Last Updated on July 12, 2026
If you are looking for an easy and cheap way to get into the world of virtual machines, then using one of the available desktop virtualization platforms is the way to go. There are many choices when it comes to the available software that you can use to create virtual machines on your desktop computer including VirtualBox, Parallels (Mac), VMware Player, VMware Workstation and Microsoft Hyper-V.
When you start using these virtualization programs, you might spend a lot of time configuring your machines only to realize you prefer a different software platform later. If this happens, you can easily export them from one platform and import them into another. In this article, we will be showing you exactly how to convert a Hyper-V VHD or VHDX file into a VMware VMDK file.
Locating Your Hyper-V Virtual Disk File
1. Find the Disk Path
To begin the conversion process, you will first need to know the exact location of your Hyper-V disk file. You can easily find this location by opening the settings of your virtual machine and locating the path for the virtual hard disk. Copy this exact file path to your clipboard for later use.
2. Download QEMU Disk Imager
The tool we are going to use to convert the Hyper-V VHDX disk file to a VMDK format is called QEMU Disk Imager. This incredibly useful program can be downloaded completely for free from their official website. Download the portable zip file directly to your hard drive.
3. Open the Command Prompt
Once you download QEMU and extract the zip file, you will need to open a Windows command prompt. From there, simply navigate to the directory where you saved the extracted files. You must be in this specific folder to run the executable correctly.
Checking Virtual Disk Information via Command Prompt
1. Run the Info Command
If you want to view detailed information about your virtual disk file before converting, you can run a quick command. The command structure looks like this: qemu-img.exe info “Path to disk file”. Make sure you replace the path string with your actual file location.
2. Format the Command with Quotes
For our example, we will be checking the info for a file called Windows 11 Quick.vhdx. If your specific file path contains any spaces, you will definitely need to use quotes at the beginning and end of the path. The exact command we run is: qemu-img.exe info “D:\Hyper-V VMs\Windows 11 Quick.vhdx”.
3. Review the Disk Data
As you can see in our results, our disk file has a vhdx format, is 24 GB in physical size, and has a virtual size of 127 GB. This confirms the tool can successfully read the source file before we begin the actual conversion process.
Converting the VHDX File to a VMDK File
1. Structure the Conversion Command
To successfully convert the VHDX file into a usable VMDK file, we will need to use a slightly different command. The structure for the conversion command is: qemu-img.exe convert -p “Path to VHDX file” -O vmdk “Path and name for the converted VMDK file.vmdk”.
2. Define the Input and Output Paths
You will need to add the entire path and file name of the source file, followed by the destination path and file name of your new converted disk file. Be absolutely sure to put the .vmdk extension at the very end of your destination file name. For our specific example, we will be keeping the location and file name exactly the same but just adding .vmdk at the end of the command.
3. Understand the Command Flags
The -p flag is used to show the live progress on your screen, and the -O flag tells the program to output the file to your specified format. Once again, be sure to use quotes if you have any spaces in your folder path. The final command looks like this: qemu-img.exe convert -p “D:\Hyper-V VMs\Windows 11 Quick.vhdx” -O vmdk “D:\Hyper-V VMs\Windows 11 Quick.vmdk”.
4. Monitor the Conversion Progress
When the conversion command is actively running, you will be able to see its completion progress at the bottom of the window. This process can take quite a while depending on the overall size of your virtual hard drive. Do not close the command prompt until it reaches 100%.
5. Verify the Converted File
When the command is completely finished, you can then navigate directly to the directory where you told the tool to create the new VMDK file. As you can see in the image below, we now have our original VHDX file alongside our brand new VMDK file. The conversion is now complete.
Creating a New Virtual Machine in VMware Workstation
1. Start the VM Wizard
To create a new virtual machine in VMware Workstation using this exported Hyper-V disk file, you will need to start the standard new virtual machine creation process. Click on File and then New Virtual Machine from the top menu bar.
2. Delay the OS Installation
Since our newly exported disk file already has the Windows operating system installed on it, we will choose the option to install the operating system later. This prevents the wizard from trying to overwrite our existing data. Click Next to proceed.
3. Match the Operating System
Next, you will need to carefully choose the specific OS that matches your exported virtual disk. In our specific case, we will be selecting Windows 11 x64. Mismatching the OS version can cause severe boot errors later on.
4. Name and Organize the VM
You can then give the new virtual machine a descriptive name, which will be used to automatically create the folder where all the virtual machine files will be stored. You also have the option to manually create this folder first and move your VMDK file inside so it stays perfectly organized with your other files. If you are importing a modern Windows 11 virtual disk, you will likely need to enter an encryption password to satisfy the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) requirements.
Configuring Firmware, RAM, and Virtual Hardware Settings
1. Select the Firmware Type
Next, you can choose your preferred firmware type between BIOS or UEFI. For any newer operating systems, you will almost certainly want to choose UEFI. Legacy operating systems like Windows 7 will require the older BIOS option.
2. Allocate CPU and RAM Resources
Then you can assign the new virtual machine one or more processor cores depending on your host computer’s capabilities. You can also easily change the RAM settings if you want to increase or decrease the suggested memory amount. Giving the VM more RAM will drastically improve its performance.
3. Configure Network and Storage Controllers
Next, you can choose your desired networking type, which will most likely be left on the default NAT setting. Then you can safely choose your SCSI controller type, where the default recommendation should work perfectly fine. You will then be prompted to choose a disk type, and once again, sticking with the recommended option should be completely fine.
Attaching the Converted VMDK File and Booting Windows
1. Mount the Existing Disk
On the next crucial step, you will need to select the option to use an existing virtual disk. This is where you will browse and select the newly created VMDK file we converted earlier. Make sure you point it to the exact file path.
2. Upgrade the Disk Format
If VMware prompts you to convert your attached disk to a newer format version, you can simply click on the Convert button to do so. This optimizes the file for the latest version of VMware Workstation. It only takes a few seconds to complete.
3. Boot the Virtual Machine
You can then finally start your new virtual machine. Windows may need a few moments to automatically configure the operating system for its new hardware environment since you just switched platforms from Hyper-V over to VMware. Let it run through its device discovery process.
4. Resolve PIN Errors
For Windows 11 users, you might encounter a prompt stating that your PIN is no longer available due to a recent change in the security settings on the device. This happens entirely because Windows has successfully detected brand new virtual hardware. You can easily resolve this by signing in with your Microsoft account and resetting your PIN to get right back into your Windows desktop.
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