Check partition information:
fdisk -l /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.xxxxxxxxxxxx ESXi has a built-in recovery tool that can restore a VMFS partition table if the VMFS superblock is intact. Method A: Using partedUtil restore First, check if a VMFS volume is detectable:
VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) is a high-performance cluster file system designed for storing virtual machine files, including disks, snapshots, and configuration data. The partition table on a VMFS datastore is a critical component that defines where the VMFS volume begins and ends on the physical LUN or disk. recover vmfs partition table
: The partition table is small, but losing it can take down entire virtual infrastructure. Treat it with the respect it deserves. Need help? Always test recovery procedures in a lab environment before applying to production systems.
partedUtil get /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.xxxxxxxxxxxx Example output: 60801 255 63 976773168 : The partition table is small, but losing
Now create partition:
partedUtil get /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.xxxxxxxxxxxx If the output shows “Unknown” or no partitions, the table is likely corrupt. Always test recovery procedures in a lab environment
If the partition table becomes corrupted—due to accidental overwriting, failed resizing operations, controller issues, or human error—the datastore becomes inaccessible, and all VMs hosted on it appear lost. The good news: In many cases, without data loss.