Resizing system disk with diskpart

[hutchingsp]

I have a 2003 R2 x64 server running on ESX 3.5 U4, and the system/boot VMDK is filling up.

Am I right in thinking it should be a case of switch off the VM, increase the VMDK size under the VM properties, attach the VM to a different VM as a second disk, boot that VM, and use diskpart as I normally would on the (now second volume) boot volume?

Cheers!

[Troy_Clavell]

yes, that will work as well.

.....but you can use ExtPart and so it live.

[vmroyale]

Hello.

That is correct, but you might also want to check out Dell's extpart utility that can extend the C: drive real-time.

Good Luck!

[sbeaver]

Yes those are the steps you will need to follow to expand that disk

Steve Beaver

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[JDLangdon]

While I have never worked with x64 versions of Windows, this is the procedure that I follow with the 32-bit version.

The nice thing about working with VM's is that you can always clone the existing VM, make the modifications, and then test. If the modifications fail, just revert back to the clone copy and trash the original.

________________________________

Jason D. Langdon

[hutchingsp]

With extpart on a test server I just get an error "Unable to connect to C" when using that as the drive letter?

I'm happy downing the VM if it's the safer option.

[Troy_Clavell · Accepted solution]

i've had some issues with extpart on our blade enviornment, but we haven't been able to figure out why it can't find the C drive

if you are increasing the size from say 30GB to 32GB, the command should look something like

>extpart c: 2048

Does diskmanager see the unallocated space? If extpart is not working, then yes your alternative method will work just fine.

[hutchingsp]

Thanks Troy (and others). Not sure why but it worked on the VM I wanted it to - quite neat though I'm sure I shall be crossing my fingers next time I reboot it

[Scissor]

I use GParted to accomplish this.

There is a bootable ISO available from the website here: http://gparted.sourceforge.net/