Vmware Recover Flat Vmdk |work| Jun 2026

vmkfstools -i /path/to/vm-flat.vmdk /new/path/recovered.vmdk -d thin

Recovering a VMware virtual machine from a -flat.vmdk file is a common task when the small descriptor file (the .vmdk header) is missing or corrupted. The -flat.vmdk file contains the actual raw data of the virtual disk, while the descriptor file tells VMware how to read that data. Overview of Recovery Methods vmware recover flat vmdk

To recreate the descriptor, you must know the exact size of your data file. on your ESXi host and log in as root. vmkfstools -i /path/to/vm-flat

This is the recommended method for production environments. It involves attaching the damaged flat VMDK to a healthy, functioning VM (the "Helper VM"). on your ESXi host and log in as root

: If you have the data on a local PC, you can sometimes "trick" VMware Workstation by creating a new VM with an identical disk size and swapping the flat files. Step-by-Step Manual Recovery on ESXi