What is a VMDK file?
A .VMDK file is a Virtual Machine Disk File. It acts as a digital hard drive for a virtual machine. VMware created the .VMDK format to store the operating system, applications, and data of a virtualized computer.
How to open VMDK files?
Desktop hypervisor software like VMware Workstation and VirtualBox use .VMDK files to run virtual machines. However, installing and configuring these programs can be time-consuming. If you only need to inspect a disk image, viewer.online/vmdk analyzes .VMDK files to identify their exact format and creator software, shows which programs can open the file, and usually previews it.
Software and tools
System administrators typically use VMware ESXi for servers, and VMware Workstation for desktop computers. You can also use 7-Zip to extract files from standard .VMDK images without booting the virtual machine. If you need to migrate to another hypervisor, we recommend converting your file to formats like .VDI, .VHD, or .QCOW2 on convert.guru.
Summary
Virtual machine disks are large and complex. Fortunately, viewer.online/vmdk directly opens and previews .VMDK files in the browser, eliminating the need to install software or troubleshoot compatibility issues.