Virtual PC Virtual HD imagedynamic disk header (.vhd)
.vhd file signature | application/x-vhd
Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) is a disk image file format developed by Microsoft for Virtual PC and later maintained for use with Hyper-V and related Windows virtualization tools. It is used to store the contents of a virtual hard drive, support operating systems in virtual machines, and create backup, deployment, and testing images. VHD is a legacy format in some environments, but it remains widely supported; files should still be obtained from trusted sources.
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
63 6F 6E 65 63 74 69 78
Sources: Wikipedia, Gary Kessler
All Known Signatures
2 signature variants are documented for .vhd files across multiple sources.
| Hex Signature | Offset | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 63 6F 6E 65 63 74 69 78 | 0 | Wikipedia, Gary Kessler |
| 63 78 73 70 61 72 73 65 | 0 | Gary Kessler |
Extension
.vhd
MIME Type
application/x-vhd
Byte Offset
0
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .vhd files in Python
def is_vhd(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid VHD by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x63, 0x6F, 0x6E, 0x65, 0x63, 0x74, 0x69, 0x78])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(8) == signatureHow to validate .vhd files in Node.js
function isVHD(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x63, 0x6F, 0x6E, 0x65, 0x63, 0x74, 0x69, 0x78]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 8).equals(signature);
}How to validate .vhd files in Go
func IsVHD(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x63, 0x6F, 0x6E, 0x65, 0x63, 0x74, 0x69, 0x78}
if len(data) < 8 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:8], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/vhd
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/vhd
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .vhd file?
A .vhd file is a Virtual PC Virtual HD imagedynamic disk header file. Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) is a disk image file format developed by Microsoft for Virtual PC and later maintained for use with Hyper-V and related Windows virtualization tools. It is used to store the contents of a virtual hard drive, support operating systems in virtual machines, and create backup, deployment, and testing images. VHD is a legacy format in some environments, but it remains widely supported; files should still be obtained from trusted sources.
What are the magic bytes for .vhd files?
The magic bytes for Virtual PC Virtual HD imagedynamic disk header files are 63 6F 6E 65 63 74 69 78 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .vhd file?
To validate a .vhd file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (63 6F 6E 65 63 74 69 78) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .vhd files?
The primary MIME type for .vhd files is application/x-vhd.
Is it safe to open .vhd files?
Virtual PC Virtual HD imagedynamic disk header (.vhd) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.