VMDK File and Its Corruption Causes

Discussion in 'Online Tools' started by William Smith, 30 Apr 2014.

  1. William Smith

    William Smith Member

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    VMDK is the file format of VMware Virtual Machine that stores entire records of VMs. With the widely use of virtualization, data loss happens in our daily life. Several scenarios to lead to data loss or file damage from VMDK file, for example: hardware/software failure, human error, computer system malware, power surges, application file corruption error and so on.

    VMware file corruption is a reason to be in stress. Technically speaking, the file corruption can be repaired with some professional tool. If you are experiencing damage issues, inaccessibility in VMDK data or file & partition deletion problem, VMware recovery software is ready to help you. This potent application especially devised to recover your entire data from VMDK VMware Virtual machine effortlessly and swiftly.

    How to Recover Your Data from VMDK VM?
    Step 1:
    Download and Install VMware Recovery Software v1.0
    Step 2: Run the application and browse VM to scan and recover data from corrupt VMDK file
    Step 3: Preview recovered files and restore data in previous drive or new desired location

    Learn more: www.wikihow.com/Recover-VMDK-Data-Using-Vmware-Recovery-Tool
     
  2. Ben Martin

    Ben Martin Member

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    Virtual Disk Image Files (VMDK) is used for storing data in order to use them in virtual machines like VMware Workstation, QEMU, Virtual Box, etc. Generally, it is used for cloud computing and virtualization. In other words, we can say that it is a direct competitor of MS VHD file format.

    Reasons for VMDK Corruption
    Due to virus/malware that is present in your system or enters via any external source
    Due to immediate termination of VMDK files without saving it properly
    Immediate system shutdown, which often damages opened files
    Methods to Repair Corrupt VMDK Files
    If you’re unable to access the data of your VMDK file for the first time, then some basic repairing tips can help you resolve this problem. Here is the detailed process to perform basic VMDK file recovery. But, before that, understand how these files are made up of.
    A VMDK file is basically a combination of two types of files, which include VMDK and *-flat.vmdk. The VMDK file works as a plain text pointer for the *-flat.vmdk. The (*) denotes the VM server’s name.

    1st Method: Restore VMDK File by Booting the Machine
    If you’re unable to access the data of your VMDK file for the first time, then there are some basic repairing tips that can help you resolve this problem. Here is the detailed process to perform basic VMDK file recovery.
    A VMDK file is basically a combination of two types of files, which include VMDK and *-flat.vmdk. The VMDK file works as a plain text pointer for the *-flat.vmdk. The (*) denates the VM server’s name. Whenever a VMDK file or VM server gets corrupt, the Virtual Machine fails to start. In such cases, the following steps can help you recover the VMDK file.

    Create a backup copy of the original VMDK file.
    Now, make a copy of the pointer file with a different VM to your system.
    Make the required modifications to the fields and save the changes.
    Boot the virtual machine to repair the VMDK file

    2nd Method: Use Command Prompt in Windows
    Using Command Prompt is also a great technique to recover VMDK files, but it is more suitable for technical users who are well-versed with CMD. Even if you’re a beginner, you can try to recover VMDK files with this method. Follow the below steps to recover the VMDK file with cmd.

    Open the command prompt by pressing Window + R and enter cmd.
    Now, go to the location of local installation of your VMware Dev kit.
    Use this command in the cmd “vmware-vsdiskmanager.exe” – R “the fully qualified path to your corrupt VMDK.”
    After typing the command hit Enter.

    I hope this information will be helpful to restore VMDk files.
    Ben Martin
     

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