If the above methods don't work, you can try using third-party recovery tools, such as:
Navigate to the VM folder: cd /vmfs/volumes/DATASTORE_NAME/VM_NAME/ . recover deleted vmdk esxi
Use the vmkfstools command to create a temporary disk of the exact same size: vmkfstools -c [SIZE] -a lsilogic temp.vmdk . If the above methods don't work, you can
Recovering a deleted VMDK file from an ESXi datastore is a high-stakes race against the file system's "unmap" (TRIM) operations and new data writes. When a file is deleted in VMFS (VMware File System), the metadata pointers are removed, but the actual data blocks often remain until overwritten. Phase 1: Immediate Emergency Lockdown When a file is deleted in VMFS (VMware
on your ESXi host and connect via a client like PuTTY.
Open your backup solution, such as vSphere Data Protection, Veeam, or any other ESXi-compatible software. Find the VM or datastore... Aryson Technologies Restore VMware virtual machine data - Druva | Documentation You can either select the registered vCenter/ESXi host from the card view or list view or select it from the vCenter/ESXi host lis... Druva | Documentation Restore a VM from a Datastore | VMware Integration Guide 6.1.2.x From the VMware vSphere Web Client, select the datastore containing the VM that you want to restore. Select HPE Alletra 6000 and N... Hewlett Packard Enterprise How to Import VMDK to ESXi, XenServer and Other Platforms? Jan 15, 2026 —