The most reliable free tool for this specific task is Open VMFS (formerly associated with Veaam, now an open-source project).
Tool: Open VMFS or specific forks like vmfs6-tools wrapped in a UI.
However, for Windows users, the easiest interface is often a tool like Veaam File Manager (for older VMFS) or a compiled binary of vmfs-tools. mount vmfs 6 windows hot
Current Best Practice for Windows:
Because VMFS6 uses a different hashing structure than VMFS5, many older Windows GUI tools (like the old VMFS Driver) fail. The most reliable free tool for this specific
Use Open VMFS (Console/GUI):
While you cannot natively mount VMFS 6 in Windows Explorer like a standard folder, you can access the data. For the fastest results on a Windows machine, use a specialized tool like DiskInternals VMFS Recovery or UFS Explorer. For a free method requiring slightly more technical skill, boot into a Linux Live environment and copy the files from there. Use Open VMFS (Console/GUI):
Have you successfully recovered data from a VMFS 6 drive on Windows? Let us know which tool saved your day in the comments below!
This tool allows you to mount VMFS 6 on Windows hot and access it like a regular drive letter. It includes a RAID reconstructor and can even mount snapshots.