A: Recover from backup or storage snapshots. Zero-byte flat VMDK is unrecoverable.
vmkfstools -i /path/to/vm-flat.vmdk /new/path/recovered.vmdk -d thin Mount the flat VMDK as a loop device on a Linux VM or recovery appliance: vmware recover flat vmdk
vmkfstools -x repair /path/to/vm.vmdk If the flat VMDK is valid but not recognized, clone it to a new VMDK: A: Recover from backup or storage snapshots
A: Snapshot chain broken. Re-point descriptor’s parentCID to correct base disk. 6. Conclusion Recovering a VMware flat VMDK is feasible if the raw data file remains intact. The primary method is recreating the descriptor file using vmkfstools or manual editing. For severe corruption, raw data extraction tools (e.g., guestmount , FTK Imager ) can salvage files. Always maintain verified backups to avoid reliance on manual recovery. raw data extraction tools (e.g.