Convert DSK to VMDK

Understanding DSK and VMDK file formats

DSK files are disk image files commonly used to emulate floppy disks or legacy storage media, especially in retro computing and emulation environments. They contain a sector-by-sector copy of the original disk, preserving its structure and data.

VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk) files are virtual disk formats developed by VMware. They are widely used for storing the contents of virtual machine hard drives, supporting advanced features like snapshots and dynamic resizing.

Why convert DSK to VMDK?

Converting a DSK file to VMDK format allows you to use legacy disk images within modern virtualization platforms such as VMware Workstation, VMware ESXi, or VirtualBox. This is particularly useful for running old operating systems or software in a virtualized environment.

How to convert DSK to VMDK

Direct conversion from DSK to VMDK is not always straightforward, as DSK files are typically floppy or simple disk images, while VMDK is a complex virtual hard disk format. The process usually involves two steps:

1. Convert DSK to a raw disk image (such as IMG or RAW format).
2. Convert the raw image to VMDK using a disk image conversion tool.

Recommended software for DSK to VMDK conversion

• WinImage (Windows):
  • Open your DSK file in WinImage.
  • Use Disk → Convert Virtual Hard Disk image to export as a RAW or VHD file.
• qemu-img (cross-platform):
  • After obtaining a RAW image, use the command:
    qemu-img convert -f raw -O vmdk input.img output.vmdk
• VirtualBox (cross-platform):
  • Use VBoxManage convertfromraw to convert a raw image to VMDK:
    VBoxManage convertfromraw input.img output.vmdk --format VMDK

Tips for successful conversion

• Ensure the DSK image is not corrupted and is compatible with the target virtual machine.
• After conversion, attach the VMDK to your virtual machine and verify that it boots or mounts correctly.
• For advanced users, qemu-img offers the most flexibility and supports many formats.

Summary

Converting DSK to VMDK enables the use of legacy disk images in modern virtual environments. Tools like WinImage, qemu-img, and VirtualBox provide reliable conversion paths, typically via an intermediate raw image format.