VMware ESXi and vSphere Cluster Management

Remove a Virtual Hard Disk from a VMware Workstation Player Virtual Machine

Learn how to detach a VMDK from VMware Workstation Player without deleting its files, including safety checks, reuse options, validation, and troubleshooting.

Removing a virtual hard disk from VMware Workstation Player means disconnecting the disk from one virtual machine's hardware configuration. It does not normally delete the virtual disk files from the host computer.

After removal, the selected virtual machine no longer presents that disk to its guest operating system. The disk file, commonly a VMDK, can remain on the host for backup, reuse, inspection, or attachment to another compatible virtual machine.

Key terms

Virtual hard disk: A file-based storage device presented to a virtual machine as a hard drive.
VMDK: A common VMware virtual disk format. A disk may use a descriptor file, extent files, or other related components depending on its configuration.
Host system: The physical computer and operating system running VMware Workstation Player.
Guest operating system: The operating system installed inside the virtual machine.
Virtual machine settings: The VMware interface for configuring virtual hardware such as memory, processors, controllers, and disks.
Disk controller: The virtual interface used by the guest to access a disk, such as SATA, SCSI, IDE, or NVMe where supported.
Snapshot: A saved virtual machine state that can create dependencies among virtual disk files.
Mount or map: Make a virtual disk's contents available to the host with suitable VMware or operating-system tooling, without necessarily attaching it to a running VM.

Removing a disk versus deleting a disk

Action: Remove or detach the disk.

Effect on VM configuration: The disk device entry is disconnected from the selected VM.

Effect on VMDK files: The files normally remain in their host folder.

Effect on data: The disk contents remain available in the files, but the VM cannot access them until the disk is attached again.

Typical use case: Temporarily detach an auxiliary disk, move a data disk to another VM, or preserve a disk before retiring a VM.

Action: Delete the disk files.

Effect on VM configuration: A disk entry may still refer to missing files if it was not removed first.

Effect on VMDK files: The selected files and possibly their data are erased from host storage.

Effect on data: Contents are lost unless a backup or recovery copy exists.

Typical use case: Permanently discard a disk only after checking that it and its snapshot dependencies are no longer needed.

Preparation and safety checks

Before changing virtual hardware, verify the target carefully. A disk can contain the guest operating system, boot files, application installations, databases, project files, or other required data.

Check: Correct virtual machine.

Why it matters: Player may manage several VMs, and a hardware change affects only the selected VM.

How to verify: Check the VM name, its purpose, and its folder in the Player library.

Risk if skipped: You may detach a disk from the wrong machine.

Check: Correct virtual hard disk.

Why it matters: The first disk is often the boot disk, while later disks are commonly data disks, but numbering alone is not proof.

How to verify: Review the disk filename, capacity, controller, and the guest's known storage layout.

Risk if skipped: The VM may fail to boot or lose access to important data.

Check: VM power state.

Why it matters: Virtual hardware changes should be made with the VM shut down or powered off.

How to verify: Shut down the guest normally when possible, then confirm that the VM is not running or suspended.

Risk if skipped: The change may be unavailable, inconsistent, or unsafe for the guest filesystem.

Check: Snapshots and backups.

Why it matters: Snapshots can make several disk files dependent on one another, and a backup provides recovery if the wrong disk is changed.

How to verify: Review the VM's snapshot state and confirm that important files are backed up.

Risk if skipped: Reuse, movement, or later deletion of the disk may break snapshot chains or remove recoverable data.

System disk and data disk consequences

Removing the active system or boot disk usually prevents the guest operating system from starting. It may display a boot-device error or enter firmware setup.
Removing an auxiliary data disk normally allows the VM to boot, but applications and files stored on that disk will be unavailable.
Do not assume that a disk is unused because it is not visible in the guest's file browser. Check mounted volumes, application configuration, databases, and scheduled tasks.
Take an appropriate backup before changing an important disk. A snapshot can help with short-term rollback, but it is not a substitute for an independent backup.

Steps to remove a virtual hard disk in VMware Workstation Player

Open VMware Workstation Player and select the target virtual machine in the Player library.
Shut down the guest operating system, or power off the VM if a normal shutdown is not possible. Do not modify the disk attachment while the VM is running.
Open the management menu and choose Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings. The exact wording can vary slightly by Player release.
In the virtual hardware list, locate the appropriate Hard Disk device. Review its filename, capacity, controller, and purpose before continuing.
Select that hard disk and choose Remove. This removes the device connection from the VM configuration; it is not the same as deleting the disk files.
Apply or save the settings change. If Player presents a confirmation, verify again that the selected disk is the intended one.
Reopen the virtual machine settings and confirm that the disk is no longer listed in the hardware devices.

Player library → Manage → Virtual Machine Settings → Hard Disk → Remove → Apply/Save

What happens to the VMDK files

Removing the device entry normally leaves the underlying virtual disk on the host system. A VMDK may consist of a descriptor file and one or more extent files, depending on the disk format, split-file settings, snapshots, and other configuration details.

Removing the disk from the VM does not erase its contents. The guest simply loses its virtual connection to the disk. Check the VM's host folder if you need to confirm that the expected files remain.

Do not manually delete a descriptor, extent, or snapshot-related file independently.
Do not move or rename individual VMDK components while other files depend on their paths.
Keep the complete disk set together unless you understand the disk layout and dependency chain.
Before deleting anything, determine whether snapshots, linked clones, backups, or another VM rely on the disk.

Reusing a removed virtual hard disk

A detached disk can be useful after it is removed from its original VM. Record its prior VM, host path, capacity, controller type, and purpose before moving or reusing it.

Reuse option: Attach it back to the same VM.

Purpose: Restore the VM's access to the detached disk.

Key requirements: Use the correct VMDK and a compatible controller and guest configuration.

Important caution: Check snapshots and ensure the disk is not being used elsewhere.

Reuse option: Attach it as an existing disk to another compatible VM.

Purpose: Move a data disk or recover its contents in another guest.

Key requirements: Power off the original VM, select the correct descriptor VMDK, and provide a compatible controller and guest driver.

Important caution: Do not attach the same writable disk to multiple powered-on VMs unless the storage design explicitly supports shared-disk access.

Reuse option: Mount or map it on the host.

Purpose: Inspect or copy supported files without booting a guest.

Key requirements: Use suitable VMware or operating-system tooling and select the complete, correct disk structure.

Important caution: Host support may be limited by the guest filesystem, encryption, snapshots, or the disk format.

Compatibility considerations

Controller type: SATA, SCSI, IDE, and NVMe attachments are not interchangeable in every VM or guest operating system. The destination must support the selected virtual controller and have the necessary guest drivers.
Guest operating system: The guest may recognize the disk but still require partition, filesystem, or driver support before its contents appear.
Encryption: An encrypted disk or encrypted VM may require its keys, credentials, or original security configuration.
Snapshots: A disk involved in a snapshot chain may not be a standalone file that can safely be moved or reused.
Concurrent access: A normal writable disk should have one active owner. Sharing it between powered-on VMs can corrupt its filesystem unless an explicitly supported shared-disk configuration is used.

Post-removal validation

Start the VM only if you confirmed that the removed disk is not required for booting. Leave it powered off if the disk may have been the system disk.
In the guest operating system, verify that the removed disk and its volumes are no longer detected. Applications that depended on it may report missing paths.
On the host, inspect the expected VM folder and confirm that the VMDK descriptor and any required extent files remain if your intent was only to detach the disk.
Document the disk's previous VM, full host path, purpose, controller type, and snapshot or encryption status if it will be reused.

Practical examples

Remove an unused data disk

A VM has a secondary data VMDK that is no longer needed by that machine. Power off the VM, select the secondary hard disk in Virtual Machine Settings, choose Remove, save the change, and retain the VMDK in its documented host location.

Move a data disk to another VM

Detach a non-boot data disk from the original powered-off VM. In the destination VM's settings, add an existing virtual disk, select the correct VMDK descriptor, choose a compatible controller, and verify that the guest detects the disk after startup.

Preserve a disk before retiring a VM

Remove an archival data disk before deleting the VM configuration. Keep all related VMDK and snapshot-dependent files together in a documented storage location for later recovery or inspection.

Avoid removing the boot disk

Identify that Hard Disk 1 contains the guest operating system and leave it attached. Remove only the additional disk containing optional project data.

Troubleshooting

The virtual machine will not boot after disk removal

The removed disk may have contained the guest operating system or boot files, or the boot order may have expected that disk.

Power off the VM.
Open Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings.
Add the existing correct VMDK back to the VM.
Verify the disk attachment, controller, and boot configuration before starting the VM again.

The removed disk is not visible in VMware settings

This usually means the disk was successfully detached. Removal is expected to eliminate the device entry; it does not create a retained entry that remains visible as attached hardware.

Check the VM folder on the host for the VMDK files. If the disk is needed again, use the add-existing-disk workflow rather than creating a new empty disk.

The VMDK cannot be attached to another VM

Ensure no other VM is actively using the disk.
Review snapshot and linked-clone dependencies before moving or attaching it.
Select the correct VMDK descriptor rather than an extent component when Player asks for an existing disk.
Use a compatible controller and verify that the destination guest supports the disk and its filesystem.

Disk files were accidentally deleted

Removal may have been confused with deletion, or files may have been manually deleted from the host folder.

Stop writing to the affected host storage location.
Restore the VMDK files from a backup if one is available.
Use host-level recovery procedures only when appropriate, and avoid overwriting data that might still be recoverable.

The removed disk is not visible when mounted on the host

The host may not support the disk's partition or filesystem, the disk may be encrypted, snapshot dependencies may be missing, or the selected file may be a non-descriptor component.

Verify that the complete disk structure is present, use a compatible mounting method, and check encryption and snapshot requirements before attempting access.

Final checklist

Selected the correct VM and disk.
Powered off the VM before changing hardware.
Confirmed whether the disk was a boot disk or an auxiliary data disk.
Backed up important data and reviewed snapshots.
Used Virtual Machine Settings and selected Remove, not a host-file delete operation.
Verified the disk no longer appears in the VM hardware list.
Confirmed that the VMDK components remain on the host when retention was intended.
Prevented simultaneous writable use by multiple powered-on VMs.
Documented the disk path and purpose before reuse.

For the related procedure, see Removing a Virtual Hard Disk.