatively straightforward with the right guidance. We hope this post has provided a helpful guide to mounting VMFS 6 on Windows.
Mounting a VMFS 6 partition directly on Windows is not natively supported. While older versions (VMFS 3) could be mounted using open-source Java drivers, modern VMFS 6 environments require specific workarounds or third-party recovery software. Option 1: Mounting via WSL2 (Recommended)
This is the most effective "hot" method on Windows 10/11 because it leverages Linux-based vmfs6-tools without needing a full virtual machine.
Set the disk offline: Open Disk Management, locate your VMFS drive, right-click, and select Offline. This prevents Windows from locking the disk.
Identify the disk: Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:GET-CimInstance -query "SELECT * from Win32_DiskDrive"Note the index number (e.g., \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE1). Mount in WSL:wsl --mount \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE1 --bare
Access in Linux: Launch your WSL2 terminal (e.g., Ubuntu) and install the tools:sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install vmfs6-tools Result: You can browse all VM folders, copy
Mount locally:sudo vmfs6-fuse /dev/sdX1 /mnt/vmfs (where /dev/sdX is your drive found via lsblk). Option 2: Nested ESXi in VMware Workstation
If you need a reliable "hot" mount to browse and copy files (VMX/VMDK), nesting is the standard professional approach. How to Mount VMFS in Windows, Linux, and ESXi - NAKIVO
Windows cannot natively mount VMFS 6 partitions, as it does not recognize the VMware file system. To access VMFS 6 data on Windows "hot" (while the system is running and without rebooting into a different OS), you must use third-party recovery or driver tools that support the VMFS 6 standard. Recommended Tools for Windows
Because standard open-source drivers (like the Java-based fvmfs) typically only support VMFS 3, you will need modern specialized software for VMFS 6:
DiskInternals VMFS Recovery: A widely used commercial tool that can scan physical disks connected to Windows, detect VMFS 6 partitions, and mount them as virtual disks to browse and copy files.
BitRecover VMFS Recovery: Available on the Microsoft Marketplace, this tool allows you to deep scan and restore data from VMFS partitions directly within Windows.
StarWind V2V Converter: Often used for "hot" migrations, this tool can help move or convert virtual disks from VMFS storage to other formats compatible with Windows-native hypervisors like Hyper-V. The "Nested ESXi" Workaround
If you need a free way to access the data without specialized recovery software, you can use VMware Workstation on Windows:
Install ESXi as a VM: Create a new virtual machine in VMware Workstation and install a trial version of ESXi.
Pass-through the Physical Disk: In the VM settings, add a "Physical Disk" to the ESXi VM, selecting the drive that contains your VMFS 6 datastore.
Access via Browser: Once the virtual ESXi host boots, use your Windows browser to log into its web interface. The datastore should appear after a storage rescan, allowing you to download the files you need. Summary Table: Access Methods Ease of Use Recovery Software DiskInternals VMFS Recovery High (Direct Mount) Commercial Virtualization VMware Workstation Moderate (Setup ESXi VM) Trial/Free version Linux Subsystem vmfs6-tools (via WSL2/VM) Technical (CLI based)
Are you trying to recover data from a corrupted partition, or just looking for a way to read files from a healthy drive? AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more
Native support for on Windows is non-existent because the file system is proprietary to VMware. To mount it "hot" (while the data is accessible) on a Windows 11 or 10 machine, you must use third-party drivers or recovery tools. Top Solutions for Mounting VMFS 6 on Windows
How to Access VMFS Datastore from Linux, ESXi host or Windows
on a Windows system is inherently difficult because Windows lacks native drivers for VMware’s proprietary file system. Standard Windows tools can only handle
(outdated) using the legacy Open Source VMFS driver. To access modern VMFS 6 volumes "hot" (while active or without an ESXi host), you must use third-party specialized software or the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2). Methods to Mount VMFS 6 on Windows Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2) : This is the most reliable manual method. You can use the command to pass a physical drive to WSL2 and then use vmfs6-tools
within an Ubuntu environment to mount the partition as a read-only directory. Specialized Recovery Software : Tools like DiskInternals VMFS Recovery
support VMFS 6 and allow you to "mount as disk," assigning a drive letter that Windows can read. Other options include UFS Explorer Hetman Partition Recovery Virtual Storage Appliances : Using a virtual appliance, such as the StarWind SAN & NAS
, can bridge storage protocols to present VMFS data to a Windows host via iSCSI. Risks and Best Practices How to Mount VMFS in Linux, Windows and ESXi 25 Jan 2023 —
If you need access right now and don’t want to spin up a Linux virtual machine, third-party software is your best bet. These tools allow you to "mount" the VMFS volume in read-only mode to copy VMDK files out.
Popular tools include:
The Workflow:
Note: These tools are usually paid software for full recovery, but they are the most reliable way to get data "hot" and fast on a Windows host.