VMware with image files

[exel]

Just a note: I have no prior VMware experience. I've started using VMware a few hours ago.

I have created a an image of a NTFS disk using the dd_rescue command. Couldn't use the dd command because of some bad sectors. I have saved the image file into a Debian Linux machine running kernel 2.6.23-rc3 running VMware.

I created a new virtual machine, and edited the .vmdk file to reference my image file by following this article.

After the .vmdk file was edited, I want to start the virtual machine and the following error occurs:

Cannot open the disk '/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines/win2k_citrix/Windows 2000 Server.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.
Reason: The file specified is not a virtual disk.

By looking at this error, it seems like it wants to do something with the .vmdk file I have edited...perhaps look at the parameters. I have included my image file inside the Extent description block.

PS: In the article above, inside the .vmdk file it has the following for the Extent description:

#Extent description

RW 35548320 FLAT “image.dd”
0

I don't have the "FLAT" parameter, I have a "SPARSE" parameter. What is the difference between those two?

Thanks in advance,