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VMware virtual disk
File type: Virtual machine, virtualization software related file
A vmdk file extension is used for default virtual disk format of VMware virtualization software. A vmdk file stores contents of virtual machine hard disk drive. There can be more vmdk files for each virtual machines, depending on the specified amount of virtual hard drive assigned to it. It also can store information about partitions virtual drive is able to access.
File type category:
Virtual machine, virtualization software related file
Date updated: July 13, 2025
The vmdk file extension is used for virtual disk files - virtual partition with data and installed operating system (Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS X (macOS), MS-DOS etc.) created and used by VMware to run as a virtual machine (under host operating system).
VMDK virtual disk file stores the contents of the virtual machine's hard disk drive.
A virtual disk is made up of one or more vmdk files. If you have specified that the virtual disk should be split into 2GB chunks, the number of vmdk files depends on the size of the virtual disk.
As data is added to a virtual disk, the vmdk files grow in size, to a maximum of 2GB each. (If you specify that all space should be allocated when you create the disk, these files start at the maximum size and do not grow.) Almost all of a vmdk file's content is the virtual machine's data, with a small portion allotted to virtual machine overhead.
If the virtual machine is connected directly to a physical disk, rather than to a virtual disk, the vmdk file stores information about the partitions the virtual machine is allowed to access.
Earlier VMware products used the dsk file extension for virtual disk files.
The native application, that can open the *.vmdk files is software from VMware company like VMware Workstation or WMware Fusion on Mac platform. Another compatible virtualization applications are VirtualBox or Parallels Desktop.
Use the Parallels Transporter to convert the VMDK file to PVM file ( Parallels virtual machine file).
Use the VMDK2VHD utility to convert the VMDK to VHD file (Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk file).
Use Export command from VMware software to convert it to ovf - open virtualization format package. Use export tools from other virtualization software to export virtual disk file or entire virtual machine to VMware supported format.
Software applications that can open vmdk files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Software apps that create vmdk files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Linux/Unix
Software apps that convert vmdk files:
Microsoft Windows
Software apps that import vmdk files:
Microsoft Windows
Software apps that export vmdk files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Linux/Unix
Software apps that extract vmdk files:
Microsoft Windows
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