# Mount the datastore read-only vmfs-fuse /dev/sdb1 /mnt/vmfs vmdk-stream-convert /mnt/vmfs/your-vm/your-vm-000001-delta.vmdk /recovered-flat.vmdk

vmkfstools -i "/vmfs/volumes/datastore1/your-vm/your-vm-000002-delta.vmdk" -d thin "/vmfs/volumes/datastore2/recovered.vmdk" This clones the current state into a fresh, flat VMDK. Attach it as a new disk to a temporary VM to extract data. If descriptor files are missing or the parent-child relationship is lost, you need vmdk-fuse or the VMware Disk Development Kit.

Published: April 14, 2026 | Reading time: 8 minutes