How to Open and Run an Existing Virtual Machine

Open and run virtual machines created in VMware Workstation Pro, VMware Player, ESXi, or vCenter. This guide covers importing VMs from other hypervisors, opening downloaded VMs, and troubleshooting common issues on Windows hosts running Workstation Pro 26H1.

Open a VM from disk

Launch VMware Workstation Pro and click Open a Virtual Machine on the home screen, or go to File → Open. Navigate to the folder containing the .vmx configuration file and select it. The VM appears in your library instantly — you do not need to copy or move any files.

Import a VM from another hypervisor

Workstation Pro can import VMs from VirtualBox, Hyper-V, Microsoft Virtual PC, and Symantec LiveState Recovery. Go to File → Import and follow the wizard. The importer converts disk formats and reconfigures hardware settings automatically.

From VirtualBox: Export your VM from VirtualBox as an OVF package (File → Export Appliance), then import the resulting .ovf or .ova into Workstation Pro via File → Open.

From Hyper-V: Export the VM from Hyper-V Manager, then import the exported folder into Workstation Pro via File → Import. Some hardware reconfiguration may be required after import (network adapters, integration services).

Open a VM downloaded from the internet

Many pre-built VMs are distributed as .ova or .ovf packages (for example, developer sandboxes from HashiCorp or OS images from Bitnami). Go to File → Open and select the OVF file. Workstation Pro verifies the package integrity and imports it. Always verify checksums before opening VMs from untrusted sources.

Troubleshooting: VM will not start

If a VM fails to power on, check these in order:

• VT-x / AMD-V not enabled: Enter BIOS/UEFI and enable Intel Virtualization Technology or AMD-V / SVM Mode.
• Hyper-V conflict on older Workstation: Ensure you are on Workstation 17.5.2 or newer (25H2 / 26H1) for Hyper-V coexistence. Older builds require Hyper-V to be disabled.
• Version mismatch: If the VM was created on a newer Workstation version, upgrade your installation to open it.
• Encrypted VM: You need the passphrase that was set when the VM was encrypted. There is no recovery mechanism.

Shared folders and drag-and-drop

After opening a VM, install VMware Tools (VM → Install VMware Tools) to enable file sharing between host and guest. Then go to VM → Settings → Options → Shared Folders to map host directories into the guest. Drag-and-drop and copy-paste between host and guest also require VMware Tools.