VMware provides command-line tools that can be used to recover deleted VMs.
If the VM is fully deleted from disk:
(virtual machine configuration file)
: Find the .vmx file (the configuration file), right-click it, and select Register VM or Add to Inventory .
If the above methods do not work, you can use third-party recovery tools to recover your deleted VM. recover deleted vmware virtual machine
VMware has no native "undelete" for VMs permanently deleted from disk. Recovery requires backups or third-party tools.
.vmdk descriptor is missing, you can manually recreate it to make the disk readable again. Reddit +3 Summary of VM File Types File Extension Role Importance for Recovery .vmx Configuration file Critical for registering the VM .vmdk Disk descriptor Tells VMware how to read the data -flat.vmdk Raw data disk Contains the actual OS and files .vmsd Snapshot metadata Useful for restoring specific states Would you like help VMware provides command-line tools that can be used
or move existing VMs onto that datastore. 2. Method 1: Re-registering (When "Removed from Inventory")
Accidentally deleting a VMware virtual machine (VM) can feel like a catastrophe, but in many cases, your data isn't gone—it's just hidden or unindexed. Whether you "Removed from Inventory" (safe) or "Deleted from Disk" (critical), this guide covers every level of recovery. 1. The "Safety First" Step: Stop Everything VMware has no native "undelete" for VMs permanently
where the VM was stored
If your SAN or NAS (like Pure Storage or NetApp ) was taking snapshots, you can clone the snapshot into a new volume, mount it as a temporary datastore, and register the VM from there.