If the -flat.vmdk exists but the small descriptor .vmdk is missing, recreate it.
Before proceeding with recovery, the following safety protocols must be observed:
: Most reliable for ESXi environments. You use command-line tools to create a new descriptor that points to your existing data. vmware recover flat vmdk
For orphaned -delta.vmdk (redo logs) mistakenly called flat:
A ( -flat.vmdk ) is the raw, contiguous data file that contains the actual virtual machine (VM) disk data. The companion descriptor file ( .vmdk ) holds metadata (geometry, CID, parent CID, etc.). Corruption, accidental deletion of the descriptor, or storage failures can render the flat VMDK inaccessible to vSphere. This report outlines structured recovery methods. If the -flat
A: Edit descriptor createType="vmfs" or "twoGbMaxExtentSparse" .
vmkfstools -i /path/to/vm-flat.vmdk /new/path/recovered.vmdk -d thin For orphaned -delta
This creates two new files: temp.vmdk (the new descriptor) and temp-flat.vmdk (a blank dummy disk).
to the VM's directory: cd /vmfs/volumes/DATASTORE_NAME/VM_NAME .
If access to an ESXi host is unavailable, VMware Workstation (or Player) can be used.