Vmdk-flat Fixed Official

: In the vSphere Datastore Browser, these two files are often visually merged into a single entry. You usually only see the -flat.vmdk suffix when using the Command Line Interface (SSH) or downloading the files to a local machine.

$$ \textReclaimed Space = \textTotal Space - \textUsed Space $$ vmdk-flat

The name "flat" refers to its linear, raw format—it is not sparse or compressed. Its size is exactly equal to the of the virtual disk. : In the vSphere Datastore Browser, these two

vmkfstools -i vmname-flat.vmdk -d thin vmname_new.vmdk Its size is exactly equal to the of the virtual disk

: The VM cannot boot if either the descriptor or the flat file is missing. However, if you lose the descriptor file, you can often recreate it manually as long as the -flat.vmdk remains intact. Troubleshooting & Recovery Recreating a Missing Descriptor

While primarily associated with VMware, the flat format can be interacted with using other tools: