5 Best VMDK Recovery Tools to Recover VMDK File

Recoverit Editorial Team

Oct 23, 2026 • Filed to: Recover Files • Proven solutions

TL;DR:

Recoverit Data Recovery is highly recommended for securely retrieving deleted or corrupted VMDK files across Windows and Mac environments, utilizing a read-only process and a Deep Scan mode to extract data from severely damaged systems.
    ● Bitrecover VMDK Recovery Wizard efficiently handles VMware virtual drives larger than 3 TB, but its compatibility is strictly limited to Windows operating systems.
    ● Sysinfo VMDK Recovery extends support to Windows, Mac, and Linux file systems including HFS+, FAT32, and EXTX, offering specific capabilities to repair corrupted VMDKs and reconstruct split files.
    ● The free trial editions for Bitrecover, Aryson, and Sysinfo restrict functionality to file previewing only, mandating a full paid version to actually save any recovered virtual drive data.

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There are many data recovery tools online that can confuse a novice like you who just wants to recover lost data. This is especially so as there are quite a several companies who make false promises concerning what their recovery app can do. Therefore, this article has selected the five best VMDK recovery tools you can find online to recover your VMDK files. Also, you will be shown steps on how to use one of the best tools, i.e. Recoverit Data Recovery tool.

Part 1: 5 Best VMDK Recovery Tools

This section deals with the 5 best VMDK recovery tools available for you. It shouldn't be hard to decide on going through the following:

1. Recoverit Data Recovery

The first recovery tool on this list is Recoverit Data Recovery. This tool handles a wide range of data recovery in all major formats. Therefore, it is completely secure in its capability to recover your corrupt or lost VMDK file. If you have mistakenly deleted or formatted your VMDK file, it will help you to get all your data back. More so, with the "Deep Scan" mode, Recoverit Data Recovery can find data from even the most damaged systems.

Pros:

• It is a secure process. This is because it uses a wizard-mode form of recovery by asking you security questions to easily find your lost files
• It is a read-only recovery process. This means that it will not make any unwarranted changes to your recovered files that will alter the form of your data

Cons:

• You can only enjoy the complete features if you purchase the full version.

2. Bitrecover VMDK Recovery Wizard

This software uses algorithms that are highly effective to recover corrupt VMDK files from VMware virtual drives. It also can support the preview of up to 200 file types or formats of .vmdk nature. These formats can be formats created with VMware ESXi, VMware Server, VMware Workstation, VMware Infrastructure, VMware View, and VMware Sphere. This app is programmed to support VMD files that have been created in Windows-based systems such as XP, 8.1, 10, 2003, 7, 2016, etc.

Pros:

• It is light in weight, therefore it is fast
• It is tested on more than 3 TB hard disk or VMware virtual machines

Cons:

• Its compatibility is limited to the Windows Operating System only
• The free version of "Trial Edition" does not support the saving of the files that have been recovered from the virtual drive. Thus, you have to get the paid version before you can enjoy the app's full potentials.

3. Kernel for VMDK Recovery

This recovery tool has been designed to go into VMDK files, search for the lost data within them, and extract for the user. This way, even if your virtual machines refuse to boot, you can trust that Kernel for VMDK recovery will find your missing files.

Pros:

• Downloading and installing the app is fast and easy as there are no complicated settings to be done in the process
• Requires no special services, tools, or hardware to run effectively. This enables the app to work with fast speed

Cons:

• The process of starting and executing recovery with this tool is different from other recovery apps
• You may encounter difficulties using the tool for some VMDK files, as well as file systems

4. Aryson VMDK Recovery

This tool has proved useful in restoring data contained in VMware virtual machines that have become inaccessible. It supports VMDK files created with VMware Infrastructure, VMware Workstation, VMware Sphere, VMware server, etc. The tool supports both NTFS and FAT formats. Depending on the nature of the issue at hand, you can use any of these three scanning methods or modes: Deep, Advanced, and Standard Mode.

Pros:

• It restores and keeps all the items or data in your VMDK file, in order of their hierarchy
• Data recovery with this tool is easy because of its wizard-driven structure
• Allows for a preview of scanned and recovered file contents in a tree-structure format before saving

Cons:

• The free version allows for only a preview of the files. To be able to save the files, you need the paid full version
• Although other users can utilize this tool, it has been designed specifically for system administrators and forensic investigators in mind, which may not be appealing to the average user.

5. Sysinfo VMDK Recovery

This is one of the best recovery tools to not only recover VMDK files but to repair corrupt ones. It comes in handy when your virtual machine is having difficulty loading VMDK files. It is programmed with a powerful algorithm for recovery for the restoration of lost VMDK files in no time. This tool also can jointly recover VMDK files that have been split into several parts. It uses both Standard and Advance scanning modes to get back missing files, depending on how severe the file corruption is.

Pros:

• Files are saved in their original form after recovery. Hence, no alterations are made to VMDK files recovered with this tool
• It supports recovery of the file in both dynamic and fixed file type
• Supports all the file formats of major operating systems like Windows, Mac, and Linux. These file formats include HFS+, FAT32, FAT, NTFS, EXTX, etc.

Cons:

• You can only preview the files that have been recovered without the ability to save if you are using the free version

Part 2: How to Recover Deleted VMDK File with Recoverit Data Recovery

Have you downloaded and installed the Recoverit Data Recovery app? Well, you will be shown how to use it if you are not so sure of yourself. In the following detailed, yet simple steps, you can recover any VMDK file you may have deleted from your virtual machine:

Step 1: Select a Location

The location you should select is the VMDK file location in the internal drive or external disk. So do this and click on "Start"

Step 2: Scan the Location

The selected VMDK location will be scanned by Recoverit Data Recovery. The length of time spent here will depend on how large the file is and the mode of scan required

Step 3: Preview and Save

The preview feature displays the contents of your recovered VMDK file for you to go through. You can ascertain if all is intact, which should be the case before you click "Recover" to save all the files.

The Bottom Line

Data recovery is a normal phenomenon in modern times where files can get missing at any time due to several reasons. This is why this article has provided you with a list of the best recovery tools you can use to get back that VMDK file you lost. Don't even stress yourself about which to use. Just opt for Recoverit Data Recovery and you will not regret your decision.