Recovering a VMware datastore is a high-stakes operation. Success depends on understanding the underlying storage architecture, identifying the root cause, and applying the correct recovery methodology—whether that involves repairing file system metadata, restoring from backups, or using data recovery tools.
fsck.vmfs -D /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.xxxx If the VMFS partition is missing, recreate it manually without overwriting data: recovery vmware datastore
vmfs-fuse /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.xxxx /mnt/repair (This mounts read-only; you can copy data out.) Recovering a VMware datastore is a high-stakes operation
esxcli storage core adapter rescan --all identifying the root cause