Even with UFS Explorer’s write mode, VMware strongly recommends against it. One misaligned write can corrupt the file system’s heartbeat region, causing all VMs to fail.
If you need to instantly ("hot") browse a VMFS 6 LUN, extract VMDK files, or recover data without altering the source disk, using a specialized file browser is the safest route. Software like DiskInternals VMFS Recovery or UFS Explorer Standard Recovery can parse VMFS 6 structures on a live Windows system. Step-by-Step Execution:
This is the most effective "hot" method on Windows 10/11 because it leverages Linux-based vmfs6-tools without needing a full virtual machine.
Mount the bare disk to WSL: wsl --mount \\.\PHYSICALDRIVEx --bare (replace x with your disk number). mount vmfs 6 windows hot
When handling an ESXi VMFS 6 drive on a Windows platform, keep these critical safety rules in mind:
Boot your Linux VM. Use a modern compilation of tools like vmfs6-tools (available on modern GitHub repositories) to target the pass-through block device (e.g., /dev/sdb1 ) and mount it safely to a local directory.
If you’re on Windows Server, you can install Linux subsystem (WSL2) and use vmfs-tools (after compiling). But that’s a 2-hour journey. The hot method above takes 2 minutes. Even with UFS Explorer’s write mode, VMware strongly
If you’ve ever lost an ESXi host or just need to recover a single VMDK from a dead server, you know the struggle: Windows cannot natively read VMFS 6 . Unlike VMFS 5, which had some legacy workarounds, VMFS 6 is leaner, meaner, and locked down.
Right-click the required .vmdk files or configurations and select Save/Copy . Transfer them to a native Windows NTFS or ReFS volume.
Solutions like Paragon VMFS for Windows are often the most reliable for mounting VMFS6. They allow you to mount the VMFS LUN directly to a Windows drive letter, providing Read-Only or Read-Write access. Steps: Map the VMFS LUN via iSCSI or FC to the Windows Server. Install the driver/software. Assign a drive letter via the software interface. 2. Using VMware Converter (For Extraction) Software like DiskInternals VMFS Recovery or UFS Explorer
However, you can safely access, read, and recover data from a VMFS 6 partition using specialized third-party tools, VHDX conversions, or Linux subsystems. This comprehensive guide covers the exact methods to read VMFS 6 data on Windows safely. The Core Challenge: Windows vs. VMFS 6
Open the software and locate the raw disk. The tool will parse the VMFS 6 structure.