How to Recover a deleted folder and .vmdk file

[ARSB]

Dear all,

I accidentally deleted the .vmdk file and its folder by removing the Inventory from the virtual machine. How can I recover the Folder and the .vmdk file?

I have also found Knowledge Base relating to recovery of .vmdk file. It does not, however, mentioned on recovery of missing Folder.

Assistance much needed. Thanks in advance.

Clement

[Gidrakos]

Do you mean you deleted the actual underlying files/folder for the VM? If you've done that, then the only way to retrieve the files would be if you had a backup of the datastore they were stored on.

[ARSB]

Unfortunately yes. I accidentally click "Remove From Disk" rather than "Remove From Inventory" on vSphere Client.

Anyway to recover?

[Gidrakos]

Unfortunately, "Remove From Disk" completely deletes the files. The only way to get them back would be if the storage space itself was backed up somewhere. vCenter does not keep a copy of those files.

[ARSB]

Thanks Gidrakos​ for your advise.

Feeling very very sad though. :-( :-( :-(

[Gidrakos]

I know the feeling from experience. Hopefully it wasn't anything too important, but now you'll know to be extra careful in the future and potentially look into a means to back it up - VMs are just files, so it's very easy to copy them elsewhere for safe keeping :smileyhappy:

[continuum]

> Unfortunately, "Remove From Disk" completely deletes the files.

Thats not correct. The flat.vmdk will not be removed or overwritten by the delete operation.

Ot will only remove the info about where that flat.vmdk is actually located - you can still find it if it is written in one piece

Ulli

[Gidrakos]

Only provided they are running VMFS, which is unlikely given that they don't have any backups of the datastore on which they placed the VM. Even then, the chances of recovering the files are slim.

"Remove From Disk" (or rather) "Delete From Disk" as opposed to "Remove From Inventory" will delete the files because that's its intended purpose. I've just tested and verified it on both local and NFS storage and there's no trace of any files remaining.

[continuum]

The purpose of "delete from disk" is not to completely remove the file but to make the used space available again - and that is a big difference.

[ARSB]

Hi continuum​,

Thank you for your input and really excited into hearing possibility of recovering the file. However, I am not comfortable in resolving the issue myself. I can contact you (via PM preferred) and connect you through TeamViewer to resolving the issue? What would your charges be?

p.s. I can brief you further on how I lost the file in more detail.

[lgio]

Hello i need support

Are you help me?

continuum​

[continuum]

read my signature and call me on skype

Ulli

[tosaad]

Hi Ulli,

i'm having the same issue can you help me?

Thanks,

[continuum]

Hi

I can try ...

call me via skype "sanbarrow"

Ulli

[tosaad]

Hi Ulli,

I'm calling you now.

Thanks

[continuum]

This was a tricky one !

All the VMFS metadata for the VM was gone.

I had to carve out the missing VMDK from the datastore.

The vmdk had  two partitions - a smaller one with 560gb used for C: of a Win2008 R2 and a larger one with about a TB of data used as D:

The first 600 gb of the vmdk was found in one piece and so we could use that to rebuild the bootdisk.

The missing D: could then be populated with data from a few weeks old backup.

[BillClaudio]

Hi I have the same problem that I mistakenly deleted the virtual machine from the VMFS6 datastore as I can recover the VM. thank you so much

Claudio

[Ekesh]

Hello,

I have done the undoneable! I need help and can not find any anywhere. I am trying to manage a charitable non-profit organization VMware Vcenter and just "deleted from disk" an important VM

I would love to have your attention over my issue if only you had a little time for me.

Just sent an Skype invite to connect. Thank you. Eke

[continuum]

Hi

please read https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-vSphere-Documents/Create-a-VMFS-Header-dump-using-an-ESXi-Host-in-production/ta-p/2795669

try to create a dump like I describe in that document.

If you run into problems - send a message per skype - or ask here.  See my signature ...

Ulli

[TheKislota]

Hi, I`m having similar problem, already wrote in skype to you.

[continuum]

Hello - most important next step: stop if possible all activity on the affected datastore.

If that is not possible due to active mission critical VMs at least stop all thin provisioned VMs.

Then create a dump as described here:
https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-vSphere-Documents/Create-a-VMFS-Header-dump-using-an-ESXi-Host-in-production/ta-p/2795669

When you create the dump and upload it - give it a name that allows me to connect your uploaded to your skype or forum name.
Add details about the lost VM: the more the better !

 

Ulli

[Adytzu]

Hello!

I have a similar problem, somehow: I put a secondary datastore because one of hdd from initial datastore was broken. 
I use Move command to move all folders from datastore1 to datastore2, I delete VM from inventory and after that, add to inventory vm from datastore2.
Everything seem to be fine, all VM started, but from one of them (Xpenology), missing a lot of file.
How can I solve this? 
Unfortunately, I don't have a backup of vmdk files.

[a_p_]

From what you say, it looks like the VM has/had active snapshots, which were not carried over to the new location, or the VM has been reconfigured without taking the snapshots into account.

To see what can be done, shutdown the VM immediately to avoid further modifications. Then - as a first step - run ls -lisa from the command line in the VM's folder, and post the command's output.

André

[B36UK]

I have the same issue , can you help me please  

[marraj]

I have a vm that was deleted about 2 months ago. that i need to recover..

Of course our backpus expired about 1 month ago.

I am checking with the backup vendor if they have a way to recover.

It looks like from this thread other users were able to recover deleted vms/vmdk files from a datastore.

I am in need of this same service or solution.

It is not clear to me in the post how the files were recovered.

my email is [e-mail].

please reply there if possible with a solution or next steps to a solution.

thank you

PS the VMware host ist still live as with all the datastores.

[continuum]

Wow - it was deleted 2 months ago ?
If the datastore was busy all the since then you need a miracle or ESXi 4 or 5 ...
Call me via skype

 

Ulli

 

[yogi000]

Hi continuum

are you able to help with these issues?

Are you still on skype?

 

[continuum]

yes

 

 

[yogi000]

i sent you a message on skype

 

[continuum]

Let me know when it is supposed to arrive

 

[yogi000]

says waiting on you to accept invite

 

[continuum]

I have not received an invitation.

Ulli