Where Does VMware Store Virtual Machines?
Workstation and Fusion keep each virtual machine as its own folder inside a Virtual Machines directory under Documents.
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Every VMware guest is a folder, not a file. The folder holds the .vmx configuration, the .vmdk virtual disks, snapshots, and logs together, which makes the whole VM portable by copying one directory.
Both Workstation on Windows and Fusion on Mac default to a Virtual Machines folder inside Documents, changeable in preferences. New VMs silently follow whichever default is set at creation time, so older guests can sit elsewhere if the default moved since.
Where VMware stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Virtual Machines
One subfolder per VM. Double click the .vmx inside to open a guest that is not listed in the library.
~/Documents/Virtual Machines
Fusion guests are .vmwarevm bundles here. Right click and Show Package Contents to reach the .vmx and .vmdk files.
Frequently asked questions
Which file actually opens the virtual machine?
The small .vmx text file. The .vmdk disk files are useless without it, so when moving a VM always copy the full folder and open the .vmx on the new host.
VMware asks if I moved or copied the VM. Which do I pick?
Pick the truth. Moved keeps network IDs stable. Copied generates fresh IDs so two copies can run side by side without address clashes.
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