Extract text from VMware snapshot files (VMSN)
To convert VMSN snapshot files to another format, you need VMware Workstation or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "Virtual Machine State" file type, you need software like VMware Workstation or a similar tool.
A .vmsn file is a proprietary VMware Snapshot State file that captures the exact execution state of a virtual machine at a specific moment in time. Unlike standard disk images (.vmdk), a .vmsn file acts as a "save state" for the system's RAM, CPU registers, and running processes, allowing the VM to resume exactly where it left off.
Because these files contain raw binary memory dumps, they are huge (often matching the VM's RAM size), cannot be opened by standard text editors or media players, and are completely useless without the associated virtual disk files. Users typically encounter friction when these files consume gigabytes of storage or when attempting to extract evidence for forensic analysis.
For most users, the goal is not to "convert" the file for viewing, but to export it for debugging or forensics. The only practical conversion is transforming the .vmsn state into a standard Core Dump or Memory Dump (dmp) using the command-line tool vmss2core. This allows developers and forensic analysts to inspect the frozen memory state using tools like WinDbg or the Volatility Framework.
Convert.Guru analyzes your VMSN file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted XVM, VDMK, VMAC and VMEM files.
If you want to convert VMSN file to VMEM, SYS, DLL, EXE, DRV, VXD, 386, COM, BAT, CMD, SCR or PIF, you can use VMware Workstation or similar software from the "Virtual Machine Memory State" 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 VMSN, try VMware Workstation or another comparable tool in the "Virtual Machine Memory State" 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 VMSN converter.