Question

How do I change the size of the thin VM disk. I tried edit settings and it didn't work.

Asked by: fsboreal

ESXi 4.0. I have "template" win2k3 machines that I created as thin disks using ESXi 4.0. I then saved those machines off onto another file windows files system. Usually what I do is either use fastSCP to transfer the whole machine over to another machine or I use VMware converter to create a machine on another host.

So the "new" VM is on the new host and say it's really 5 gig. When I start the VM up the OS says that there is only 5 gig. Fine. What I want to do is change the provisioned size to something larger like 20 gig.

When I go to edit settings on the host and change the "Hard disk 1" settings it says it has changed the size on the host but when I start up the VM, the OS says taht it is still only 5 gig. It isn't acting as if I changed it.

So how do I make the OS "see" that it has a bigger disk?

Thanks

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Asked On
2009-11-06 at 08:01:52ID24878258
Tags

ESXi 4.0

,

thin provisioned

,

VMWare

,

disk size

Topics

Virtualization

,

VMware

Participating Experts
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Comments
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Answers

 

by: Raheem05Posted on 2009-11-06 at 08:04:07ID: 25760293

if you go to computer management do you see another partition? You can then use diskpart to extend the logical volume

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415

 

by: fsborealPosted on 2009-11-06 at 09:21:54ID: 25761059

Yes I do see the new partition. I will try diskpart to see if it works completely. Thanks.

 

by: Raheem05Posted on 2009-11-06 at 09:26:17ID: 25761091

No problem you can also use Vmware convertor

http://4sysops.com/archives/resize-a-virtual-disk-with-vmware-converter/

Let us know if you get stuck

 

by: fsborealPosted on 2009-11-06 at 12:45:40ID: 25762881

Diskpart won't let me resize the partition. Not sure why.

Hmmm. And the convertor doesn't let me "remake" a thin VM.

 

by: Raheem05Posted on 2009-11-06 at 13:11:22ID: 25763092

Take a look at this step by step any problems let me know

http://vsphere-land.com/tips-tricks/re-sizing-virtual-disks

 

by: paulsolovPosted on 2009-11-06 at 14:26:21ID: 25763622

you can not use diskpart for a system partition.  

If you want to make this easy, use vConverter point to the VM you already have and use the same location as the destination.  As part of the vConverter process you can resize the drives

 

by: Raheem05Posted on 2009-11-06 at 14:28:59ID: 25763637

Sorry I just read your post again paulsolov is right I did not realise it was the active partition you can not use diskpart to extend the active partition you will have to use Vmware Convertor as described above

 

by: paulsolovPosted on 2009-11-06 at 14:38:25ID: 25763699

The nice thing about running Vista/Win7/Win2008 is that you can shrink and expand the OS volume on the fly as long as you are running a single partition or have space at the end.

 

by: fsborealPosted on 2009-11-11 at 10:07:09ID: 25797338

Looks like I'm trying to do things like you might be able to do with vmotion. I suppose you just can't do what I want to do with the free versions. I want to be able to store a thin version on another machine for backup and you just can't.

The workaround I found is this:

1. Create a thick VM with the minimum amount of space needed.
2. Install everything you need on the OS and then save the files off to another location.
3. Then create whatever thick machine you need using converter with whatever space you need.
4. If you need it to be thin, then run the command line stuff to clone the virtual disk as a thin, like: vmkfstools -i win2k3ent-test.vmdk newwin2k3ent-test.vmdk -d thin (then attach the new disk to the VM.

 

by: Raheem05Posted on 2010-02-14 at 10:09:51ID: 26566823

Fsboreal,

Just following up where are you with this?

 

by: orneredPosted on 2010-10-27 at 22:54:46ID: 34008029

I resize my vmdiscs this way
1.      Defrag the disk and then power off the VM
2.      Edit the Settings for the VM (select the VM in the VI client and choose Edit Settings from the Summary tab, or right click menu lets you edit the settings too)
3.      Select the virtual disk you want to increase/decrease. A new field will be added under Capacity called New Size,
4.      Enter a new value that is larger/smaller then the current value.
5.      Configure the VM to boot from the GParted LiveCD or the partition tool CD of your choice.
(I use the "systemrescue 1.2.3" cd)
6.      Expand/decrease the VM’s disk partition
7.      Reboot the VM to it’s normal OS - if it’s a Winodws VM you will have to wait for a chkdsk to finish and another reboot and one reboot in widows after that.
I hope it was some help:)

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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