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

Learn how to detach a virtual hard disk from VMware Workstation Player without deleting its VMDK files from the host computer.

Removing a virtual hard disk from VMware Workstation Player detaches the disk device from one virtual machine (VM). It does not normally erase the virtual disk files from the host computer. This makes it possible to retain the disk for inspection, archival storage, or attachment to another compatible VM.

This procedure is useful when a VM has a separate data disk that is no longer needed, when you are preparing a disk for reuse, or when you need to inspect data from a retired VM. The standard procedure uses the VMware Workstation Player interface; no shell command is required.

What removing a virtual hard disk means

A virtual hard disk is a storage device presented to a guest operating system. VMware commonly stores that device in the VMDK format. A VMDK may be one file or a group of related files, such as a descriptor and multiple data segments.

When you remove a hard disk in Virtual Machine Settings, VMware removes the disk device from the selected VM's hardware configuration. The guest operating system will no longer see that device after the VM is started again.

This is a detach or disconnect operation, not a host-side deletion operation. The VMDK files normally remain in the VM folder or in their configured storage location. The disk becomes unavailable to that particular VM, while the files can still be retained for another purpose.

Remove, Detach, and Delete: Outcome Comparison

Action | Effect on VM configuration | Effect on VMDK files on host | Typical use case

Remove disk from virtual machine settings | The device is detached from the selected VM | Files normally remain | Remove a secondary disk while preserving its data

Delete virtual disk files from host storage | The VM may lose a required device or become unusable | Files are erased from host storage | Permanently discard a disk after confirming it is no longer needed

Add an existing virtual disk to another VM | The retained disk becomes a device in another VM | Files remain in their existing location | Reuse a data disk in a test VM

Mount or map a virtual disk for host access | The disk is accessed outside the normal guest hardware configuration | Files remain, but may be opened by a host-side tool | Inspect or recover files when supported

Before removing the disk

Removing the wrong disk can make a VM unbootable or hide data from the guest. Complete these checks before changing the hardware configuration.

Pre-removal Verification Checklist

Check | Why it matters | How to verify

Correct virtual machine | Changes apply to the selected VM only | Identify the VM in the VMware Workstation Player library and confirm its name

Correct disk device | Multiple disks can have similar labels | Compare the disk capacity, controller location, filename, and known role

Whether the disk is a boot disk | Removing it can prevent the guest from starting | Identify the operating-system disk and check the guest boot configuration

Data backup status | Detachment does not create a backup | Copy important VMDK files, or use an established VM backup process

Snapshot or dependency considerations | Related files may be required to read the disk correctly | Check for snapshots, descriptor files, split disk segments, and other dependent files

Identify the target VM: Select the intended VM in the VMware Workstation Player library. Do not rely only on a similarly named folder.
Confirm the disk: If the VM has multiple hard disks, record each disk's size, controller position, and purpose. A secondary data disk is usually safer to detach than the operating-system disk, but verify rather than assume.
Check the data: Determine whether the disk contains the operating system, applications, user documents, databases, or other information that is still required.
Shut down the VM: A powered-off VM is the safest state for changing virtual hardware. Shut down the guest operating system normally instead of merely closing the Player window or suspending the VM.
Make a backup: Copy important virtual disk files before making storage changes. Preserve the descriptor VMDK and every associated segment when the disk is split across multiple files.

Steps to detach the disk in VMware Workstation Player

Select the intended virtual machine in the VMware Workstation Player library.
Ensure that the VM is powered off. If the interface does not allow hardware changes while it is running, shut it down before continuing.
Open the VM's hardware configuration through Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings. Menu wording can vary slightly between Player versions.
In the hardware list, locate the entries named Hard Disk, such as Hard Disk (SCSI), Hard Disk (SATA), or another controller-specific entry.
Select the disk that you identified during the pre-removal checks. Compare its capacity and controller location with your notes before taking action.
Choose Remove. This removes the device entry from the VM configuration. It is not the same as deleting the disk files from the host.
Apply or confirm the hardware change if VMware displays a confirmation prompt, then close the settings window.

VMware Workstation Player interface path:
Select VM in library
Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings
Select the intended Hard Disk entry
Choose Remove
Apply or confirm, then close the settings

Verify the result

Reopen Virtual Machine Settings for the same VM and confirm that the selected hard disk no longer appears in the hardware list.
Start the VM only after confirming that the remaining boot disk and required devices are still present.
After the next guest start, verify from the guest operating system that the detached disk is no longer visible. The guest may show changed drive letters or mount points because one storage device is absent.
On the host, inspect the VM folder or the disk's known custom location. Confirm that the VMDK descriptor and any associated disk segments are still present.
If the disk is not in the default VM folder, review the VM configuration or your storage records to locate its configured path.

The expected post-removal state is that the VM hardware list no longer contains the disk, while the corresponding VMDK files remain on host storage.

What you can do with retained disk files

Reuse the disk in another VM

You can attach the retained disk to another compatible VM as an existing virtual disk. Choose the existing-disk option rather than creating a new blank disk. Keep the complete VMDK set together and ensure the disk is not simultaneously being used by another VM.

For the related procedure, see Adding an Existing Virtual Hard Disk.

Inspect or recover files from the host

A virtual disk may be mounted or mapped so that the host operating system can access its partitions and files. Support depends on the installed VMware tools, host operating system, filesystem, encryption, and disk state.

Use a compatible read-only or recovery-oriented method when the source data is important. Do not modify the source VMDK files before recovery is complete, especially if snapshots are involved.

Keep the disk as an archive

A detached disk can remain in storage as an archival or temporary artifact. Record its original VM, purpose, controller type, and snapshot status so that it can be identified later.

Important cautions

Removing the primary boot disk can make the VM fail to start. If this happens unintentionally, reattach the retained disk as an existing virtual disk and check its controller and boot order.
Removing a device entry does not delete VMDK files. Conversely, manually deleting files can destroy data even when the VM configuration no longer displays the disk.
Do not delete or move disk files while they are attached to another VM or required by an active snapshot chain.
A snapshot chain is a set of dependent virtual disk files created by snapshots. The newest disk may depend on earlier files, so preserve the descriptor, data segments, and snapshot-related files together.
Split disks may contain many similarly named segments. Keep every segment in place and select the correct descriptor VMDK when reattaching the disk.
If the disk is encrypted or contains a guest filesystem that the host cannot read, host mounting may not display usable files even though the VMDK is intact.

Troubleshooting

The wrong disk might be removed

Similar labels are common when a VM has multiple disks. Compare capacity, controller location, filename, and the disk's known role before selecting Remove. If its identity is uncertain, cancel the change and inspect the VM configuration or guest storage first.

The VM no longer boots

The removed disk was probably the operating-system or boot disk, or the remaining disks are not presented through the expected controller. Reopen VM settings, attach the retained disk as an existing disk, and verify its controller compatibility and boot order.

The detached disk files cannot be found

The disk may have been stored outside the VM folder, or it may consist of a descriptor plus several segments. Review the VM's remaining configuration and known storage locations, search for the descriptor VMDK, and keep all related files together.

The disk cannot be attached to another VM

Check that no other VM is using the disk. Select the correct descriptor VMDK, confirm that its dependent files are present, and check for unresolved snapshot dependencies. The target VM may also require a compatible controller configuration.

Host mounting does not show the expected data

The disk may use an unsupported filesystem, encryption, partitions that were not assigned automatically, or snapshot-related state. Verify that you selected the correct VMDK and use a compatible disk-mounting or recovery method. Avoid changing the source files until the data has been recovered.