Unable to shrink my VM Hard Disk

[erotavlas]

I moved my Windows XP system disk to VMWare Fusion 5 using the following steps

- From Acronis True Image backup image of the operating system disk

- Converted to VMWare Fusion 4.x using the  VMWare conversion tool

- I then transferred the converted disk to my MacBook and opened it in VMWare Fusion 5

- VMWare Fusion upgraded it to version 5

- I have a functioning Windows XP on my MacBook

Hard disk size is about 95GB, but shows as 67GB in VMWare

I cleaned up and uninstalled a whole bunch of stuff in the VM to free up disk space.

After cleaning up, I downloaded Patrtition Maguc and resized operating system partition inside Windows XP down to about 55GB.

I now have over 30GB of unallocated space (according to Disk Management in Windows

However when I go back to VMWare to edit the settings for the Hard Disk I cannot change it below 95GB. 

It is stuck at 95GB and I cannot make it smaller.

I would really like to reclaim the space.  Can somone please offer any suggestion on how to do this?

Thanks

[WoodyZ]

A virtual hard disk can only be resized smaller before it's partitioned!

If you what a smaller sized virtual hard disk then create a right-sized disk and image the existing one to the smaller one and then swap out the larger one for the smaller one.

[erotavlas]

Is there a utility in VMWare Fusion to do this? (I could not find an option from any of the menus)

Or do I have to use a third party tool to clone... unless Windows has an option?

[WoodyZ]

In the OP you mentioned "Acronis True Image", why don't you use it.

[erotavlas]

well that version I used was the free version for western digital hard disks. I don't think it works if it doesn't detect an attached drive that is western digital.

However I think I know what I have to do now. There is the free version of Partition Magic that might ba able to do this.thanks