| Tool | Scope | Key Feature | |------|-------|--------------| | (free) | Guest file recovery | Restores partition tables & boot sectors inside VMDK | | PhotoRec (free) | Carving deleted files | Signature-based recovery (works even with damaged FS) | | R-Studio for VMFS | Commercial | Direct datastore scanning, reconstructs deleted VMDKs | | UFS Explorer RAID/VMFS | Commercial | Advanced VMFS parsing, RAID reconstruction | | DiskInternals VMFS Recovery | Commercial | Mounts VMFS and recovers deleted VMDK files | | Veeam FLR (File-Level Recovery) | From backups | Instant restore of guest files from Veeam backups |
Recovering deleted VMDK files can be a complex and challenging process. While there are various methods and tools available, the success of recovery depends on several factors, including the extent of data corruption and the timeliness of the recovery attempt. To minimize the risk of data loss, it's essential to implement regular backups and use robust storage systems. vmdk deleted file recovery
When the file is completely gone from the file system (VMFS, NTFS, or APFS), you need software that can scan the raw sectors of your physical drive. Accidentally deleted .vmdk, anyway to recover the files? | Tool | Scope | Key Feature |
Sometimes only the small "descriptor" .vmdk file is deleted, while the large -flat.vmdk (the actual data) remains. When the file is completely gone from the