Recover Deleted — Flat Vmdk File

VMFS (typically version 5, 6, or 6.81) is complex. Consumer tools won't work. You need VMware-aware recovery tools:

SSH into the ESXi host. Run:

| Tool | Best For | Notes | |------|----------|-------| | (bootable) | VMFS5, VMFS6 | Scans raw sectors, reconstructs -flat.vmdk | | UFS Explorer RAID Recovery | Complex storage, RAIDs | Industry standard for VMware recovery | | DiskInternals VMFS Recovery | Simple deletions | Less expensive | | Klennix VMFS Recovery | Extremely damaged/corrupt VMFS | Forensic-level |