How do I open a .vmdk file?

On Windows use VMware Workstation Player; on macOS use VMware Fusion; on Linux use Oracle VirtualBox. VMware's virtual hard disk — the contents of a whole virtual computer.

Can I convert a .vmdk file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .vdi, .qcow2, .vhd or .iso, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

.vmdk files

.vmdk file

Virtual Machine Disk

VMware's virtual hard disk — the contents of a whole virtual computer.

What opens a .vmdk file

Windows: VMware Workstation Player, Oracle VirtualBox, 7-Zip (to browse files)
macOS: VMware Fusion, Oracle VirtualBox, UTM
Linux: Oracle VirtualBox, QEMU / virt-manager, guestfish

What a .vmdk file is

VMDK is the virtual disk format VMware created and later published, also readable by VirtualBox, QEMU and most other hypervisors. It represents a complete hard drive, sometimes split across several files, and belongs to a virtual machine rather than being opened on its own. To get files out without booting the VM, 7-Zip on Windows or guestfish and qemu-nbd on Linux can mount the image.

Converting it

A .vmdk file is commonly converted to .vdi, .qcow2, .vhd or .iso. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

Details

Extension: .vmdk
Full name: Virtual Machine Disk
Category: Disk images
Created by: VMware
Format: Binary

Common questions

How do I open a .vmdk file?: On Windows use VMware Workstation Player; on macOS use VMware Fusion; on Linux use Oracle VirtualBox. VMware's virtual hard disk — the contents of a whole virtual computer.
What is a .vmdk file?: Virtual Machine Disk. VMDK is the virtual disk format VMware created and later published, also readable by VirtualBox, QEMU and most other hypervisors. It represents a complete hard drive, sometimes split across several files, and belongs to a virtual machine rather than being opened on its own.
Can I convert a .vmdk file?: Yes. It is usually converted to .vdi, .qcow2, .vhd or .iso, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

.iso — ISO Disc Image A byte-for-byte copy of a CD, DVD or installer disc in one file.
.dmg — Apple Disk Image How Mac software is distributed — a disk image you mount and drag an app out of.
.cue — Cue Sheet A small text file describing the track layout of a .bin disc image.

Sources

Media Types Registry — IANA
Official vendor product documentation — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked