You can mount an existing VHD or VHDX inside a running Windows guest without converting it. Make the file accessible from the guest, open PowerShell as an administrator, then run Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "C:pathdisk.vhdx". For inspection without writing to the image, add -Access ReadOnly.
First distinguish mounting a file from attaching a VM disk
Mounting a VHD from inside Windows means the guest opens an existing .vhd or .vhdx file and exposes its partitions as volumes. The file must be reachable from the guest, such as on a guest-local drive or a location made available through your hypervisor’s supported storage or file-transfer method.
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Attaching a virtual disk through the hypervisor is a different operation: the VM is configured to see a virtual disk device. Hyper-V supports configuring a VM to use an existing VHD/VHDX or attaching one later. That does not mount an ordinary image file from within Windows. See Microsoft’s Hyper-V guidance on attaching or detaching a virtual hard disk.
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Mount with PowerShell
Microsoft documents Mount-DiskImage for mounting an existing virtual hard disk. Run PowerShell with administrator privileges and supply the full path to the image:
Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "C:pathdisk.vhdx"Use the matching path to your file, whether it ends in .vhd or .vhdx. The file must be accessible inside the guest. Microsoft’s Mount-DiskImage documentation specifies the full image path and administrator requirement for VHDs.
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Mount read-only for inspection
If you only need to inspect or copy data and do not want changes written to the image, mount it read-only:
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Choose another interface if it fits your setup
| Method | What it does | Read-only option | Requirement or boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
PowerShell: Mount-DiskImage |
Mounts an accessible VHD/VHDX file from within Windows. | -Access ReadOnly |
Administrator privileges are required for VHD mounting. |
Hyper-V PowerShell: Mount-VHD |
Mounts a virtual hard disk from within Windows. | -ReadOnly |
Requires the Hyper-V PowerShell module to be available in the guest. |
| DiskPart | Attaches a selected VHD file; an already partitioned and formatted VHD can receive a drive letter. | attach vdisk readonly |
Uses DiskPart’s virtual-disk commands. |
| Disk Management | Provides a graphical VHD attachment and management workflow where available. | Not stated in the cited guidance. | Exact labels and availability can vary with Windows edition and installed features. |
Microsoft’s Mount-VHD documentation includes a read-only example. It also shows how to inspect a mounted disk by passing it through disk, partition, and volume commands:
Mount-VHD -Path "C:pathdisk.vhdx" -PassThru | Get-Disk | Get-Partition | Get-VolumeFor a read-only Hyper-V PowerShell mount, use:
Mount-VHD -Path "C:pathdisk.vhdx" -ReadOnlyDiskPart
In DiskPart, select the VHD file and attach it. For example, in an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell session:
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diskpart
select vdisk file="C:pathdisk.vhdx"
attach vdisk
exitTo attach it read-only instead, use attach vdisk readonly after selecting the file. Microsoft documents these commands in its DiskPart attach vdisk reference.
Disk Management
Open Disk Management in the guest with diskmgmt.msc, then use its VHD attachment workflow if available in that Windows installation. Microsoft’s VHDX guidance identifies Disk Management and DiskPart as management tools; consult Microsoft’s VHDX deployment guidance for the documented tool context.
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Check the mounted volume and handle common errors
- The image is not found: Confirm that the path exists from inside the guest, not just on the host. Make the file available using the storage or transfer method supported by your hypervisor.
- Access is denied: Run PowerShell with administrator privileges for
Mount-DiskImage. If usingMount-VHD, confirm that the Hyper-V PowerShell module is installed and available in the guest. - The file is in use: An image that is already mounted can trigger an in-use error. Check whether it is mounted elsewhere or still open, then retry when it is no longer in use.
- No drive letter appears: Attaching the image exposes its disk and partitions, but a usable volume depends on the image’s partitioning and formatting. DiskPart documentation notes that an already partitioned and formatted VHD can receive a drive letter when attached; check Disk Management for the disk and volume state.
Microsoft’s storage cmdlet documentation points to Disk Management for VHD management and documents mounting by image path: Mount-DiskImage reference.
Unmount the image when finished
After you have finished using the mounted disk, detach it to release the image file. With PowerShell, use the corresponding dismount cmdlet and path:
Dismount-DiskImage -ImagePath "C:pathdisk.vhdx"With DiskPart, select the same VHD and run detach vdisk. Close files or applications that are using the mounted volume before detaching it.
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Conversion is not part of this mounting procedure
The documented mounting commands operate on the existing VHD or VHDX by path. You do not need to convert the image merely to mount it as a volume inside Windows. If the objective is instead to make the VM boot from that disk, attach it through the hypervisor and follow the relevant VM configuration guidance; that is distinct from mounting a data image inside the guest.
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