How to Mount A VHD or VHDX Image in Windows Server 2012

September 25, 2014 updated by Admin Leave a reply »

Need to copy some files out of a Hyper-V virtual machine? Or looking for a way to view the contents inside a VHD or VHDX image? The most common method is to attach the VHD/VHDX file in Disk Management, so you can then browse all files of your virtual hard disk in Windows Explorer.

How to Mount A VHD or VHDX Image in Windows Server 2012?

Before getting started, make sure your virtual machine is powered off. Press Windows key + X together to bring up the Power User Menu, and then click on Computer Management.

computer-management

Under the Storage folder in the left pane, select Disk Management. Click on the Action menu and select Attach VHD.

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Browse to the location of the desired VHD or VHDX file, then click OK. If you don’t know where is the .vhdx image for your Hyper-V virtual machine, you can search for all files with a particular file extension, such as .vhdx.

virtual-hard-disk-location

Once your VHD/VHDX image is attached, your virtual hard disk will be available in Windows Explorer, which can be accessed just like a physical disk. You can now copy any files out or into your virtual hard drive.

When you have the files you need, go back to Disk Management and right-click on the lower window where it says your disk number. Then select Detach VHD to unmount your virtual hard drive.

detach-vhd