ddb.adapterType = "lsilogic" ddb.geometry.cylinders = "5221" ddb.geometry.heads = "255" ddb.geometry.sectors = "63" ddb.longContentID = "deadbeef1234567890abcdef" ddb.thinProvisioned = "1" ddb.virtualHWVersion = "13" The first number in the extent line is the number of sectors (size in bytes / 512). You can compute cylinder/head/sector values, but ESXi does not strictly require correct geometry for modern OS. Step 3 – Attach the recovered descriptor Place the new .vmdk alongside the flat file and attach it to a VM:
Introduction In the VMware ecosystem, a virtual disk is typically represented by two files: a small descriptor file ( .vmdk ) and a large raw data file (the -flat.vmdk ). The descriptor contains disk geometry and pointers, while the -flat.vmdk holds the actual virtual machine data. recover vmdk flat file
Capacity: 42949672960 (40 GB) Disk type: 2 (VMFS thin) Alternatively, get the size in sectors: The descriptor contains disk geometry and pointers, while
Have a recovery story or tool recommendation? Share it in the comments below. ls -la VM_name-flat
ls -la VM_name-flat.vmdk # Size in bytes / 512 = number of sectors Create a text file recovered.vmdk with the following content (adjust numbers):
