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?

[continuum]

I do not sit in front of a win7 with an MS iSCSI-target right now - I use Starwind.

There the option I use when creating / assigning an iSCSI-target  is called "ImageDevice"

When I want to assign a vmdk as iSCSI-target I use the  somename-flat.vmdk renamed to somename-flat.img

The iscsi-target can be on the same host as the initiator that later mounts the iscsi-device - it also can be a different PC or a VM.
That really makes no difference.

If you have problems with the MS-Target use the free Starwind iSCSI-target - it has an easier - more intuitive GUI then the MS-version.
There are some other free versions available which may use different names for the "ImageDevice"

Open the MS-target and show me a screenshot of the available options when creating a new target - then I can tell you which one to use.

For this purpose we want an option that uses a plain, uncompressed image file - the file-extension does not matter at this time.

if you need it, I can create some screenshots and a short howto for the procedure I use - but you may have to remind me 😉

[sambul12]

Everything is fine with options done like here. What IP address do you enter in the Initiator's Find Target field - your PC IP? My firewall shows requests from wintarget.exe to a different IP on the LAN? I can't access it from Win7 guest either. Will try Starwind.

[continuum]

what IP ?

example case:
you want to restore an ghost-image to a vmdk - all on a Windows host named Wusn with IP 10.11.12.13

- create blank empty vmdk with vmware-vdiskmanager.exe - call it C:\ghost.vmdk - create type monolithicFlat
- rename C:\ghost-flat.vmdk to C:\ghost-flat.img
- start Starwind

- create new "target" - select "ImageDevice"
- give the new target the name "ghost"
- assign the image-file C:\ghost-flat.img to the iSCSI-target "ghost"
- start MS-iSCSI Initiator
- search for remote iSCSI targets on host Wusn or look for 10.11.12.13
- search for the target named "ghost"
- connect to the target and automount it
- open disk management
- find a new unpartitioned disk
- partition the disk and assign driveletters if required
- run ghost

- when done - disconnect iscsi target
- rename C:\ghost-flat.img to C:\ghost-flat.vmdk
- start a VM that uses the vmdk C:\ghost.vmdk
- it should come up with the restored ghost-machine running as VM

Hope that gives you a better idea of the procedure

... only looks complicated the first time 😉

[sambul12]

It doesn't look complicated either. Probably, MS iSCSI Target needs some extra dlls that are missing in Win7 (without Win Storage Server installed). Or may be its IPSec CFG issue - have to read Manuals. For those interested all WSS & MS iSCSI links are here.

P.S. Nothing is simple until you master it to perfection. iSCSI implementations have their own loads of issues, and large forums to bug.

[LouKur]

Having the same problem. I have tried:

vmware-mount M: LOUXPS.vmdk

Command completes normally, but Windows 7 [Professional 64-bit] throws error:

Location is not available
M:\ is not accessible
Incorrect function

When is try Prepare for shrinking with: mware-vdiskmanager -p M: I get:

Failed to prepare the disk mounted at 'M' for shrinking.

I have tried your suggestion of:

vmware-mount.exe x: LOUXPS.vmdk /m:w /v:2

I get:

Unable to mount the virtual disk. The disk may be in use by a virtual
machine, may not have enough volumes or mounted under another drive
letter. If not, verify that the file is a valid virtual disk file.

I clipped the volume option and tried:

vmware-mount.exe x: LOUXPS.vmdk /m:w

I get the same results as before.

My virtual disk is one I created using VMWare 7.1.3 build-324285 from a physical machine.

[LouKur]

I can mount using:
vmware-mount.exe X: LOUXPS.vmdk
OR
vmware-mount.exe X: LOUXPS.vmdk /m:w

But when I try to run vmware-vdiskmanager -p X: I get:
Failed to prepare the disk mounted at 'X' for shrinking.

Also get same errors with Windows Explorer with  drive mounted via vmware-mount

I have tried your suggestion of the /v parameter from another thread:
vmware-mount.exe X: LOUXPS.vmdk /m:w /v:2

I get:
Unable to mount the virtual disk. The disk may be in use by a virtual
machine, may not have enough volumes or mounted under another drive
letter. If not, verify that the file is a valid virtual disk file.