esxcli storage vmfs snapshot mount -l YourDatastoreName If that fails, use vmfs6-recover (available in ESXi 7.x+):
vmfs6-recover /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6000c29... This scans for stale VMFS signatures and can reattach the partition without data loss. If auto-recovery fails, you need to manually recreate the partition table exactly as it was.
partedUtil get /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6000c29... Let’s say the disk has 4294967296 sectors. The original VMFS partition likely started at sector 2048 and ended at the last sector minus 1. data recovery vmfs partition
partedUtil fix /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6000c29... The GUID AA31E02A400F11DB9590000C2911D1B8 is the VMFS data partition type. Do not change it. Step 4: Mount the Recovered Datastore Once the partition table is back, ESXi still won't auto-mount it. You need to force a mount:
partedUtil get /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6000c29... A healthy VMFS partition looks like: 1 2048 4294967294 AA31E02A400F11DB9590000C2911D1B8 0 esxcli storage vmfs snapshot mount -l YourDatastoreName If
Few things trigger a SysAdmin’s fight-or-flight response like logging into vSphere and seeing a datastore showing as "Not Mounted" or "Invalid Partition" . Your heart sinks. VMs are down. Backups? Let’s not talk about that right now.
This guide walks you through the actual process of recovering a lost VMFS partition—no magic wands required. When ESXi cannot detect a VMFS datastore, it will often offer to "Create a new datastore" on the LUN or disk. partedUtil get /vmfs/devices/disks/naa
First, find the disk size in sectors: