The virtual machine typically is stored on the host computer in a set of files, all of which are in a directory set aside for that particular virtual machine. In these examples, <vmname> is the name of your virtual machine. The key files are:
A virtual disk is made up of one or more .vmdk files. If you have specified that the virtual disk should be split into 2GB chunks, the number of .vmdk files depends on the size of the virtual disk. As data is added to a virtual disk, the .vmdk files grow in size, to a maximum of 2GB each. (If you specify that all space should be allocated when you create the disk, these files start at the maximum size and do not grow.) Almost all of a .vmdk file's content is the virtual machine's data, with a small portion allotted to virtual machine overhead.
If the virtual machine is connected directly to a physical disk, rather than to a virtual disk, the .vmdk file stores information about the partitions the virtual machine is allowed to access.
Note: Earlier VMware products used the extension .dsk for virtual disk files.
Note: Some earlier VMware products used the extension .std for suspended state files.
There may be other files as well, some of which are present only while a virtual machine is running.
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