If the data blocks themselves have been unlinked from the file system (a "hard delete"), you need specialized forensic software that can scan the VMFS partition directly. Accidentally deleted .vmdk, anyway to recover the files?
ESXi does not have a "Recycle Bin." When a file is deleted, the VMFS block is marked as "free." New data can overwrite these blocks at any time, making recovery impossible. recover deleted vmdk file esxi
Rename the temp.vmdk to your original filename and edit it (using vi ) to point to your original -flat.vmdk file. Method 2: Restore from Backups or Snapshots If the data blocks themselves have been unlinked
As soon as you realize a VMDK is deleted: Rename the temp
Preview the recovered files and save them to a storage location.
: If the VM is still in the inventory, check the Snapshots section in the vSphere Client. You may be able to Revert to a point in time before the file was deleted. 2. Verify via Datastore Browser Sometimes files are moved rather than deleted.
If a VM is running on the same datastore, power it down or migrate it.