What is a VMware virtual machine, and how does it work?

A VMware virtual machine (VM) is a software-based computer system that runs on top of a physical host computer. It is a complete computer system, including its own operating system, memory, storage, and network interface. The virtual machine is created using virtualization technology, which allows the physical host computer to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously. Each virtual machine runs its own operating system, applications, and user data, completely isolated from the other virtual machines and the physical host. VMware virtual machines are used for a variety of purposes, including server consolidation, software testing, development, and running legacy applications.

What are some common causes of data loss in a VMware virtual machine?

Hardware Failure: Hardware failure is one of the most common causes of data loss in a VMware virtual machine. This can include physical damage to the hardware, such as a hard drive crash, or a power outage that causes the system to shut down unexpectedly. Human Error: Human error can also lead to data loss in a VMware virtual machine. This can include accidental deletion of files, or incorrect configuration of the virtual machine. Software Bugs: Software bugs can cause data loss in a VMware virtual machine, as well. These can include compatibility issues between the virtual machine and the underlying operating system, or problems with the virtualization software itself. Viruses and Malware: Viruses and malware can also cause data loss in a VMware virtual machine. These malicious programs can corrupt or delete files, or cause the system to crash unexpectedly. Storage Issues: Storage issues can also lead to data loss in a VMware virtual machine. This can include running out of disk space, or problems with the storage medium itself.

What is the first step in attempting to recover data from a VMware virtual machine?

The first step in attempting to recover data from a VMware virtual machine is to create a backup of the virtual machine. This can be done by creating a clone of the virtual machine and then backing up the clone. The clone should be stored in a safe location, such as an external hard drive or cloud storage, to ensure that the data is not lost if the original virtual machine becomes corrupted or damaged.

How can you access the file system of a virtual machine if it is not booting up properly?

If the virtual machine is not booting up properly, you may be able to access the file system by using a recovery disk or USB drive. You can also use a disk cloning tool to clone the disk and then mount it on another computer to access the files. Additionally, some virtual machine software solutions offer a remote access feature that allows you to connect to the virtual machine and access the file system.

What is the purpose of creating a clone of the virtual machine before attempting to recover data?

The purpose of creating a clone of the virtual machine before attempting to recover data is to protect the original data from being overwritten or corrupted during the recovery process. This ensures that the original data remains intact and can be used as a reference for comparison after the recovery process is complete. Additionally, a clone can be used to test out different recovery methods or techniques without risking damage to the original data.

VMware Virtual Machine Data Recovery Mastery: Essential Tips!

Author: Vladimir Artiukh
Editor: Oleg Afonin
Updated: 14.11.2024 11:18

Learn how to recover data of a VMware virtual machine with ease in this comprehensive guide. Discover step-by-step instructions and essential tips to seamlessly recover your valuable virtual machine data. Dive deep into VMware Workstation and VMware Player virtual machine data recovery techniques and explore insider strategies to maximize your chances of successful data restoration.

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VMware is one of the most stable and safest platform for virtualization that allows more flexibilty and effectiveness for many IT specialists and software developers.

Feature	VMware Workstation	VMware Workstation Player
Main Purpose	Professional virtualization software	Simple tool for running virtual machines
Ability to create new VMs	Yes	Yes
Ability to run multiple VMs simultaneously	Yes	Yes (with limitations)
VM grouping	Yes (group creation and management)	No
Support for advanced network configurations	Yes	Limited (basic support)
Interface	More advanced with additional settings	Simplified interface
Advanced VM configuration (resources, USB, network)	Yes (detailed settings)	Limited (basic settings)
3D Graphics Support	Yes (for more complex applications and testing)	Limited 3D graphics support
Support for various OS (Windows, Linux)	Yes	Yes
Snapshot Support	Yes	No
VM Cloning Support	Yes	No
Virtual Network Support (NAT, Bridged, Host-only)	Yes	Yes
License	Paid (after trial period)	Free for personal use, paid for commercial use
Price	Around $250 – $300 (depending on version)	Free for personal use (paid for business)
Multi-core processor support	Yes	Yes
Virtualization for software development and testing	Yes	Yes, but with fewer features

Contents

VMware Workstation System Files

It means that VMware Workstation is a virtual operating system that works inside the operating system of your computer. All files of this operating system (both system files and user files) are stored on the computer’s hard disk, and by default they are located in this folder:
C:\Users\UserName\Documents\Virtual Machines\VirtualMachineName

Files of VMware operating system C:UsersUserNameDocumentsVirtual MachinesVirtualMachineName

Most often, users do not need to know the names and location of VMware virtual machine files. The application itself manages its files. Yet there can be situations when such knowledge is necessary, for example, if a virtual machine needs to be recovered after it was lost, or when you need to recover files deleted from such machine and so on.

As you can see from the screenshot above, a virtual machine folder consists of a certain set of files. VMware creates such separate folder for every virtual machine and gives it the name of the virtual machine which was given to it by the user, when such virtual operating system was installed.

Main files of a virtual machine have the following extensions:

*.log – VMware Workstation key activity log. It is used to eliminate errors if they emerge
*.nvram – the file containing conditions and BIOS settings of the virtual machine
*.vmdk – a virtual disk file where contents of the virtual machine hard disk are stored
Note. Depending on VMware Workstation settings, the virtual machine disk can consist of one or several *.vmdk files. When files are added to such disk, its size becomes bigger.
*.vmem – the virtual machine paging file. It is created and can be seen only when the virtual machine is in use.
*.vmsd – the file containing current snapshot parameters
*.vmsn – snapshot condition file which stores the current condition of the virtual machine when it is used
*.vmss – a condition file of the suspended virtual machine
*.vmtm – the configuration file, one of parameter files of the virtual machine
*.vmx – the main configuration file where all virtual machine parameters are stored
*.vmxf – an additional configuration file.

Note. The files we have described above are the main files of a virtual machine. In the folder of the virtual machine there can be other files and folders as well, including those which are only shown when the machine is running.

Method 1. How to Recover a Deleted Virual Machine

Accidental deletion, formatting of the hard disk or damaging the file system – all of these misfortunes can result in a loss of data. As a rule, however, virtualization software does not provide built-in recovery options. In this connection, the issue of recovering virtual machine data becomes quite complicated for the users.

In the previous paragraph, we have described the main file types that a virtual machine consists of, and where all of its data is stored. By recovering them and opening in VMware the main configuration file, where all virtual machine parameters are stored, any user can restore a lost virtual machine..

VMware Virtual Machine Data Recovery Mastery: Essential Tips!

To recover a deleted virtual machine, do the following:

Run Hetman Partition Recovery and scan the hard disk where the virtual machine was created
Using this application, go to the folder from where the virtual machine was lost or deleted
Move all files of such folder to the Recovery list and recover them
Open the .vmx file of the recovered virtual machine with the use of VMware Workstation
Start the virtual machine

Partition Recovery™ 5.0

The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.

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Method 2. How to Recover the Hard Disk Contents of a VMware Virtual Machine

As we have already said, all files stored in virtual machine disks are located in .vmdk files of the virtual disk. Hetman Partition Recovery, the program for hard disk data recovery has the function of mounting virtual disks and recovering data from such disks.

If for some reason your virtual machine is no longer working, and there are important files on its disks, this data can be recovered. To do it:

Run Hetman Partition Recovery and mount the virtual machine disk. If there are several of them, you can mount them all at once or one by one.

Note. To mount a virtual disk with the help of Hetman Partition Recovery, click on Mount Disk in the quick access menu of the program. As a result, the window of choosing a virtual disk will open. In the right lower corner, specify the file type as «All files (*.*),» go to the folder containing the virtual machine and choose the required .vmdk file.
As you do that, the section «Mounted Disks» containing the list of mounted virtual disks will appear in the window, where all disks found by the application are shown. If you mount several disks, you will see the entire disk list there.
Scan the disk with the application by double-clicking on the disk in the disk manager.
After the analysis, the application will show the directory tree of the scanned disk. Find and recover the required files.

Method 3. How to Recover the Virtual Disk File of a VMware Virtual Machine From the Virtual Machine Itself

As a result of experiments we have established that files deleted or lost inside a virtual machine cannot be recovered.

Though VMware Workstation is a virtual machine, it can contain real data. Because of that, loss of access to the virtual machine or its deletion can become an unpleasant surprise, while an opportunity to recover it will keep user data safe from possible irreparable loss.

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