| Corruption Type | Cause | Observable Effect | |----------------|-------|--------------------| | Descriptor file loss | Deletion or overwrite | VM cannot identify geometry or extents | | Extent pointer corruption | Storage bit rot | Data misalignment, read errors | | Snapshot chain break | Missing or orphaned delta VMDK | VM reverts to wrong state or fails to start | | Footer corruption | Incomplete write | VM fails to recognize disk format | | Filesystem-level damage (NTFS/ext4 inside VMDK) | Guest OS crash | VM boots to BSOD or kernel panic |
The tool regenerates a .vmdk descriptor using embedded backup metadata (if available) or by scanning extent headers. vmware vmdk repair tool