[vmware] How to open VMDK File of the Google-Chrome-OS bundle 2012?

As you all know, Google-Chrome-OS is released in VMWare Image File, VMDK.

I've downloaded it , however, I couldn't open it with VMWare Work Station and VMWare Player.

Also I've tried to open with Virtual Box in Ubuntu.

Thus, How could I get it?

This question is related to vmware google-chrome-os

The answer is


This is for vmware workstation 6.5

It is pretty far down.

select Create new virtual machine -> select custom ->
on compatibility page take defaults ->
check I will install os later -> click through several pages choosing other for OS, give it a name, make sure it IS NOT in the same folder as the VMDK file. Choose bridged network.

You will now see a screen asking to select disk, select existing virual disk. then browse and select the VMDK file


WinMount provides an easiest way to mount VMDK as a virtual disk. You can read or write to the vmdk file without loading the virtual system. Here shows you how to do: http://www.winmount.com/mount_vmdk.html


For me my vmdk file was accompanied by a vmx file. Opening the vmx file worked for vmware player.


I was looking for a way to play VMDK files without the vmx file in VMware Player 5 and didn't find any explicit tutorial to do it. So after some time messing around with VMware PLayer 5, it turned out to be pretty simple, but not so intuitive. Here it is:

Create a new virtual machine from VMware Player 5; There's no need to install an OS, since you already have the VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk); Set the Virtual Machine to the OS you'll be playing (the one from the VMDK); After creating the VM with the remaining creation wizard options, go to your VM settings; There you can remove the existing hard drive and add a new one; Upon addition of the new hard drive, point it to your existing VMDK file.

And that's it.

If you have problems starting the VM because VMware Player can't lock the VMDK file, rename/delete the dir/files with extension *.lck from the directory where the *.vmdk file is located.

Hope this is helpful.


VMDK is a virtual disk file, what you need is a VMX file. Cruise on over to EasyVMX and have it create one for you, then just replace the VMDK file it gives you with the Cnrome OS one.

EasyVMX is good since VMWare Player has no VM creation stuff in it (at least in version 2, not sure about 3). You had to use one of VMWare's other products to do that.


Generally, this is how you open an OS folder containing a bunch of vdmk files on VMware Player.


you can also use vmware-mount from VMwares VDDK (Virtual Disk Development Kit): http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/developer/forums/vddk

this allows you to mount VMDK files as disk drives in windows or linux