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Vmware issue

I have 3 flat files for my ESXi server.
I need to run the vmware wizard using the existing harddrive images but since its the flat files and not the vmdk files i cannot. How can I recreate the vmdk files if i have no backup of them?

pod86

Try this, dont know if it will do the job though: source = http://www.itexperience.net/2008/03/03/howto-recreate-vmdk-files/

On VMWare ESX3, your VM has one or more VMDK files (extension .vmdk) and one or more flat vmdk files (last characters flat.vmdk )

In some cases, you may corrupt, lose or accidentally delete your VMDK files. Your VMDK’s contain metadata for your flat.vmdk files. Without your VMDK’s, you cannot load your flat.vmdk-files. Consequence: you cannot load the VM in your VirtualCenter and you cannot start the VM.
The following steps will guide you to recreate your vmdk files (.vmdk):

1. Determine the hard disk sizes of your original VM (I call this VM from now on: VM A)
2. Create a new VM (I call this VM from now on: VM B) with VirtualCenter with the same number of hard disks as your old VM, and the exact same sizes. So: if your original VM contained 2 harddisks from 8,00GB and 12,00GB, recreate these harddisks exactly the same in your new VM.
3. After your VM B has been created, use Putty (or a similar tool) to navigate to your ESX server. Then navigate to the location / directory where your VM B is stored.
4. Copy all VMDK’s (not the flat ones, but only the metadata files) to your VM A directory. The filesize of your META-data files should be a few KB.
5. Navigate to your VM A directory. You just copied the *.VMDK files to this directory. Edit the VMDK’s with a text editor: You should replace the old filenames with the correct file names -> They refer to the new VM B, but they should refer to your old (original) VM A
6. Save the files.
7. Load the VM in your VirtualCenter. You should now be able to add th flat.vmdk to your VM.

cjameson74

ASKER

I am using ESXi ....when I created the vms i dont see the the vmdk files anywhere the ones that map your flat files

Miguel Angel Perez Muñoz

Try using vmware converter.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

coolsport00

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bgoering

Do you have 4 files that comprise one virtual hard disk? Or do the 3 files represent 3 different virtual drives?

If the latter the article coolsport00 posted would be the correct one for you. Repeat the instructions for each virtual HD.

However if you have former case where the disk has been split into chunks up to 2GB in size use the article http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1026266 to recover your singel hard dirve.

Good Luck