# Disk DescriptorFile version=1 If you find the start offset:
dd if=/dev/sdX1 of=recovered.vmdk bs=512 skip=START_BLOCK count=BLOCKS This is tedious and only works for non-fragmented files. | Action | Purpose | |--------|---------| | Enable VMFS undelete (VMFS5/6 only) | esxcli storage vmfs undelete enable -l datastore1 | | Use snapshots + backups | Primary recovery method | | Set storage vMotion before deletions | Move critical VMs off datastore | | Configure trash can (NFS only) | Not native to VMFS | | Lower DeleteTimeout (advanced param) | Prevents accidental bulk deletes | Check if undelete is supported esxcli storage vmfs undelete status -l datastore_name If enabled, use: undelete vmfs file
sudo vmfs-undelete /dev/sdX1 /recovery_folder This scans for orphaned file entries. If you know the filename or extension: # Disk DescriptorFile version=1 If you find the