How to Mount VMFS6 on Windows "Hot" (Live Access) Mounting a VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS6) datastore directly to a Windows machine—especially a "hot" or active datastore currently in use by an ESXi host—is a complex scenario. Native Windows cannot read VMFS, and because VMFS6 is designed for highly concurrent access, mounting it while active can lead to severe data corruption.
There are a few methods to mount a VMFS 6 datastore on Windows: mount vmfs 6 windows hot
Attach your VMFS 6 storage device to your Windows machine via SAS, SATA, Fibre Channel, or iSCSI. How to Mount VMFS6 on Windows "Hot" (Live
If you must access a "hot" (active) VMFS6 volume, do not map the raw LUN directly to Windows. Follow this workflow instead: If you must access a "hot" (active) VMFS6
: Present your VMFS 6 storage to your Windows machine via iSCSI initiator, Fibre Channel, or an external SAS/SATA enclosure.
For advanced users who prefer command-line execution without paying for premium licenses, the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL 2) combined with vmfs-tools offers a workaround to mount VMFS volumes. Note that while older versions of vmfs-tools only supported VMFS 5, updated forks and compile guides allow partial VMFS 6 read accessibility. Step-by-Step Execution: