: Ensure any third-party tool you use is configured to read-only mode to prevent Windows from overwriting critical VMware partition headers.
Create a mount point and use the tool to read the drive: sudo mkdir /mnt/vmfs sudo vmfs-fuse /dev/sdX1 /mnt/vmfs Use code with caution.
Since Windows lacks native support, you must use specialized software capable of parsing the VMFS 6 file structure. Below are the most reliable utilities available for this task.
will appear. Warning: Never initialize or format the drive when prompted by Windows, as this will overwrite the VMFS metadata and destroy your virtual machines.
When the drive is connected, open Windows Disk Management ( diskmgmt.msc ). The drive should appear as an "Online" disk with an "Unknown" or "RAW" partition. Do not initialize, partition, or format the drive. Methods to Mount VMFS 6 on Windows mount vmfs 6 windows hot
Select the detected VMFS volume. The software will mount it within its own interface, displaying the typical ESXi folder structure.
This method is particularly valuable during disaster recovery when a single ESXi host crashes but the local disks (or LUNs) remain functional.
Method 3: Access via an ESXi Host (Recommended Lifecycle Approach)
There is currently provided by Microsoft or VMware to mount VMFS 6 as a readable drive letter (like E:\ ) inside Windows. : Ensure any third-party tool you use is
Don't have a second ESXi host? No problem. Since Windows lacks direct support, you can use a Linux virtual machine as a translator.
Attach the raw disk to your Linux subsystem by running: powershell wsl --mount \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2 --bare Use code with caution. Access WSL: Open your Linux terminal (e.g., Ubuntu).
What is the (iSCSI, Fibre Channel, local SAS, or an image file)?
(outdated) using the legacy Open Source VMFS driver.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 Below are the most reliable utilities available for
Would you like a step-by-step guide for one of the safe read-only methods (e.g., StarWind V2V Converter on Windows to browse a live VMFS 6 datastore)?
Open VMFS or specific forks like vmfs6-tools wrapped in a UI. However, for Windows users, the easiest interface is often a tool like Veaam File Manager (for older VMFS) or a compiled binary of vmfs-tools .
This professional tool stands out as one of the most robust solutions available. It supports VMFS versions 3, 4, 5, and 6, handles partitions up to 64 TB, works with files larger than 2 TB, and supports VMFS6 drives containing over 100,000,000 files.
: Ensure any third-party tool you use is configured to read-only mode to prevent Windows from overwriting critical VMware partition headers.
Create a mount point and use the tool to read the drive: sudo mkdir /mnt/vmfs sudo vmfs-fuse /dev/sdX1 /mnt/vmfs Use code with caution.
Since Windows lacks native support, you must use specialized software capable of parsing the VMFS 6 file structure. Below are the most reliable utilities available for this task.
will appear. Warning: Never initialize or format the drive when prompted by Windows, as this will overwrite the VMFS metadata and destroy your virtual machines.
When the drive is connected, open Windows Disk Management ( diskmgmt.msc ). The drive should appear as an "Online" disk with an "Unknown" or "RAW" partition. Do not initialize, partition, or format the drive. Methods to Mount VMFS 6 on Windows
Select the detected VMFS volume. The software will mount it within its own interface, displaying the typical ESXi folder structure.
This method is particularly valuable during disaster recovery when a single ESXi host crashes but the local disks (or LUNs) remain functional.
Method 3: Access via an ESXi Host (Recommended Lifecycle Approach)
There is currently provided by Microsoft or VMware to mount VMFS 6 as a readable drive letter (like E:\ ) inside Windows.
Don't have a second ESXi host? No problem. Since Windows lacks direct support, you can use a Linux virtual machine as a translator.
Attach the raw disk to your Linux subsystem by running: powershell wsl --mount \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2 --bare Use code with caution. Access WSL: Open your Linux terminal (e.g., Ubuntu).
What is the (iSCSI, Fibre Channel, local SAS, or an image file)?
(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
Would you like a step-by-step guide for one of the safe read-only methods (e.g., StarWind V2V Converter on Windows to browse a live VMFS 6 datastore)?
Open VMFS or specific forks like vmfs6-tools wrapped in a UI. However, for Windows users, the easiest interface is often a tool like Veaam File Manager (for older VMFS) or a compiled binary of vmfs-tools .
This professional tool stands out as one of the most robust solutions available. It supports VMFS versions 3, 4, 5, and 6, handles partitions up to 64 TB, works with files larger than 2 TB, and supports VMFS6 drives containing over 100,000,000 files.