⚠️ : A flat VMDK has no descriptor header — it’s just raw data. Corruption usually affects the descriptor file (small .vmdk ) or the flat file’s internal filesystem/block structure.
vmkfstools -i corrupt.vmdk fixed.vmdk -d thin repair corrupt flat vmdk files
qemu-img convert -f vmdk corrupt.vmdk -O raw disk.raw ⚠️ : A flat VMDK has no descriptor
If the data file ( -flat.vmdk ) is intact but the descriptor is gone, you can manually recreate it using these steps on an : repair corrupt flat vmdk files
Sometimes, a corrupt flat file is actually the result of a failed snapshot consolidation. You might have a chain: Disk.vmdk -> Disk-000001-delta.vmdk -> Disk-000002-delta.vmdk .
vmkfstools -x repair corrupt.vmdk
testdisk /dev/sdb