Increase the size of a c:\ system boot disk in Vmware ESXi4.1

Basically YOU NEED TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE VIRTUAL DISK IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THEN RESIZE THE C DRIVE PARTION. TAKE A LOOK AT ARTICLES:

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-7471
http://www.extend-partition.com/resource/vmware-increase-disk-size.html
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1004047

See if these provide the easiest way.

The easiest way with a wizard, and completes the operation.I would recommend and use VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0

and if you do use VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0, and you want to make your transfers 60% faster checkout my EE article here

HOW TO: Improve the transfer rate of a Physical to Virtual (P2V), Virtual to Virtual Conversion (V2V) using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0

Download VMware vCenter Converter 5.0 here
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0 Documentation
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0 User Guide


If you have issues, you may want to consult the following articles and guides

Read fellow Expert Bestway's article.

Best Practice Video Guide here


Some Videos I've develeoped for Experts Exchange

A Tutorial video by me:- Restore a Virtual Machine using the FREE VMware vCenter Converter to VMware vSphere 4.x, 5.0 ESXi 4.x, ESXi 5.0, ESX 4.0

A Tutorial video by me:- Backup VMware vSphere 4.x, 5.0 ESXi 4.x, ESXi 5.0, ESX 4.0 for FREE using VMware vCenter Converter

A Tutorial video by me:- VMware vCenter Converter Standalone Process at work

A Tutorial video by me:- VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0 Convert monolithic sparse to monolithic flat for use with VMware vSphere 4.x 5.0 ESXi 4.x 5.0

some other methods

How to Resize a Partition after Disk Expansion

To re-size a disk, select the Virtual Machine, Select Edit Settings, Highlight the Virtual Hard Disk, and select Edit
there is an option to increase size. This only changes the physical size of the virtual disk, it does not grow the partition on the disk. See below.


Before making any changes to the partition structure of the disk, ensure you have a full backup, not a snapshot.

1. Resize partition with Gparted Live CDROM

i. Download Gparted Live CDROM (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php).

ii. Upload the cdrom iso to the vSphere ESX/ESXi datastore.

iii. Mount the cdrom or iso on the virtual machine.

iv. Shutdown and restart the virtual machine booting from the cdrom.


v. Select Resize partition.

Here is a Tutorial Walkthorugh of how to resize a partition with a GParted Live CDROM

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/larry/resize/resizing.htm

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-gparted-to-resize-your-windows-vista-partition/


2. Using DISKPART.exe

(the system disk cannot be re-sized within the virtual machine, but other disks can be resized, eg. D: E: etc

i. Shutdown the virtual machine.
ii. Remove disks from virtual machine (but do not delete them).
iii. Add the disks to another virtual machine.
iv. Start up virtual machine.
v. Use Diskpart in the OS to extend disks.

see here for details on Diskpart usage

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325590

3.Use VMware Converter Standalone to complete a V2V (virtual to virtual conversion).
there is an option to increase or decrease the size of target disks on the desintation at conversion.

Download VMware vCenter Converter here

http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/datacenter_downloads/vmware_vcenter_converter_standalone/4_0

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.x Documentation

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/converter_pubs.html

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.3 User Guide

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/convsa_43_guide.pdf

For the conversion steps, read fellow Expert Bestway's article.

https://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/VMWare/A_3639-VMware-vConverter-P2V-for-Windows-Servers.html

Best Practice Video Guide here

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1004588

Also the VMware KB here

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004071

Thks to all,

Reading your answer, it is not possible to resize a system drive with Diskpart, corret?.
I would like to avoid using any third party tools.
If I shutdown the server then from an other server, create a disk drive and attached the .vdmk I want to extend. then reattach the extended .vdmk to the first server. Does it make it?

You can use extpart but that will not work if there is no free space after c: