![]() Note that you can also use tools like VMFS Recovery to remotely mount VMDKs without having to download them locally. ![]() Note: The descriptor file is not listed under datastore browser but it can be viewed from the ESXi shell while SSH’ed using a client such as putty or directly from the console.įor this post, I’ve used the VMDKs of both Windows and Linux VMs copying the descriptor and flat files to a folder on my Windows PC, given that some methods covered require both files. Viewing a VMDK descriptor file in a text editor For further details why not have a look at The Anatomy of a VMware Virtual Machine. The flat file is where the actual data lives. It is, in fact, nothing but a text file viewable in any text editor. ![]() The descriptor file contains disk information such as its geometry, ids and virtual hardware version. In this post, I’ll go over 4 different ways you can use to extract content from VMDK files.īefore we move on, just a reminder that a VMDK is comprised of 2 parts the descriptor and the flat file. Maybe, a recent update is preventing you from booting the guest OS and you have no backups to rely on. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself needing access to the contents of a virtual machine’s virtual disk (VMDK), perhaps to retrieve data due to a VM biting the dust.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |