While this guide focuses on Windows-based solutions, the most universal and reliable way to access data on a VMFS datastore is to connect the disks to a new ESXi server.
You need a second, functioning ESXi host. It's also a "cold" method requiring physical disk attachment or SAN reconfiguration, not a simple network operation.
The software automatically scans all attached physical drives and network LUNs. It will detect the VMFS 6 signature even if Windows labels the drive as RAW.
For IT professionals and forensic analysts who need immediate, read-only access to a VMFS 6 drive without risk of data alteration, by Exterro is a powerful free utility. Run FTK Imager as an Administrator on Windows. Click File > Add Evidence Item .
on a Windows system is inherently difficult because Windows lacks native drivers for VMware’s proprietary file system. Standard Windows tools can only handle mount vmfs 6 windows hot
: One of the most reliable options for modern VMFS versions. It can reconstruct VMFS volumes and allow you to mount them as local disks or export files to NTFS/FAT32.
Method 2: The Advanced Approach (Linux Subsystem / VM Pass-Through)
Open PowerShell as Administrator and run: GET-CimInstance -query "SELECT * from Win32_DiskDrive" Note the index number (e.g., \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE1 ). Mount in WSL: wsl --mount \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE1 --bare
Often, engineers look to mount a VMFS 6 volume because they need to access a specific virtual disk ( .vmdk ) file inside it. If you have successfully copied the .vmdk file over to a Windows environment using Method 1 or Method 2, you can mount the virtual disk itself directly into Windows. Steps to Hot-Mount a VMDK file in Windows: While this guide focuses on Windows-based solutions, the
Method 1: Use Specialized VMFS Recovery Software (Recommended)
You need to mount the drive "hot" (without rebooting your production Windows environment).
This approach doesn't require physically moving disks and works for both mounted and unmounted datastores.
While mounting a volume directly on a Windows machine for read/write access is a complex task without a native solution, the free Open Source VMFS Driver provides a reliable, read-only pathway for emergency data recovery. It’s a powerful tool for quickly "hot" mounting a drive from a failed server to copy critical virtual machines. Run FTK Imager as an Administrator on Windows
| Expectation | Reality | |-------------|---------| | Free native solution | None. Windows has no VMFS driver. | | Hot, writable mount | Possible only with expensive tools (e.g., UFS Explorer), but extremely risky if the volume is live on ESXi. | | Read-only hot mount | Yes, with tools like DiskInternals VMFS Recovery or OSFMount (partial v6 support). | | Safe production use | Detach the datastore from ESXi first, then mount as read-only on Windows. |
You need enough free disk space on your Windows PC for the entire converted VMDK file. It's a multi-step process.
: When handling "hot" or recently pulled enterprise drives (SAS/SATA), use proper enclosures. Enterprise drives run significantly hotter than consumer drives and require active airflow.