How to clone a disk for VMWare and connect the HDD with existing data?

Question

Hard disks

There is a server based on the Intel platform from 2013.
The server was originally taken for training in mastering VMWare.
Accordingly, ESXi 6.5 is running on it (on a separate flash drive) and even VCSA is screwed on (well, a domain controller on a separate VM).

It has 5 places for large HDDs.
There is already one system SSD, all virtual machines will be located only on it (there are already two).
The four remaining places were supposed to accommodate existing large HDDs with a bunch of files on them (NTFS).
Everything is left over from the days of owning a desktop computer.

Problem number 1:

For some reason, I took a regular SSD as a system one. Then I found a more voluminous, server version, I decided to transfer everything to it.
I tried to clone the disk using HDClone: ​​in ESXi, I can't start virtual machines (status - Invalid), it also fails to register, it crashes with an error (screenshots).




Question: how can everything be correctly transferred from disk to disk without reinstalling the VM ?

Problem No. 2:
The task was as follows: to make the entire file storage area visible both from under virtual Windows and from a home laptop via the internal network.
Question: how to make the allocated disks correctly recognized by the virtual OS, while NOT formatting them ?

If this is not at all possible, I suggest transferring files through an intermediary disk.
RAID is not needed.
In any case, until in the future I will take more voluminous disks and reduce their physical number.

And, as I understand it, these disks, if they are disconnected from the server, will not be recognized in Win machines or will they?
And if through Workstation?

Accordingly, the algorithm: in ESXi I create a pRDM volume, then I connect the necessary disk through a separate SATA controller, forward it to the virtual machine and transfer the files. And so in succession.

BUT! I met a mention that the maximum volume size is 2 TB. And I have two disks of 3 TB. How to be? Server (according to processor specifications) only supports ESXi 6.5

PS
Could such an option as creating a mapping file for the desired disk through vmkfstools, and then mounting it through "adding an existing disk" be suitable? Have there been successful cases of connecting disks in this way?

Thanks in advance and Happy Holidays!

Answer 1

On the 1st problem
Reinstall vmware itself, copy folders with vm in advance by the most common copying and re-register on a freshly installed vmware. Disk cloning is not necessary in principle
On the 2nd problem
Present a real disk to a virtual machine as a real disk. Google "vmware disk forwarding"