Recover Deleted Flat Vmdk File [new] May 2026

lsof | grep -i "deleted" If you see your -flat.vmdk listed as (deleted) , the file is still open by a running VM. (force power off). The file will be released, and you may lose it forever unless you use advanced recovery tools (rare). Proceed to Step 2.

This is an excellent and technically nuanced question. Before diving into the "how," we need a critical reality check: recover deleted flat vmdk file

SSH into the ESXi host. Run: