How Do I Browse VHDX Files in Windows 10?

How Do I Browse VHDX Files in Windows 10?

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VHDX files (Virtual Hard Disk v2) are Microsoft’s advanced virtual hard disk format introduced with Windows 8 and Hyper-V 2012. These files function as complete virtual hard drives, containing partitions, file systems, folders, and files—essentially creating a disk-within-a-file. Unlike their predecessor VHD format, VHDX files support larger storage capacities (up to 64TB compared to VHD’s 2TB limit), offer better performance, and include built-in data corruption protection.

Common uses for VHDX files include:

  • Virtual Machines: Primary storage for Hyper-V virtual machines, containing entire operating systems.
  • System Backups: Windows backup utilities often create VHDX files to store complete system images.
  • Data Isolation: Organizations use VHDX files to create isolated environments for testing or specialized applications.
  • Data Transport: Moving large collections of files and maintaining their organization between systems.
  • Development Environments: Creating standardized development environments that can be shared among team members.

Windows 10 provides several native methods to browse and access the contents of VHDX files without needing third-party software. In this article, we’ll explore four different approaches for accessing VHDX files in Windows 10, ranging from simple built-in tools to more advanced options, along with troubleshooting guidance and best practices.

Method 1: Using Windows 10 Built-in Tools

The simplest way to browse VHDX files in Windows 10 is using the operating system’s built-in mounting capabilities. This method requires no additional software and works with any edition of Windows 10.

Mounting VHDX Files Directly in File Explorer

Right-Click Menu Option

  1. Navigate to the VHDX file in File Explorer.
  2. Right-click on the VHDX file.
  3. Select “Mount” from the context menu.
  4. Windows will process the file and assign a drive letter.
  5. A new explorer window may automatically open showing the contents.

The mounted VHDX appears as a regular drive in File Explorer, allowing you to browse, copy, delete, and modify files just as you would with any physical drive.

Disk Management Utility Approach

If the right-click method doesn’t work, you can use the Disk Management utility:

  1. Press Win+X and select “Disk Management” or type “diskmgmt.msc” in the Run dialog.
  2. In Disk Management, click “Action” in the top menu.
  3. Select “Attach VHD”.
  4. Browse to and select your VHDX file.
  5. Check or uncheck “Read-only” depending on your needs.
  6. Click “OK”.

The VHDX will appear as a new disk in the Disk Management window. If the VHDX contains partitions that aren’t assigned drive letters, right-click on the partition and select “Change Drive Letter and Paths” to assign a letter.

Accessing the Mounted Drive

Once mounted, the VHDX appears as a regular drive in File Explorer with its own drive letter. You can:

  • Browse all folders and files.
  • Copy files to and from the virtual disk.
  • Run programs directly from the virtual disk (if it contains executable files).
  • Edit documents and save changes directly to the virtual disk.

Safely Dismounting When Finished

To safely remove the VHDX when you’re done:

  1. Ensure all files from the virtual disk are closed.
  2. Right-click on the drive in File Explorer and select “Eject”.

Alternatively, in Disk Management:

  1. Right-click on the disk entry for the mounted VHDX.
  2. Select “Detach VHD”.
  3. Click “OK” in the confirmation dialog.

Method 2: Hyper-V Manager

If you need to work with VHDX files regularly or require more advanced management options, Hyper-V Manager provides comprehensive tools.

Prerequisites for Using Hyper-V Manager

Hyper-V is only available on the following Windows 10 editions:

  • Windows 10 Pro.
  • Windows 10 Enterprise.
  • Windows 10 Education.

Your computer must also support hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V), which must be enabled in BIOS/UEFI.

Steps to Install Hyper-V Feature

If Hyper-V isn’t already installed:

  1. Open Control Panel.
  2. Navigate to Programs > Programs and Features.
  3. Click “Turn Windows features on or off”.
  4. Check the box next to “Hyper-V”.
  5. Click “OK” and wait for installation to complete.
  6. Restart your computer when prompted.

Alternatively, use PowerShell with administrator privileges:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All

Attaching VHDX Files to Virtual Machines

  1. Open Hyper-V Manager from the Start menu.
  2. Create a new virtual machine or select an existing one.
  3. Right-click the VM and select “Settings”.
  4. Select “SCSI Controller” or “IDE Controller” in the hardware list.
  5. Click “Add Hard Drive”.
  6. Select “Virtual hard disk” and click “Browse”.
  7. Locate and select your VHDX file.
  8. Click “OK” to save the settings.

Browsing VHDX Contents Within a VM

  1. Start the virtual machine in Hyper-V Manager.
  2. The operating system inside the VM will recognize the attached VHDX as a disk.
  3. If the disk isn’t automatically recognized, use the Disk Management tool inside the VM to bring it online.
  4. Browse the contents through the VM’s file explorer.

This method is particularly useful when you need to access VHDX files that contain bootable operating systems or when you want to interact with the VHDX in its intended virtualized environment.

Method 3: PowerShell Commands

PowerShell provides command-line access to VHDX files, which is perfect for automation or remote management.

Basic PowerShell Commands for VHDX Management

Open PowerShell as Administrator to use these commands effectively.

Mount-VHD and Dismount-VHD Usage

To mount a VHDX file:

Mount-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx” -PassThru

The -PassThru parameter returns the disk object, which you can store in a variable for further operations.

To mount a VHDX as read-only:

Mount-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx” -ReadOnly

To dismount a VHDX:

Dismount-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx”

Script Examples for Automation

This script mounts a VHDX, checks its contents, and then safely dismounts it:

# Mount the VHDX file

$disk = Mount-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx” -PassThru

# Get the disk number

$diskNumber = $disk.DiskNumber

# Get the partition and assign a drive letter if needed

$partition = Get-Partition -DiskNumber $diskNumber | Where-Object {$_.Type -eq “Basic”}

if (-not $partition.DriveLetter) {

# Find first available drive letter

$usedLetters = Get-Volume | Select-Object -ExpandProperty DriveLetter

$alphabet = 69..90 | ForEach-Object {[char]$_}  # Letters E through Z

$availableLetter = $alphabet | Where-Object {$_ -notin $usedLetters} | Select-Object -First 1

# Assign the drive letter

Set-Partition -DiskNumber $diskNumber -PartitionNumber $partition.PartitionNumber -NewDriveLetter $availableLetter

$driveLetter = $availableLetter

} else {

$driveLetter = $partition.DriveLetter

}

# Display files in the root directory

Get-ChildItem -Path “$($driveLetter):\\”

# Once done, dismount the VHD

Dismount-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx”

This script is useful for quickly checking VHDX contents without manual intervention.

Method 4: Third-Party Software Options

While Windows 10 provides its own tools, third-party software can offer mount vhdx windows 10 additional features and conveniences.

Overview of Reliable VHDX Browsers and Managers

Some popular options include:

  1. 7-Zip: This free file archiver can browse VHDX files like archives, allowing you to extract files without mounting.
  2. WinCDEmu: An open-source mounting tool that supports various virtual disk formats including VHDX.
  3. DAEMON Tools: A more comprehensive solution with advanced features for working with virtual disks.
  4. VHD Attach: A lightweight utility specifically designed for mounting VHD and VHDX files.
  5. MiniTool Partition Wizard: Offers VHDX mounting alongside other disk management features.

Comparison of Free vs. Paid Options

Software Free Version Paid Version Key Features
7-Zip Completely free N/A Extract-only, no mounting, command-line support
WinCDEmu Free, open-source N/A Simple mounting, minimal interface
DAEMON Tools Limited free version $26.99+ Multiple disk mounting, image creation, advanced formats
VHD Attach Free for personal use Paid for commercial Simple interface, focused functionality
MiniTool Partition Wizard Limited free version $59+ Complete disk management suite

Installation and Usage Instructions for Top Recommendations

7-Zip for VHDX Browsing:

  1. Download and install 7-Zip.
  2. Right-click the VHDX file and select “Open with 7-Zip”.
  3. Browse the VHDX structure and extract files as needed.

WinCDEmu for Simple Mounting:

  1. Download and install WinCDEmu.
  2. Right-click on the VHDX file and select “Mount with WinCDEmu”.
  3. Access the mounted drive through File Explorer.
  4. Right-click the drive and select “Eject” when finished.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with Windows 10’s improved VHDX handling, you may encounter various issues.

Handling Read-Only VHDX Files

If you can’t modify files in a mounted VHDX:

  1. Ensure you didn’t mount the VHDX with the read-only option.
  2. Check if the file itself has read-only attributes:
  • Right-click the VHDX file, select Properties, and uncheck “Read-only”.
  1. Verify you have adequate permissions for the VHDX file and its content.
  2. Check if the VHDX belongs to a running VM elsewhere (which would lock it).

Fixing “The Disk is Write Protected” Errors

This common error occurs when Windows detects a potential issue:

  1. Dismount the VHDX if currently mounted.
  2. Run chkdsk on the physical drive containing the VHDX:
    chkdsk C: /f
  3. Try mounting through Disk Management with the read-only option unchecked.

If the issue persists, try mounting via PowerShell:Mount-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx” -NoDriveLetter

$disk = Get-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx”

  1. Set-Disk -Number $disk.DiskNumber -IsReadOnly $false

Solutions for Corrupted VHDX Files

If Windows reports the VHDX is corrupted:

  1. Use the built-in repair tool:
    Repair-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx”
  2. Try mounting with the ignoreIdMismatch parameter:
    Mount-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx” -IgnoreIdMismatch
  3. For severe corruption, use specialized recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery or DiskInternals VMFS Recovery

Compatibility Issues with Older Windows Versions

VHDX is not natively supported in Windows 7 or earlier. If you need to work across versions:

  1. Consider converting the VHDX to VHD format if compatibility is needed:
    Convert-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx” -DestinationPath “C:\Path\To\Output\File.vhd”
  2. Be aware that this conversion has limitations:
  • Maximum size reduced to 2TB.
  • Some advanced features may be lost.
  • Dynamic disks might need to be converted to basic.

Best Practices

Following these best practices will help ensure safe and efficient VHDX file management.

Creating Backups Before Modifying VHDX Contents

Always create a backup copy of important VHDX files before mounting them for modification:

  1. Make a full copy of the VHDX file to another location.
  2. Consider using the -ReadOnly parameter when first mounting to prevent accidental changes.
  3. For critical files, maintain versioned backups with clear naming conventions.

Performance Considerations When Working with Large Files

Large VHDX files can strain system resources:

  1. Mount VHDX files on SSDs rather than HDDs for better performance.
  2. Close unnecessary applications when working with large VHDX files.
  3. Consider using fixed-size VHDX instead of dynamically expanding for better performance.
  4. Defragment large VHDX files periodically:
    Optimize-VHD -Path “C:\Path\To\Your\File.vhdx” -Mode Full

Security Precautions When Accessing Unknown VHDX Files

VHDX files from untrusted sources can pose security risks:

  1. Scan VHDX files with antivirus software before mounting.
  2. Always mount unknown VHDX files as read-only first.
  3. Consider using a virtual machine with no network access to inspect suspicious VHDX files.
  4. Never run executable files directly from untrusted VHDX sources.

Conclusion

Windows 10 offers robust built-in support for browsing and managing VHDX files without requiring additional software. The method you choose depends on your specific needs:

  • File Explorer mounting provides the quickest, most convenient access for casual use.
  • Hyper-V Manager offers the most comprehensive solution for those working extensively with virtual machines.
  • PowerShell commands enable automation and remote management capabilities.
  • Third-party tools can provide additional features for specialized needs.

For most Windows 10 users, the built-in File Explorer mounting capability strikes the right balance between convenience and functionality. However, IT professionals and power users will appreciate the additional control provided by Hyper-V and PowerShell.

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