Why convert VHDX to RAW?
A raw image is a flat, sector-by-sector copy of the virtual disk with no container overhead, making it compatible with forensic tools, QEMU, and any platform that requires unformatted sector data. Converting from VHDX removes the Hyper-V container metadata, leaving only the raw disk content.
How to convert VHDX to RAW
qemu-img OPEN-SOURCE
Run qemu-img convert -O raw in.vhdx out.img; add -p to show progress. The output can use any extension (.img, .raw, .bin) - the content is identical.
About these formats
.VHDX
Virtual Hard Disk v2 (Hyper-V)
A VHDX file is a complete virtual hard disk - partition table, filesystem, and often a full OS - stored in one file. It is Microsoft's modern format for Hyper-V VMs, WSL2, and Dev Drive. On…
Open .VHDX details →
.RAW
Raw Camera Image
A .raw file is most often an unprocessed photo straight from a digital camera sensor - a "digital negative" used by Panasonic, Leica, Contax, Casio, and others. Open and develop it free…
Open .RAW details →Quality & what to watch
- The output file equals the full virtual disk size, not the used data size; plan disk space accordingly before converting.
- All disk content - partition table, filesystem, OS, and files - is preserved in the sector-level copy.
- qemu-img handles fixed, dynamically expanding, and differencing VHDX files; for differencing disks, ensure the parent VHDX is accessible.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Hyper-V or Windows to convert VHDX to raw?
Can I convert the raw image back to VHDX?
qemu-img convert -O vhdx out.img restored.vhdx to reverse the conversion.What file extension should I use for the raw output?
.img, .raw, and .bin are all common; the extension does not affect the content.
