If you need access right now and don’t want to spin up a Linux virtual machine, third-party software is your best bet. These tools allow you to "mount" the VMFS volume in read-only mode to copy VMDK files out.
Popular tools include:
The Workflow:
Note: These tools are usually paid software for full recovery, but they are the most reliable way to get data "hot" and fast on a Windows host. mount vmfs 6 windows hot
Enable read/write access to a VMFS 6 volume from a Windows environment while the datastore remains online (“hot”) on a live VMware ESXi host. If you need access right now and don’t
VMFS 6 introduced several internal changes: The Workflow: