Repair Corrupted/Unreadable VHD or VHDX Files

Overview of VHDX/VHD File Corruption

VHD and VHDX file formats are considered the two primary virtual disk image file types used for creating a Windows system's virtual environment. Similar to a physical hard drive, VHD/VHDX files are also prone to corruption. As a result, the entire data of the virtual machine file becomes inaccessible. Hence, learning how to repair VHDX and recover data from a corrupted VHDX file is the main subject of this page.

A damaged VHD file and lost data can be a nightmare for many users, which is why knowing how to recover a corrupted VHD file in Windows 10 or any other Windows system is crucial. When data is at stake, many are advised to run VHD data recovery tools inside the virtual machine. But can these data files be recovered after VHDX corruption? To understand that, we need to look into the structure of a virtual hard disk. From reading information on the Virtual Hard Disk Format (available here), you can see that a virtual hard disk has the following structure:

Is it possible to recover data from a corrupted VHD or VHDX file?

• If Virtual PC/Virtual Server/Hyper-V reports that the virtual hard disk is corrupt, this means that either the head or tail segment is corrupt and there is nothing you can do. • If the virtual machine boots up OK but then reports errors when accessing the disk, run the Data Recovery Wizard from within the virtual machine.

Which VHDX recovery solution should you choose for your scenario?

• If the HVD or VHDX image file is corrupted or damaged and fails to load, seek assistance from your local or online VHD repair center or contact the support team of the VHD manufacturer. • If the VHD or VHDX image file is secure, try restarting the virtual machine and check if you can access the VHD or VHDX disk. If not, proceed to recover crucial files from the virtual disk as described in Part 1, then run the methods in Part 2 to fix the corrupted or unreadable virtual disk.

Part 1: Recover Damaged VHD File with VHD Recovery Tools

Users will need to select a professional data recovery tool to fix the corrupted VHD file. Here, we recommend using Data Recovery Wizard. It effectively helps you recover all files from VHD or VHDX disk partitions with just a few simple clicks. First, let's explore the outstanding features of this data recovery software.

- Three-step recovery for damaged and lost files and data. - Retrieve files from an emptied recycle bin, HDD/SSD, external hard drives, SD cards, and more. - Preview recoverable files before actual recovery. - 100% safe for use on both Windows and Mac computers.

Please download and install this VHD repair tool on your VM, then follow the steps to recover your lost VHD file:

Step 1: Run the Data Recovery Wizard. Select the drive where you lost your files and start scanning. This software lets you recover lost data from all kinds of devices, including HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, SD cards, flash drives, cameras, and more.

Step 2. Preview the scan results. You can click on the file type filter and choose the file types you need. tools Data Recovery Wizard supports over 1000 file types, such as photos, videos, documents, emails, audio files, etc.

Step 3: Select the files you want to preview. Click “Recover” and set a location to save the recovered data.

Part 2: Repair Corrupted or Unreadable VHD/VHDX

After you've retrieved all the data from the unreadable virtual disk, you can proceed to repair the corrupted VHD or VHDX with the VHDX Recovery Part:

Method 1: Run the CHKDSK command to fix bad sectors on the VHD

If there are bad sectors on the virtual disk, you might not be able to access all the data or important files stored on the drive. The CHKDSK command will effectively fix this issue and repair all bad sectors on your VHD:

Warning: Since the CHKDSK command can lead to permanent data loss errors, make sure to first recover all data from the VHD or VHDX drive using a reliable Data Recovery Wizard tool.

Click the "Search" icon, type: cmd, then hit "Enter" to open Command Prompt. Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator". Type: chkdsk D: /f /r /x, then press "Enter".

This will run CHKDSK and automatically fix any existing errors, bad sectors, or even corrupted system files on the VHD disk.

Repair the problematic device using the CHKDSK alternative

Download and install the CleanGenius tool. Let's now proceed to check and fix file system errors on your device.

Step 1: Click "File Display" to proceed.

Step 2: Select the target device and check the option to “Check and repair file system errors.” Click “Run” to start fixing the problematic device.

Step 3: When the process is complete, click “Here” to open and use your device.

Click to open and use the device after fixing the file system error.

Method 2: Format the VHD to NTFS File System

If the VHD disk still fails to work, you can directly format it to the NTFS file system to get it back to normal:

1. Open "This PC" in the virtual machine. 2. Locate and right-click on the VHD disk, then select "Format." 3. Choose NTFS as the file system for the VHD you want to format. 4. Click "OK" to confirm formatting the VHD to NTFS.

Method 3: Delete and Recreate the VHD Partition

The last thing you can try on a VHD disk is to delete and recreate the partition.

- Right-click on "This PC" and select "Manage." - Click on "Disk Management," find the VHD partition, right-click it, and choose "Delete Volume." - Click "Yes" to confirm the deletion. - Right-click on the unallocated space from the VHD and select "New Simple Volume." - Assign a new drive letter, file system, and size for the new volume, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

You will then have a new VHD partition that you can use again to save your data.

Still no luck? If the above methods don't work, you may need to manually repair it. Try contacting the support team of the tool via email at support@tools.com. They can't guarantee a 100% fix for your VHD or VHDX, but it seems the last resort when all online solutions fail.

Frequently Asked Questions about VHDX Repair

1. How to recover deleted VHD file?

Run the VHD Recovery software on your computer. Select the partition drive from where the VHD file was created and hit the Scan button. After a while, depending upon the size of the VHD file, the software will display the scan results automatically. Locate the VHD file you want to recover and then click on the Recover button. This way, you can successfully retrieve your deleted VHD file.

< strong > Can I recover deleted VHD data?

Deleting files using Shift + Del or Delete keys is considered permanent, and in such cases, only third-party data recovery software can scan and retrieve permanently erased files from the VHD file.