Opening an NVRAM File

The NVRAM file type is primarily associated with VMware Workstation.

NVRAM	File extension: NVRAM
	File type:	virtual machine's BIOS settings file

What is an NVRAM file?

NVRAM files mostly belong to VMware Workstation by VMware. NVRAM is a file that stores the state of a virtual machine's (VM's) BIOS.

Usage: These files, along with others, are automatically created when a new VM is created using a VM creation software. They are binary files too, thus, they are not meant to be edited or manually used. It is possible to open them using VM software, if necessary, but it should be avoided if possible. Most possible errors with the file can be fixed by just deleting the file and letting the VM create it again upon the next boot.

Related files: NVRAM is one of the files that make up a VM, along with:

• LOG
• VMDK (hard disk file)
• VMEM (paging file)
• VMSD (snapshot information)
• VMSN (snapshot state)
• VMSS (suspended state file)
• VMTM (team data configuration file)
• VMX (primary configuration file)
• VMXF (supplemental configuration file)

How to open an NVRAM file

You need a suitable software like VMware Workstation to open an NVRAM file. You need a suitable software like VMware Workstation from VMware to open an NVRAM file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your NVRAM file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a NVRAM file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online NVRAM Text Viewer

Choose your .nvram file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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Can't Open Your .NVRAM File? Try These Steps

NVRAM files can originate from various applications and aren't universally openable by standard software.

1. Identify the Source: If received from a system administrator or found in a copied VM folder, it is likely a VMware Workstation virtual machine's BIOS settings file.
2. Check the Header: Open the file in a hex viewer to inspect its first bytes.
   • Readable strings like "VMware" confirm it's a VM configuration.
   • Pure binary data often indicates a raw NVRAM dump.
3. Use the Original Software: The original program is usually required; try VMware Workstation, VMware Player, or ask the sender if uncertain.
4. Use this Webpage: Drag and drop the file into our viewer to detect the format, extract readable text/metadata, and preview when possible.

NVRAM file extension format:

To find out what program is needed to open NVRAM files, you need to determine the file format. The initial characters of a file are called signature, sometimes also referred to as "magic bytes". The signature can be used to infer the file format. If the file extension does not match the file format, double-clicking on the file will cause an error upon opening. If there are problems opening a file, you must first determine the file format used. Our examination of the NVRAM files comes to the following conclusion:

The NVRAM file extension is rather rarely used and mainly uses a special format. The following file formats are most commonly found in NVRAM files:

• 70% of all NVRAM files are VMware BIOS state files. If you open these files in a text editor, you will see only illegible characters. The average file size is 8 KB with most files being between 8 KB and 270 KB in size. It is a modern file type. The following keywords are characteristic: CMOS, CMOS440, CMOStimA, CMOStimB and MRVN. Files like these have the following tags: windows, linux, macos, centos, kali, vmware, professional, clone and etka.
• 9% of all NVRAM files are VirtualBox saved EFI BIOS settings files. These files are binary files, so they do not contain text, but only cryptic characters. A typical file size is 540 KB. The following keywords are characteristic: _FVH and CustomMode. An example of a file name is Mac.nvram.

All other NVRAM files (21%) have no consistent format. Files like these are sometimes linked to ubuntu or nvxml. You can get all the details of your NVRAM file by dragging it onto this page or by clicking the button "Choose your .nvram file to analyze" above.