: 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 —
: Similar to Diskinternals, it supports the newer VMFS 6 metadata structures and allows for the extraction of .vmdk files directly to your Windows storage.
No. Windows does not include a native driver for VMFS 6. Disk Management will recognize the physical disk but show it as “Unknown” or “RAW.” To mount VMFS 6 on Windows hot, you need third-party software. mount vmfs 6 windows hot
VMFS 6 is the standard file system introduced in VMware vSphere 6.5. It features advanced capabilities like automatic space reclamation (UNMAP), support for 4K native storage drives, and updated metadata structures.
: Can identify VMFS volumes and extract virtual machine files (VMDKs) after a "Fast Scan". 2. The WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) Workaround : Most Windows-based VMFS tools only provide read access
: Open diskmgmt.msc and select Action > Rescan Disks . The VMFS volume will appear, but it will remain unusable without the third-party tools mentioned above. 3. The "Linux Bridge" Method (Free Alternative)
: 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. vmfsrecover
Since VMFS is a proprietary VMware clustered file system, Windows Disk Management will typically show these partitions as "Healthy (Primary Partition)" but without a drive letter or recognizable file system.
sudo vmfs6-fuse /dev/sdX1 /mnt/vmfs (where /dev/sdX is your drive found via lsblk ). Option 2: Nested ESXi in VMware Workstation