Esxi Recover Deleted Vmdk Jun 2026

If both the descriptor and the flat file are gone, you must use specialized software capable of scanning the VMFS file system for deleted blocks. Traditional Windows/Linux recovery tools cannot read VMFS volumes. Commonly used tools include: Need to recover vmdk deleted from a datastore : r/vmware

(This can sometimes detect detached but not fully deleted disks.)

Actually, realizing the complexity and risk of raw block recovery, Elena opted for the (often the most reliable 'story' solution for this prompt): esxi recover deleted vmdk

# Disk DescriptorFile version=1 CID=ffffffff parentCID=ffffffff createType="vmfs"

: Shut down any virtual machines running on the affected datastore immediately. Continued activity on the VMFS volume increases the risk of overwriting the deleted data blocks, making them unrecoverable. If both the descriptor and the flat file

If you are using VVols on supported storage (like Pure Storage), you may have a built-in "trash" window.

"It’s almost full," Mark thought. "I’ll just clear out those old, orphaned VMDK files taking up space." Continued activity on the VMFS volume increases the

: Navigate to the VM in the vSphere Web Client, go to the Virtual Volume Objects tab, and select Restore Deleted Disk . This often allows recovery within 24 hours of deletion without needing a full backup. How to Avoid This in the Future

Connect-VIServer -Server esxi-host Get-VM | Get-HardDisk -DiskType "RawPhysical","RawVirtual" | Where $_.Filename -eq ""