A small text file (KB) containing disk geometry and settings.
The actual heavy-duty data file (GB/TB). Scenario A: Only the Descriptor is missing
If the -flat.vmdk file is still visible in the datastore via the ESXi CLI ( ls -la ), you are in luck. You can manually recreate the descriptor. recover deleted vmdk esxi
Rename the temp.vmdk descriptor to vmname.vmdk and edit it to point to your existing -flat.vmdk file. Scenario B: The -flat.vmdk file is gone
Identify the exact size of the flat file: ls -l *-flat.vmdk . A small text file (KB) containing disk geometry and settings
If the above methods don't work, you can try using third-party recovery tools, such as:
If the -flat.vmdk (the actual data) was deleted, manual CLI tools cannot easily "undelete" it because VMFS erases metadata quickly. You will likely need professional recovery software: Need to recover vmdk deleted from a datastore : r/vmware You can manually recreate the descriptor
If you see a large -flat.vmdk file but the companion .vmdk descriptor is missing, the VM will not boot. You can recreate it without losing data:
Identify what exactly was deleted. A standard virtual disk consists of two parts: