Expanding a logical drive of a virtual server

[SupperMonkey]

Hi,

Can anyone tell how to expand my virtual servers logical drive c:

This server is attached to a ESXi 3.5 host.

The reason behind increasing my disk space is because when it was originally created it was only build with 10Gb and i'm currently running out of disk space.

Thanks in advance.

[AntonVZhbankov]

Check if your VM has snapshots. Delete all snapshots (commit changes).

Edit VM settings and set desired size for virtual hard disk.

Use Dell ExtPart utility to dynamically expand c: partition in guest Windows.

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VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[SupperMonkey]

Hi Anton,

Unfortunately, there are no snapshots to delete and Dell's extpart util is not installed on this virtual server.

With regards to editing the VM setting to increase space, wont this destroy the data on the disk?

Cheers

[johthi]

Before doing increase your VM hard drive. Please follow these below steps

1. Check the ESX/ESXi 3.5 U2 and VC version is 2.5 or greater

2. Take the backup of your C: drive. ( incase of any critical we can restore the data) once you expert increase the HDD you dont do this step in feature

3. Increase the VM size through VM edit setting -> hard drive.

4. Use this tool DISKPART to expand your drive.

(For best practise of increase the C drive. you can connect/add this Hard drive(vmdk file) to another VM then expand it. again you reconnect his Hard drive (vmdk file) to your source VM).

If this information is usefull for you, please make it CORRECT or HELPFUL. Thanks

[AntonVZhbankov · Accepted solution]

Fortunately there are no snapshots, so just proceed.

No, increasing disk space won't destroy your data.

http://ftp.us.dell.com/app/ExtPart.exe - 36kB

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VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[SupperMonkey]

Thanks guys..

The disk has been increased and all is working fine.;)

[johthi]

Cheers!!!!