Recovering a deleted VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk) file depends on whether the file was simply unregistered from inventory or physically deleted from the datastore. VMware does not have a built-in "Recycle Bin" for datastores . Reddit +1 Recovery Methods If a VMDK has been deleted, you can use the following methods to attempt recovery: 10 sites Solutions to Recover Deleted Files from VMDK Safely May 8, 2025 —
VMFS 3, 5, 6 (limited success in VMFS 6 with hardware acceleration).
Revoke administrator privileges for daily tasks. Use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). recover vmdk deleted
Select your missing VMDK file and click the Restore button. Method 3: Use Specialized VMDK Recovery Software
Reads corrupted or healthy VMFS drives directly from a Windows machine. Recovering a deleted VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk) file
By following these methods and best practices, you can increase the chances of recovering your deleted VMDK files and preventing future data loss.
Reload the VM configuration in the ESXi client and power it on. Method 2: Recover from the ESXi Recycle Bin (VMware vSAN) Revoke administrator privileges for daily tasks
: If your physical storage array (SAN/NAS) has its own snapshotting enabled, you can often restore the volume or LUN to a point in time before the deletion. 2. Reconstruct the Descriptor File
If the above methods fail, you can try manual recovery:
When native methods fail: