Deploying VM from vmdk / vmx file

Are you using the vSphere client? If so, your key is to use the .vmx file.

Generically (without details on versions, etc.), this is accomplished by browsing the datastore, navigating to the VM's folder, right-clicking the relevant .vmx file and Adding the VM to your inventory.

From there, you should have a VM available in your datacenter (or host) inventory. That's when you'd be able to power on the virtual machine.

Edit:

If the .vmx is no good, you can create a NEW virtual machine...

• Select "Custom".
• Configure with the requisite specifications.
• When you get to the "Select a Disk" portion, choose "Use an existing virtual disk".
• This will open a dialog where you can browse to the .VMDK file.
• Complete the setup.
• Profit.

To add a .vmdk virtual disk to the VMware machine, please do the following:

Open your VMware virtual machine and make sure it is powered off; Choose VM -> Settings; On the Hardware tab, click Add to start the Add Hardware wizard, select Hard Disk and click Next. On the Select a Disk page, select Use an existing virtual disk and click Next. On the Select an Existing Disk page, enter the path name and filename for the existing disk file, or browse to the file and click OK. (!) Even if the converted virtual disk consists of several .vmdk files, you will need to pick only one .vmdk file at the last page of the wizard. This will add the whole virtual disk.

If wanna create the vm via vmdk file, you should change your vmdk file.

vmkfstools -i source.vmdk -d thin target.vmdk

Then it will generate two file(target.vmdk and target-flat.vmdk). You should use target.vmdk to create the vm.

create vm via vmdk