Extract text from VMware snapshot metadata files (VMSD)
To convert VMSD metadata files to another format, you need VMware Workstation or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "Virtual Machine Metadata File" file type, you need software like VMware Workstation or a similar tool.
A .vmsd file is a VMware Snapshot Metadata File. It is used by virtualization software like VMware Workstation and VMware ESXi to store information and metadata about snapshots of a virtual machine (VM). It acts as a configuration dictionary, keeping track of snapshot names, descriptions, and the complex relationships between different snapshot files (like vmsn memory state files and vmdk virtual disks).
The main disadvantage of a .vmsd file is the confusion it causes for everyday users. People often mistake it for the actual virtual machine data or a bootable disk image. In reality, it is usually a very small, plain text file containing only configuration pointers. If you lose the accompanying vmdk (virtual disk) files, the .vmsd file is completely useless. Furthermore, it is deeply tied to the proprietary VMware ecosystem and has no use outside of it.
Because it is a system metadata file, you cannot convert a .vmsd file to standard media formats like MP4 or disk images like ISO. The most logical target format is TXT, which allows you to read the configuration dictionary. Standard online converters will fail to process it because they expect media streams, not system configuration text.
This file format is difficult to convert because it is a highly specific, proprietary file meant only for VMware software to read internally. Our system will identify the format, inspect the file, and show you the internal text content, allowing you to safely extract the snapshot metadata without installing heavy virtualization software.
Convert.Guru analyzes your VMSD file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted VMDK files.
If you want to convert VMSD file to SYS, DLL, EXE, DRV, VXD, 386, COM, BAT, CMD, SCR, PIF or LNK, you can use VMware Workstation or similar software from the "Virtual Machine Snapshot Tracking" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MSI, EXE, REG, MST, LNK, CAB, CAT, DRV, INF, SYS, MSU or DLL files to VMSD, try VMware Workstation or another comparable tool in the "Virtual Machine Snapshot Tracking" 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 VMSD converter.