Method 1: Using Professional VMFS Recovery Software (Recommended)
Several tools are available for mounting VMFS disks in Windows. Here are some popular options:
: Specifically designed for virtual machine data recovery, it can scan VMFS volumes and extract files even if the host server is dead.
Mounting a VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) disk on Windows is notoriously difficult because VMFS is a proprietary format used by VMware ESXi that Windows does not natively recognize. When you connect a VMFS-formatted drive to a Windows PC, it typically appears as "Unknown" or "Unallocated" in Disk Management.
❌ Write support is dangerous – do not modify VMFS from Windows ❌ Large disks (>2TB) may require additional configuration ❌ Not all tools handle spanned or RAID volumes well
Open (Right-click Start > Disk Management) to find the disk number (e.g., "Disk 1").
There are several scenarios where you might need to access VMFS disks in Windows:
. If you take a physical drive out of an ESXi server and plug it into a Windows PC via SATA or USB, Windows will see the drive in Disk Management but will label the partitions as "Healthy (Unknown Partition)" and won't assign a drive letter. Solutions to Mount VMFS on Windows Linux Reader (by DiskInternals)
Mounting VMFS disks in Windows can be a challenging task, but with the right tools, it's definitely possible. DiskInternals VMFS Recovery and VMFS Tools are two popular options for mounting VMFS disks in Windows, while StarWind V2V Converter offers a convenient way to convert VMFS disks to VMDK format. When choosing a tool, consider your specific needs and budget.
VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) is a file system used by VMware to store virtual machines. If you're looking to access VMFS disks in a Windows environment, you'll need a reliable tool to mount them. In this review, we'll explore the process of mounting VMFS disks in Windows and evaluate some popular tools for doing so.