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How To Quickly Convert VMDK Disk Images to VHD Format in 5 Minutes

Introduction

VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk) and VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) are common virtual disk formats used in virtualization. VMDK is used by VMware hypervisors while VHD is used by Microsoft’s Hyper-V. There are situations where you need to convert a VMDK disk image to VHD format, for example when migrating virtual machines from VMware to Hyper-V.

This article will provide a step-by-step guide on how to quickly convert VMDK to VHD in just 5 minutes using the free Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter (MVMC).

Reasons for Converting VMDK to VHD

Here are some common reasons you may need to convert VMDK to VHD:

  • Migrating from VMware to Hyper-V: If you want to migrate your VMware virtual machines to Hyper-V, you’ll need to convert the VMDK disks to VHD.
  • Consolidating virtualization platforms: Organizations often standardize on a single virtualization platform. Converting to a common disk format makes consolidation easier.
  • Importing disks to Azure: Azure supports importing VHD disks to use as VM images. So converting from VMDK allows importing VMware disks to Azure.
  • Corrupt VMDK recovery: If your VMDK disks get corrupted, converting them to VHD is an option for recovery.

Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter (MVMC)

The Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter (MVMC) is a free tool from Microsoft that allows converting VM formats and disks including VMDK to VHD.

Key features of MVMC include:

  • Supports offline conversion of VMs and disks including VMDK to VHD/VHDX.
  • Optimized for large scale migration scenarios.
  • Built-in PowerShell module for scripting and automation.
  • Supports conversion of physical machines to Hyper-V using disk images.

MVMC meets the core requirement of easily converting between VMDK and VHD. It also provides automation capabilities for large scale workload migrations.

Step-by-Step Guide to Convert VMDK to VHD

Follow these simple steps to convert a VMDK disk image to VHD using MVMC:

  1. Download and install MVMC from the Microsoft Download Center.
  2. Locate your VMDK file you want to convert. Make sure the VM is powered off.
  3. Open PowerShell as Administrator and enter the following command: ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath C:\VMs\myvm\mydisk.vmdk -VhdType DynamicHardDisk Replace the path with your actual VMDK location.
  4. The conversion process will now start. Wait for it to complete.
  5. You will find the converted VHD disk in the same folder as the source VMDK.

The key parameters:

  • -SourceLiteralPath – Specifies VMDK path
  • -VhdType – Choose between dynamic or fixed VHD

That’s it! The VMDK disk is now converted to VHD quickly within 5 minutes. You can now use this VHD in Hyper-V or import to Azure.

Conversion Automation and Advanced Usage

MVMC provides a PowerShell module for automation and advanced usage scenarios:

  • Script the conversion process for multiple VMDK files
  • Customize naming convention for output VHDs
  • Automate migration workflows from VMware to Hyper-V
  • Schedule conversions using Windows Task Scheduler

Conclusion

The Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter makes it easy to convert VMDK to VHD in just a few simple steps. With its automation capabilities, it can handle large and complex migration projects from VMware to Hyper-V or Azure.

Whether you just need to convert a few VMDK disks or orchestrate the migration for hundreds of VMs, MVMC has you covered. So go ahead and take advantage of this free tool from Microsoft!

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