How to Covert Physical Disk to VMDK [2 Methods]

In virtualized environments, one of the key tasks in the migration process is converting the physical system into a virtual environment. One conversion is from physical disks to virtual machine disks (VMDK), which is typically used in VMware environments. This process is usually done to facilitate the migration of legacy systems, consolidate hardware, or facilitate backup and recovery. This article will focus on the steps of a physical disk to VMDK and some considerations.

Considerations When Converting Physical Disk to VMDK

There are some important factors you need to consider during convert disk to VMDK:

🔆Hardware Compatibility: You need to ensure that the virtual machine is compatible with the hardware configuration of the source system, as inconsistencies in drivers or hardware-specific settings can result in an unstable system after migration.

🔆Operation System Compatibility: Because some older operating systems may require specific settings or drivers when converting to a virtual environment, make sure the operating system running on the physical hard disk supports virtualization.

🔆Hard Disk Size and Memory Requirements: Virtual machines typically require more disk space than the original physical disks, so ensure that the target storage has enough capacity to accommodate the converted virtual machines.

How to Convert Physical Disk to VMDK

To convert a physical disk to a VMDK file, you can use various tools depending on your environment. Following are the detailed steps to convert physical disk to VMware using different tools.

Method 1: Using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

This is a free tool from VMware that simplifies the conversion process.

Step 1. Download the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone on the physical machine or on a remote system with network access to the target machine.

Step 2. Open VMware vCenter Converter Standalone and click Convert Machine.

Step 3. Choose Power-on Machine and select This local machine (if running on the machine to be converted) or A remote machine (if converting a remote physical machine).

If remote, enter the machine’s IP address and login credentials.

Step 4. Select destination type, you can choose VMware Workstation or other VMware virtual machine.

Select a location where you want the VMDK file to be saved.

Step 5. Click Finish to begin the conversion process, the process may take time depending on disk size and network speed.

Method 2. Using StarWind V2V Converter

StarWind V2V Converter allows direct conversion of a physical disk to VMDK.

Step 1. Download and install StarWind V2V Converter.

Step 2. Choose P2V to convert physical machine or disk, then select Physical Disk.

Step 3. Then select virtual disk to convert and click VMDK as the destination image format.

Step 4. After all these are set, click Finish to start the conversion process.

Data Insurance: Backup Disk before Convert to VMDK

Converting physical disks to VMDK is a complex process, and some problems may occur during or after the conversion. Failure of conversion may result in data loss, so you can perform regular backups of your data before implementing convert physical disk to VMDK.

Using professional backup software is very important for data security, and with backup you can easily restore to the original state in case of disaster. AOMEI Cyber Backup can realize the above process for you, it is a free enterprise backup software, and you can enjoy the following features when using it:

Easy-to-use: With the user-friendly interface, all the tasks will be completed with a few clicks.
Disk Space Optimization: Optimize disk space and reduce storage needs with features like compression and incremental backups.
Restore from Any Point: According to 3-2-1 backup rule, it can back up VMs to different places and restore them easily from any backup version.
Agentless Backup: Back up VMs at the host level, eliminating the need to install agents on each VM and simplifying VM management with a centralized console.

Simple steps to create disk backup

Step 1. Navigate to Source Device > Windows.

If there is no device to back up, you need to click + Add Windows Device to enter the Device Information and Use Information.

Step 2. Click Backup Task > + Create New Task > Disk Backup. Then you can set Task Name, Device Name, Backup Content, Target, and Schedule as you want.

Step 3. Click Start Backup and select Add the schedule and start backup now, or Add the schedule only.

Step 4. Find the backup task you want to restore from the created backup tasks and click … > Restore. Select Restore to the original location to create the same data directly from the backup.

Conclusion

Converting physical disks to VMDKs allows organizations to take full advantage of the benefits of virtualization, such as easier management, better utilization of resources, and less reliance on physical hardware, and both of the methods provided above can help you with the conversion process. It is also important to note that you need to back up your data before making the conversion to ensure the safety of your data.