Why does vmware make these -flat.vmdk

why does this horse shit vmware create so many files

anmd especially this -flat

wjhere the fuck is the documentation about all this shit.

ANY I TRIED THIS DIDNT WORK:

Main tutorial:

https://gist.github.com/rahilwazir/69a750b70348459875cbf40935af02cb

In case it goes down here is my, Skybuck's Flying tutorial, created 2 october 2023

Step 1. Download Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter

1.1 Download http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/1/E/91E9F42C-3F1F-4AD9-92B7-8DD65DA3B0C2/mvmc_setup.msi

1.2 Install to G:\Tools\Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter\

Step 2. Open power shell

Powershell commands to convert VMDK to VHDX (long path example):

2.1. Start->Search->PowerShell

2.2. Run as administrator

Step 3. Run power shell commands (adjust commands as necessary for paths) (apperently these commands must both be done each time when power shell is re-started):

Powershell commands:

3.1 Command 1:

Import-Module 'G:\Tools\Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter\MvmcCmdlet.psd1'

3.2 Command 2:

ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath "D:\\Virtual Machines\\Windows 11 (VM 4, Official, RAD Studio 11 Alexandria, Windows 11 Updated, Reactivated)\\Windows 11 x64-flat.vmdk" -VhdType DynamicHardDisk -VhdFormat vhdx -destination "G:\\Virtual Machines\\Windows 11 (VM 4, Official, RAD Studio 11 Alexandria, Windows
11 Updated, Reactivated, Converted to VHDX)\\Windows 11 x64.vhdx"

vmdk2vhd did not work.

Gonna try qemu next

On 11/1/2023 7:16 PM, Skybuck Flying wrote:
> Why does vmware make these -flat.vmdk
>
> why does this horse shit vmware create so many files
>
> anmd especially this -flat
>
> wjhere the fuck is the documentation about all this shit.
>
> ANY I TRIED THIS DIDNT WORK:
>
> Main tutorial:
>
> https://gist.github.com/rahilwazir/69a750b70348459875cbf40935af02cb
>
> In case it goes down here is my, Skybuck's Flying tutorial, created 2 october 2023
>
>
> Step 1. Download Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter
>
> 1.1 Download http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/1/E/91E9F42C-3F1F-4AD9-92B7-8DD65DA3B0C2/mvmc_setup.msi
>
> 1.2 Install to G:\Tools\Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter\
>
>
> Step 2. Open power shell
>
> Powershell commands to convert VMDK to VHDX (long path example):
>
> 2.1. Start->Search->PowerShell
>
> 2.2. Run as administrator
>
>
> Step 3. Run power shell commands (adjust commands as necessary for paths) (apperently these commands must both be done each time when power shell is re-started):
>
> Powershell commands:
>
> 3.1 Command 1:
>
> Import-Module 'G:\Tools\Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter\MvmcCmdlet.psd1'
>
> 3.2 Command 2:
>
> ConvertTo-MvmcVirtualHardDisk -SourceLiteralPath "D:\\Virtual Machines\\Windows 11 (VM 4, Official, RAD Studio 11 Alexandria, Windows 11 Updated, Reactivated)\\Windows 11 x64-flat.vmdk" -VhdType DynamicHardDisk -VhdFormat vhdx -destination "G:\\Virtual Machines\\Windows 11 (VM 4, Official, RAD Studio 11 Alexandria, Windows
> 11 Updated, Reactivated, Converted to VHDX)\\Windows 11 x64.vhdx"
>
>
> vmdk2vhd did not work.
>
> Gonna try qemu next
>

A -flat is apparently an entire physical disk, stored in the VMDK.

There is a similar filename without the word "flat" which is a
tiny descriptor file. The descriptor is not embedded in the
data file, and the files are kept separate.

https://communities.vmware.com/t5/Virtual-Machine-Guest-OS-and-VM/Difference-between-vmdk-and-flat-vmdk/td-p/1152655

The picture on that page, shows a -flat being 150GB and
the descriptor is only 527 bytes.

The descriptor is separate from the .vmx file, which is
the control file for the entire virtual machine and
contains a list of hardwares.

Paul