changing thin disk size

[tdubb123]

I got a 2008vm that has 40gb thin. The OS has size 40gb but its only using 20gb.

In windows, I shrinked it to 30gb.

then i tried to adjust the size under edit settings to 30gb but it will not let me change it

how do I adjust the thin disk size from 40gb to 30gb?

[Sateesh_vCloud]

V2V with new C:\ drive as 30 GB

[SatyS]

Hi,

There a numerous ways to shrink thin provisioned disk.

-Storage vmotion: http://www.thelowercasew.com/reclaiming-disk-space-with-storage-vmotion-and-thin-provisioning

http://www.thelowercasew.com/reclaiming-disk-space-with-storage-vmotion-and-thin-provisioning

-Using converter: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/how-to-shrink-a-vmdk-using-vmware-converter/

-Using vmkfstools and SDelete : Shrink a thin provisioned VMDK disk - Mike Tabor

[rcporto]

The safest way to do this is doing a V2V with VMware vCenter Converter like stated above and according with VMware KB: VMware KB: Growing, thinning and shrinking virtual disks for VMware ESX and ESXi

You can found a tutorial here: How to shrink a VMDK using VMware Converter - TechRepublic

There is some alternative ways to do this, but not supported, take a look: http://www.vmwarearena.com/2013/03/shrink-virtual-machine-vmdk.html

[tdubb123]

hi how do I change the thin disk value under edit settings hard disk? Is that only possible via vmware converter?

I have a lof of vms that got resized in windows. But I need to change the thin disk limit from 40gb to 30gb but it will not let me change

[rcporto]

From VMware KB I provided on previous post:

Shrinking

• Virtual disk shrinking is supported in VMware Converter.
  
  Note: You cannot shrink virtual disks using vmkfstools in ESX 3.0.x at this time.
  
• Data should be migrated away from the end of the disk, so as to not consume the area that will effectively be removed.
• Shrink the partition residing within a disk before reducing the virtual disk's size.
• Shrinking of a thin disk can be performed only by using VMware Converter in a virtual machine and performing a virtual to virtual migration.

• Non OS disks customers can also add a new smaller VMDK to the VM and copy the data between the larger and new smaller disk using tools within the guest such as Robocopy in Windows.

• For more information, see the VMware vCenter Converter Administration Guide for your VMware product version.

Anything different this is no officially supported, but you can try at your own risk, including the way from the another link I posted: http://www.vmwarearena.com/2013/03/shrink-virtual-machine-vmdk.html

[tdubb123]

are you saying if I shrink my windows partition from 40 to 30gb, There is no way vmware can claim that 10GB back without using vmware converter?

[a_p_]

Think of it. The files on the Windows guest NTFS partition could be located anywhere. ESXi is not aware of the location, and simply cutting off a portion of the virtual disk would most likely corrupt the guest OS. VMware Converter offers an option to shrink the virtual disk by basically creating a smaller target disk and copying the guest OS data.

André