How to Extract Files from a VDI (VirtualBox) Disk Image on macOS
VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image) is the native disk format for Oracle VirtualBox. If you need to extract files from a VirtualBox VM without booting it, or recover data from a VDI file on your Mac, you'll need a tool that can read the VDI format.
The default way to open VDI files on macOS
Tool: 7zz via Homebrew (third-party)
$ 7zz x disk.vdiSteps
- Install 7-Zip via Homebrew: brew install 7zip
- Run: 7zz x disk.vdi
Extract individual files from a VDI archive
The default macOS tools extract everything — there's no way to pick individual files. MacPacker lets you browse VDI archive contents, preview files, and extract only what you need — without unpacking the entire archive.
A better way: open VDI files with MacPacker
MacPacker is a free, open-source macOS archive manager that supports VDI and 30+ other formats. Unlike the default tools, MacPacker lets you:
- Browse archive contents like a folder
- Preview files with Quick Look without extracting
- Extract individual files via drag and drop
- Navigate nested archives (archives within archives)
- Enjoy a native SwiftUI interface that feels right at home on macOS
Get MacPacker
v0.15.1 · macOS 14+$ brew install --cask macpackerApp Store updates may lag a few days behind direct downloads due to Apple review.
Frequently asked questions
How do I extract files from a VDI without VirtualBox?
Use MacPacker to browse the VDI filesystem and extract individual files — no VirtualBox needed. Alternatively: brew install 7zip && 7zz x disk.vdi
Related formats
VMDK is VMware's virtual disk format. Contains the filesystem of a virtual machine.
VHD is Microsoft's virtual disk format used by Hyper-V and Azure. Contains a complete filesystem image.
VHDX is the newer version of Microsoft's VHD format with support for larger disks and improved resilience.
QCOW2 is QEMU's disk image format with copy-on-write support, snapshots, and compression. Used in KVM/QEMU virtualization.