Open StarWind V2V Converter, select your local VHD file as the source, choose 'VMDK' as the destination format, and run the conversion. The resulting VMDK file will be immediately usable in VMware Workstation.
Selecting the source VHD file to convert
Launch StarWind V2V Converter from your Start menu or desktop shortcut. On the welcome screen, click "Next" to proceed. For the source location, select "Local file" from the list of options. Click "Next" again, then use the "Browse" button to navigate to the folder containing your VHD file. Choose the specific VHD you want to convert, for example, "Windows10.vhd", and confirm the selection. The converter will display the file path and size, verifying you have the correct source. If the VHD is currently attached to a running virtual machine or mounted in Windows, unmount it first; otherwise, the converter may report an access error.
Choosing VMDK as the destination format
On the destination screen, keep "Local file" selected as the destination type. From the "Destination image format" dropdown, choose "VMDK". A new set of options appears: you must decide between "Growable image" and "Pre-allocated image". For standard VMware Workstation use, select "Growable image" because it creates a single file that starts small and expands as needed, matching the default behavior of Workstation virtual disks. If you need to transfer the disk across multiple files or have strict storage planning, choose "Pre-allocated image" and then select "Split into 2GB files" for compatibility with older VMware products. Click "Next", then specify the output folder and filename, something like "converted-vm.vmdk". You can also choose to keep the file in the same folder as the source VHD for simplicity.
Running the conversion and verifying the result
Click "Finish" to begin the conversion. A progress bar shows the status, and the time depends on the VHD size and your disk speed, expect several minutes for a 40 GB file. When complete, a confirmation message appears. Navigate to the output folder you specified; you will find the VMDK file (and possibly a small descriptor file if you chose the split format). To verify, open VMware Workstation, create a new virtual machine or edit an existing one, and attach the VMDK as an existing virtual disk. Boot the VM: if the operating system loads without errors, the conversion succeeded. You can now use a VMDK file in VMware Workstation directly for daily work or testing. This workflow lets you use VHD in VMware Workstation without ever touching a command line or manually editing disk descriptors.
When the conversion fails or the VM won't boot
If the converter reports "Cannot open source file," the VHD is likely locked by another process, unmount it in Windows Disk Management or shut down any VM using it. If the conversion completes but the VM fails to boot, the most common cause is missing or incompatible storage drivers in the guest OS. For Windows VHDs, ensure the source was created from a system that supports VMware's virtual SCSI or IDE controller; you may need to boot the VM from a Windows installation ISO and use "Repair your computer" to load the correct drivers. Another pitfall is selecting "Pre-allocated image" when the host filesystem (like FAT32) cannot handle files over 4 GB, use "Growable image" instead. If you need to setup a network in VMware Workstation after booting, ensure the VM’s network adapter type matches your host environment, typically "NAT" for simple internet access. For advanced scenarios, such as when you want to create a VM from a physical machine, the VHD must first be a full clone of the physical disk, not a differential or snapshot file, converting such images can lead to boot failure due to missing volume information.
