How can I convert a VMware .vmdk file to a .iso file in Windows

Question

I recently obtained a copy of Mac OS Snow Leopard in VMware (.vmdk) format. It is incredibly slow when running virtualised and I would like to just install it directly to my machine dual booting with Windows 7 (32 bit). Is there any way preferably free that I can convert a VMware .vmdk image to an .iso I can burn to a DVD to boot from?

I've seen this done in Linux and presume there is a way to do it in Windows as well. Downloading another copy that isn't a VMware image isn't an option considering my broadband plan is creeping closer to its limit for the month.

Solution 1

You can't convert a VMDK (a hard drive image) to a iso - a cd image - in addition iirc how a cd and a hardrive boot is different. You can boot linux off a .img (a generic hard drive type) or windows off a vhd (a hard drive image varient).

For converting between image types, your best bet is the qemu-img with qemu - but i seriously doubt you can do what you want to do.

Alternately i SUPPOSE you could make a DMG image with carbon copy cloner, and do something with disk tool from OS X, but you might as well do a full reinstall if you get a copy of OS X.

Solution 2

How would I do that ?

Get a live CD of linux (the distro you prefer)

Boot on the VMWare on the live CD (on burned disk or iso file)

when booted, open a terminal locate the device you want to clone mount

mount

this will show you a list a device
then unmount this device if it is mounted

umount /dev/sda1 (eg.)

plug an empty usb key and connect through to the VM
or add a virtual hard drive (mapped to a partition)
or connect to shared folder of host
and clone using dd

dd if=/dev/sda1 of=/your/destination/file/path

Comments

[Dwayne Charrington]

Thank you very much for your help. I understand where you are coming from in relating relation to hard drive images and an image of a DVD / CD.