Mounting VMWare Workstation 7 vmdk files in Windows 7 64bit

[sambul12]

I tried running vmware-mount.exe utility (with all required parameters) that is installed with current VMWare DDK, and it does nothing to mount a created by VMWare 7.1.2 vmdk file as virtual disk in Win-7 64-bit, just prints content of Help instead in Command Promt window, if I type a pass to vmdk file without "". When using "" in the pass string, the utility crashes with popup Error "Program unexpectedly closed". It looks like it uses a modded WinXP 64-bit VDK driver of Ken Kato (its actually placed by DDK installer in the same folder with vmware-mount.exe), but the driver is unsigned, and doesn't work in regular Win7 64-bit mode when installed on its own. VMWare DiskMount GUI from Devfarm Software also crashes the same way using the same 64-bit driver. Interesting that vddk64.zip file is also placed by the installer in the same folder, but it doesn't have vmware-mount.exe file in its bin folder, only vmware-vdiskmanager.exe.

Anyone can suggest, what I'm doing wrong, and how to mount  current versions of vmdk files in Win7 64-bit to make them accessible via Win Explorer 64-bit, instead of only in VMWare workstation or player? Any other utility can do that? What can possibly be a problem, assuming vmware-mount.exe uses its own signed 64-bit driver instead of VDK, and supports created by VMWare Workstation 7 vmdk files? Anyone was lucky to mount any versions of vmdk files in Win7 64-bit - how exactly? Why VMWare relies on an old unsigned 3-d party driver to mount its own virtual disk files in Windows?

[sambul12]

Commandline gives exact same error until vmdk is converted on Win7 64bit host with VMWare Converter.

[DSTAVERT]

This is another useful disk mount tool I have used. http://drivesnapshot.de/en/virtual.htm

Drivesnapshot is a pretty cool tool as well. Used it for many years.

[sambul12]

Thanks. Basically, I just wanted to mount in Windows an empty vmdk and Restore or Copy a System Drive to it with any backup utility to use it inside VMWare VM. Since its much faster than restoring the same drive in the VM. The problem is, most backup packages don't see as drives mounted vmdk disks, so there is no way to restore OS onto it. How about this driver - will it deliver a disk visible in Disk Management Applet?

[DSTAVERT]

As I recall it does but maybe not in XP.

[continuum]

You can NOT mount unformatted vmdks - that is impossible.

You can only mount partitions- NOT disks.

Is that why you think you need to use Converter ?

If you want to partition a brand new vmdk the only way is to mount it via iSCSI - no other way will show it in diskmanagement.

No vmdk-mount-tool on earth can do what you want

> Commandline gives exact same error until vmdk is converted on Win7 64bit  host with VMWare Converter.

converter creates a MBR for new disks - thats why you think you need it.

[DSTAVERT]

The vdk tool does allow you to mount an empty vmdk. I don't remember everything I could do and perhaps it doesn't make it available to diskmanager but once mounted you can use Drivesnapshot and restore the partition table to the the empty vmdk and then restore a snapshot disk image. After that you have a functional vmdk.

[continuum]

if you mount a brand new vmdk with vdk.exe you mount it as a partition image - that is NOT what you want - not at all

it is not trivial to partition a vmdk without using a VM to do so - easiest way is iSCSI and if you want the vmdk to show up in diskmanagement using iSCSI is also the only way.

Other way to partition a vmdk is a tool from Jaclaz  - but that is commandline and hard to use.

[sambul12]

I used the converter for the reason explained above: vmware-diskmount.exe couldn't mount a vmdk with bootable WinXP restored onto it in Acronis Backup & Recovery, while it was easy to mount by using VM Hard Drive Utilities - Map (which I suspect uses the same utility). The second vmdk I also couldn't mount was a formatted vmdk with a single file on it but without MBR. It sounds like even pictures aren't convincing enough for you.

It seems DriveSnapshot is worse to try. Acronis however did a perfect P2V job in this regard, but it creates its own vmdk in the process (which is recognized by WS7 as obsolete yet can't be converted to a new type), while it can't see already existing vmdks, including mounted ones. That's why I was looking for a tool to mount vmdk in a Windows compliant way. WinMount also mounts vmdks but they are not seen in diskmanager either.

[DSTAVERT]

It may not be what you want to do but using vdk to mount a vmdk works. I have used Drivesnapshot to capture disks that are going bad and restore them to an empty vmdk many times. Drivesnapshot even tries to capture disks with bad sectors.

[continuum]

> The second vmdk I also couldn't mount was a formatted vmdk with a single  file on it but without MBR.

A formatted vmdk has a MBR . Period

> That's why I was looking for a tool to mount vmdk in a Windows compliant  way.

No mount-tool can do that - use iSCSI if you need vmdks displayed in Windows-diskmanagement.

Wonder - do you even listen to what we say ?

[continuum]

@ DSTAVERT

> The vdk tool does allow you to mount an empty vmdk.

I just read that they have a modified version so that drivesnapshot can use some magic to partition the drive.
Interesting - I was not aware of that modified version - I guess it only can do this trick with the drivesnapshot-tool ?

[DSTAVERT]

The two together do a nice job. German too.

[sambul12]

Is it possible to use VDK driver in a normal way in Win7 64-bit? Its not registered, hence I couldn't install the driver, and neither use Devfram's VDK GUI. May be their driver mod is registered? Btw, Ken Kato's VDK is Japanies...:smileyconfused:

Trying to use DriveSnapshot to mount a vmdk:  the button Map and Explore Virtual Drive is deemed. Should I install VDK first, or its normally installed by DriveSnapshot?

[DSTAVERT]

VDK was modified by Drivesnapshot (probably Tom) who is German.

I don't know all that is possible with the driver. You need to read the readme file to get all the ways it can be used. If I remember the .sys file is no longer used just the exe file. vdk install and vdk start etc.

I don't remember everything I did with it. I don't remember whether I used it with anything other than drivesnapshot or not. I may pick it up in the morning and have a look again. Do go through the readme and see if you can puzzle it out.

[continuum]

> Is it possible to use VDK driver in a normal way in Win7 64-bit?

NO

it works because they use some magic - maybe the tool from Jaclaz I already mentioned - to inject a MBR.

It will NOT enable you to see the vmdk in diskmanagement.

read what the site says about it:

Luckily, Ken Kato has created an Open Source Driver VDK, that allows to  mount entire VMWare disks.
The original can be found here http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vdk.html. Unfortunately, neither Windows Disk Manager nor Drive Snapshot detect  this disk.
Luckily, VDK is open source (thanks, Ken), and we could modify VDK  (sl;ightly), so that at least Drive Snapshot recognizes the virtual drive.


what you really need to do is create a few sample vmdks and pre-format them inside a VM..
Then you do not need to use diskmanagement.

If you want to use backuptools that need that the mounted vmdk appears in diskmanagement you must use iSCSI.
Thats the only way in Windows 7

[sambul12]

I tried the above modded  VDK driver, and it can't read and mount current VMWare WS 5-6-7 vmdks, showing multiple errors, claiming to mount at the end, while the image drive is not visible in Win Explorer. Also, mentioned Drive Snapshot (at least trial) can only mount its own written .sna images with the modded VDK driver, but not any vmdks - its Map and Explore Virtual Drive button is deemed unless a .sna file is selected.

Can you suggest any good links & pubs on how to setup iSCSI on VMWare WS7 VM with WinXP&7 guest, and connect via iSCSI the drives mounted in Win7 host and the VM Guest? Or only ESX(i) server must be used: most links here point to using ESX with iSCSI, and it looks like Software iSCSI Adapter is built into ESX. How to install such Adapter on Win7 64-bit host, and where to get it from? Can it be added to WS7?

[continuum]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=12cb3c1a-15d6-4585-b385-befd1319f825&dis...

To use iSCSI you need an iSCSI  Target and an iSCSI Initiator - the Initiator is already build into Windows 7

iSCSI Initiator = the client part - this tool mounts an iSCSI device and displays it in diskmanagement
iSCSI Target = the server part - this tool uses an image file or a physical disk or ... and serves it via ethernet

1. step : create a blank monolithicFlat vmdk with vdiskmanager or the Workstation GUI

(monolithicFlat vmdks are also called one piece preallocated vmdks - it consists of one small text-vmdk and one large *-flat.vmdk

2. step : rename the *-flat.vmdk to *.flat.img

3. open the iSCSI-target software - and create a new target using the *flat.img-file

4. open the iSCSI-initiator - buildin with win7 - and mount a remote iSCSI-device - set the IP of the iSCSI-target and select the correct device

5. open diskmanagement - find the newly added disk in diskmanagement - partition the disk and assign driveletters if necessary

6. use your software to backup or restore to the iSCSI-disk

when done change extension back to *flat.vmdk a nd use it with a VM

Don't know any documentation specific to Workstation but there is none necessary - you only have to take care of two special aspects:

1: rename flat.vmdk to flat.img
2: keep in mind: this only works with monolithicFlat vmdk-types

[sambul12]

Thanks, I'll try. Does that mean that its impossible to setup iSCSI connection btw Win7 host and WS7 VM Win7 guest?

Will it work btw the host and ESXi VMs, where ESXi is installed directly in Win7 host (if possible) or inside a WS7 VM guest?

[continuum]

every modern VM guest system - ESXi and Windows 7 included - can mount remote iSCSI-devices.

Only condition - it needs fast and reliable ethernet connection to the iSCSI-target - your Windows 7 Workstation host for example.

Using iSCSI to create a storage for a ESXi- VM inside Workstation is something that very many folks do - you will find lots of blogs about this.

As always with blogs about VMware: there are more dangerously bad blogs then good ones

[sambul12]

I suspect, Storage Server 2003 won't install on Win7 / Server 2008 R2, so lets try newer Win Storage Server 2008 R2 & iSCSI Target 3.3

>> open the iSCSI-target software - and create a new target using the *flat.img-file

What do you mean by "using *flat.img"? Did you mean to set Target name as *flat.img? Or Create & Add Virtual Disk to target from *flat.img? I can't: the MS iSCSI 3.3 Target accepts only .vhd disks, not .img              Hence, I created a target with a .vhd disk attached to it (can I change .vmdk to .vhd?).

>> open the iSCSI-initiator - buildin with win7 - and mount a remote iSCSI-device - set the IP of the iSCSI-target and select the correct device

The target is located on the same host PC, so will it have the same local network IP as my PC? How would I find out the target's IP? If I enter my Win7 PC IP, no targets are discovered by the Initiator?! Or the Target must only be located on a different PC & in a VM Guest with different IP address? Or should I access it from a VM Win7 Guest - but this makes no sense for "restore archive" task? This video shows 2 PCs doing the job, not one.