Extract text from VMware memory files (VMEM)
To convert VMEM memory files to another format, you need VMware or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "Virtual Machine Memory Dump" file type, you need software like VMware or a similar tool.
A .VMEM file is a virtual machine memory dump that stores the exact, active state of a guest operating system's RAM. These files are automatically generated when a user suspends a virtual machine or takes a snapshot.
The format is exclusively created and managed by VMware virtualization software, such as VMware Workstation and ESXi. For deep analysis, cybersecurity professionals rely on the Volatility framework to perform memory forensics on these files. You can learn more about the underlying concepts on the Virtual machine Wikipedia page.
Users typically struggle with .VMEM files because they are massive. The file size exactly matches the gigabyte allocation of the virtual machine's RAM, consuming tremendous amounts of disk space. Because it is a proprietary and raw binary format, it cannot be opened by standard text editors or document viewers. Without specialized forensic software, the contents are completely illegible, making data recovery or inspection highly frustrating for average users.
Converting a .VMEM file in the traditional sense is rarely practical. However, for forensic purposes, it can be processed into standard raw memory formats like RAW or DMP, or analyzed to extract human-readable strings into TXT. When converting to text strings, all structural context and binary data are lost, leaving only fragmented, readable data points.
This file format is exceptionally difficult to open or convert because it is a closed, proprietary snapshot of volatile memory. Standard online converters completely fail to process it because they expect structured media or documents, not raw RAM dumps. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your VMEM file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PCAP, ZIP, CORE, E2P, DUMP, DMP and RAW files.
If you want to convert VMEM file to DMP or RAW, you can use VMware or similar software from the "Virtual Machine Memory Snapshot" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to VMEM, try VMware or another comparable tool in the "Virtual Machine Memory Snapshot" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our VMEM converter.