If the -flat.vmdk exists but the small descriptor .vmdk is missing, recreate it.
If the flat VMDK is valid but not recognized, clone it to a new VMDK: vmware recover flat vmdk
Now you must point the new temp.vmdk to your original data file. Difference between .vmdk and -flat.vmdk | VMware vSphere If the -flat
Recovering a VMware virtual machine from a -flat.vmdk file is a common task when the small descriptor file (the .vmdk header) is missing or corrupted. The -flat.vmdk file contains the actual raw data of the virtual disk, while the descriptor file tells VMware how to read that data. Overview of Recovery Methods The -flat
A: Snapshot chain broken. Re-point descriptor’s parentCID to correct base disk.
This method follows the official VMware/Broadcom KB 1002511 to recreate a missing descriptor file. 1. Enable SSH and Connect