Vmfs Undelete Utility Jun 2026
The VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) undelete utility is a specialized tool designed to recover deleted files and virtual machines from VMFS partitions. VMFS is a file system used by VMware ESXi servers to store virtual machine files.
VMFS is a clustered file system that allows multiple ESXi servers to access and share virtual machine files. It's optimized for storing large files, such as virtual disks, and provides features like file locking and distributed locking.
IT Admin (5+ years VMware experience) Use case: Recovering a deleted 200 GB production VM VMDK from an ESXi 6.7 datastore vmfs undelete utility
Here’s a professional product review for (commonly by DiskInternals or similar data recovery tools for VMware). You can adjust the star rating and use case as needed.
By understanding how the VMFS undelete utility works and following best practices, you can effectively recover deleted files and virtual machines from VMFS partitions. The VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) undelete utility
If the entire disappeared (rather than just one file), it’s often a lost partition table.
to mount the volume. This can sometimes allow you to see files that the ESXi "Datastore Browser" no longer displays. C. Partition Table Reconstruction It's optimized for storing large files, such as
Shamraiz Iqbal VMFS Recovery™ - DiskInternals Tool for VMware® data recovery, VMFS recovery, to read and repair VMDK files. ... More than 90% chance of recovering your data - b... DiskInternals Show all Utility Key Strengths Compatibility DiskInternals VMFS Recovery Reconstructs VMDK fragments from damaged or quick-formatted VMFS; high success rate (90%+). VMFS 3, 4, 5, 6; RAID 0-60; Remote recovery via SSH. Hetman Partition Recovery Strong preview capabilities for existing and deleted files; intuitive interface. VMFS (all versions), NTFS, FAT; allows mounting VMDK files. BitRecover VMFS Recovery Multiple modes: Deleted, Formatted, Partition, and Raw recovery. ESXi, vSphere Disks, GPT/MBR partitions. UFS Explorer Professional-grade tool capable of opening ESX/ESXi virtual disks directly. VMFS6, Parallels, RAID arrays. 4. Technical Recovery Methods 4.1 Manual Datastore Recovery (Advanced) If a datastore is deleted but the underlying storage is intact, it can sometimes be recovered using the ESXi command line: Enable SSH on the host and identify the disk's unique
✅ Buy it if: You manage ESXi hosts without frequent backups or snapshots, or you need a fast, GUI-based undelete for accidental deletions. ❌ Skip if: You have robust backups (e.g., Veeam), or you’re comfortable with Linux-based recovery tools and don’t mind the CLI.
: A wizard-based tool that supports various recovery modes, including "Deleted Data Recovery". B. The Linux "vmfs-tools" Workaround (Manual)
VMFS is designed for high availability, allowing multiple ESXi hosts to access the same storage simultaneously. However, this complexity makes manual recovery nearly impossible without specialized tools. Common scenarios where these utilities are essential include: