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Resize Win98 partition in VMware

ddotson
ddotson asked
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I have a legacy Win98 box that I need to virtualize.  I've got it successfully P2V'd into VMware Workstation.  The problem is that it's a single hard drive with a 2gb FAT16 partition and a 14GB FAT32 partition.  I've been able to successfully convert the FAT16 to FAT32, however, I'm pulling my hair out trying to resize the partitions.  I need to resize the 2gb partition to 4gb.

I tried using a partition tool in a Win7 VM to resize.  When I boot the Win98 box I just get a blinking cursor.  How do I successfully resize these partitions?  Or, I think I successfully resize the partitions, but messed up my ability to boot.  I tried booting the 98 install CD and getting to a command prompt.   I ran FDISK /mbr.  It didn't do anything....
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VMware and Virtualization Consultant
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Commented:
Download and use GParted

https://gparted.org/

Is the BOOT partition 2GB you are trying to resize to 4GB ?
David Johnson, CDSimple Geek from the '70s
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Commented:
1. download the gparted disk that Andy mentioned above
2. In VMware increase the disk to the desired size (is C and D on the same disk?)
3. boot the vm from the gparted.iso and increase the size
ddotson

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Commented:
Yes, the boot partition is what I need to expand.  I can shrink the other partition.  It doesn’t need to be that big.

You might appreciate this...  I pulled the drive image from an IDE drive. It was in a Pentium  II 400ghz machine - the old slot based proc. What a blast from the past.  It’s been in production all of these years running a CNC machine.
ddotson

Author

Commented:
This worked.  I have a Partition Magic ISO that appears to use gparted.  I tried that initially, and it corrupted the drive.  I think I may have attempted too many steps at once.  This time I took each step and then tested to make sure I didn't blow it up.

Thank you!
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization Consultant
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Commented:
It's always worked for me, if done slowly....