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:
A: Recover from backup or storage snapshots. Zero-byte flat VMDK is unrecoverable. vmware recover flat vmdk
1. Overview A flat VMDK ( -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. 2. Problem Identification | Symptom | Likely Cause | |---------|---------------| | VM fails to power on: "Unable to access VMDK file" | Missing or corrupt descriptor ( .vmdk ) file | | Flat VMDK exists (e.g., vm-000001-flat.vmdk ), but no descriptor | Descriptor deleted or overwritten | | Flat VMDK shows raw data (no partition table when inspected) | Corrupt partition table or damaged descriptor linkage | | VM snapshot consolidation fails | Orphaned flat VMDK from failed snapshot removal | 3. Recovery Methods 3.1 Recreate Descriptor File (Most Common) If the -flat.vmdk exists but the small descriptor .vmdk is missing, recreate it. vmkfstools -i /path/to/vm-flat