How to Recover VHD File on Windows [Top 4 Solutions]

What is VHD File?

A VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) file is a file format used to represent a virtual hard drive. It contains the contents and structure of an actual physical hard disk. VHD files are commonly used in virtualized environments, such as Virtual Machines (VMs), where they serve as the storage medium for operating systems and applications. This format is widely used by virtualization software like Hyper-V, VirtualBox, and VMware.

VHDs allow users to create isolated environments, test different OS setups, or run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine without needing separate physical disks.

However, there can be situations where a VHD file gets lost or gets corrupted for various reasons, such as human error, hardware failure, driver conflicts, virus and malware infection. When a VHD file is deleted or crashes, it may cause data loss in the virtual machine system and even affect the normal operation of the virtual machine. Knowing how to recover VHD file on Windows can help you better manage your virtual machine and the its data.

How to Recover VHD File from Virtual Machine

No matter what causes the VHD file to be deleted or crash, you can try to choose a suitable method to recover it according to your actual situation. Below are four methods tailored to help you recover deleted and corrupted VHD files.

Recover Deleted VHD Files

If the VHD file was accidentally deleted from a virtual machine or storage system, there are several ways to recover it. If you have backed up the lost VHD file or entire folder with the lost file using Server backup, you can restore the deleted files from the created backup. Even without a backup, there is still hope—third-party software that supports running on the Windows Server can also help you recover the deleted VHD files.

✅Recover Deleted Files from Server Backup

Step 1. Open "Server manager" and click "Tools" tab to select "Windows Server Backup".

Step 2. Click "Local Backup" and select a created backup you wish to recover files from, then click on "Recover".

Step 3. Select "This server" to start the recovery. If the created backup is not stored on the local drive or it's not connected to the Server, select "A backup stored on another location".

Step 4. Select the date of the backup containing the deleted files to use for recovery , then click "Next".

Step 5. Select the recovery type as your needs. You can select the files or folders in the backup or the entire volume.

Step 6. Browse and select the files or folders you want to recover in the available items.

Step 7. Choose a secure destination to store the deleted files or folders. And choose how to deal the files are already in the recovery destination.

Step 8. Confirm the recovery items, destination, options and settings, then click "Recover" to start the process.

Once the process is completed, you can check the recovered files in the destination folder.

✅Recover Deleted Files from Server Data Recover Tool MyRecover

If you haven't made any backups of the files, MyRecover becomes your last resort. It requires no backup and supports running on various devices such as Server 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2025, and Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7. It covers multiple complex data loss scenarios, such as unreadable drives, lost partitions, drive formatting and more. Here's how to recover deleted files on Server.

4 steps to recover deleted files

Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer, avoid installing it on the drive with lost files.

Step 2. Launch it and select the drive to scan for lost files, then click "Scan".

Step 3. Choose the files you wish to recover from the recoverable lists and click "Recover".

Step 4. Select a secure location to save the recovered files.

When the message "Files have been recovered successfully" pops up, you can click the path of recovered files to check them.

Recover Corrupted VHD File

A corrupted VHD file may occur due to disk errors, improper shutdowns, or even software crashes. If you're facing corruption issues, there are methods to repair the error or recover the VHD file.

✅Run CHKDSK Command

The CHKDSK command can help you check and repair any disk errors on the storage device containing the VHD file. If your virtual hard disk has bad sectors, you might fail to access some saved data or crucial files on the drive. The CHKDSK command can effectively address this problem and repair all bad sectors on the Drive including VHD files for you.

Step 1. Type "command prompt" in the Start Bar and right click on it to choose "Run as administrator".

Step 2. Type the command chkdsk G: /f /r and press "Enter".

Then, the CHKDSK command will automatically find and repair all existing errors on the virtual hard drive with VHD files.

✅Use Hyper-V Manager

Hyper-V Manager is a built-in virtualization management tool in Windows, used for creating, configuring, and monitoring virtual machines. You can use it to recover corrupted VHD files.

Step 1. Launch Hyper-V Manager and click "Edit Disk".

Step 2. In the left panel, click "Locate Disk". Then browse and select the corrupted VHD files or the drive, click "Next".

Step 3. Select "Compact" and "Next".

Step 4. Click "Finish" when the process is completed.

Step 5. Rename the VHD file.

Summary

Up to this point, you should be able to recover your VHD file in most situations, whether it was deleted or corrupted. If you are searching for a reliable tool to recover deleted files, MyRecover is worth recommending. It can recover CAD files, VHD files, VHDX files, Photoshop files, PDF files and over 1000 formats.

Moreover, the Professional and Technician versions of MyRecover can recover files from crashed Windows system. It also has preview feature to check whether the files are what you need before recovering them.