VMware has occupied 40 GB on my hard disk though the actual Windows size installed in VMware is 15 Gb, how to reclaim that space.

[kunalyadav]

I need one more help, I have assigned 40 GB space to my virtual machine (Windows XP) installed in VMware Fusion on MAC X 10.5.6 os. Now the disk size of Windows is 15 GB but it has occupied 40 GB on my MAC drive unnecessary. Now i want that VMware should occupy actual 15 GB on my MAC and grow in size till 40 GB when ever required. Please suggest.

[webfrasse]

The reason that you checked a checkbox when you created the VM telling VM to pre-allocate the disk space.

http://screencast.com/t/5qMxGJZx

Not sure if you can uncheck the checkbox and shrink the disk (using disk cleanup)....try.

/Mikael

[RDPetruska]

You can use the vmware-vdiskmanager utility to convert your virtual disk from a preallocated type to a growable type.

[gbullman]

What stated is true you can convert from pre-allocated to grow as needed, I have done it with one of my VMs. Just be aware that you will need up to 40 Gig of Free space to do this since it makes a copy of your current virtual disk and then moves the copy to replace the current one. Also you will find that you have to periodically defrag the virtual disk within Windows and then run the VMware Tools Shrink utility to keep the size down on your Mac's hard drive.

[webfrasse]

Not sure vmware-vdiskmanager is available on Mac OS X. Since this isVMware Fusion the platform is Mac OS X.

/Mikael

[RDPetruska]

Not sure <span class="jive-thread-reply-body-container">vmware-vdiskmanager is available on Mac OS X. Since this isVMware Fusion the platform is Mac OS X.

/Mikael

I am positive that it is, since Eric Tung ported my Windows GUI wrapper for it to the Mac!

[WoodyZ]

All that needs to be done is just uncheck the "Pre-allocate disk space" check box on the Virtual Machine Hard Disk Settings sheet just like Mikael (webfrasse) has already said.

[kunalyadav]

Thanks a lot for your help, But I checked the setting and found that Pre-allocated option is already unchecked, and still it`s occupied complete 40GB. Please find the attached pic. And kindly suggest what else can be done for the same.

[WoodyZ]

All I can tell you based on the information I have that you've provided so far and testing on my own system that unchecking the "Pre-allocate disk space" check box and then clicking the Apply button which I did not mention in my previous post because if you don't and try to move to a different settings sheet or close Settings you're prompted with "Apply Changes ?" that I have watched a pre-allocated disk shrinks to the size of the contents of the drive and I can at will change back and forth and watch the background process of creating the temporary disk to go from pre-allocated to sparse and or visa versa and it does work.

So without all relevant information I cannot offer any other suggestions.

If you want and to help figure out what is what the best way to provide comprehensive diagnostic information is to use the "Collect Support Information" command from the VMware Fusion (menu bar) &gt; Help &gt; Collect Support Information and then attach the .tgz file it created on your Desktop.

Also in addition to the .tgz file created on your Desktop I need to have a directory listing of the target Virtual Machine's Package and that can be provided following the directions under the "Get a file listing of the .vmwarevm bundle" section in .

Message was edited by: WoodyZ

Also provide a screenshot of the hard drives properties from within the Guest OS showing the specs as to total space,used space and free space.

[kunalyadav]

Thanks for your help, Please find the files attached, when I checked the package content for the VMware file ther are 20 files "Windows XP Professional-s0xx" each having 2 gb size. Please have a look to the attached file and kindly suggest what can be done.

[WoodyZ]

You did not follow the directions under the "Get a file listing of the .vmwarevm bundle" section in and I need to see the listing in the format as outputted by the Terminal command in the directions in the linked document.

[WoodyZ]

Okay according to this line in the latest vmware.log file...

Apr 21 22:45:48.468: vmx| DISKLIB-LINK : Opened '/Users/kunalyadav/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm/Windows XP Professional.vmdk' (0x1a): twoGbMaxExtentSparse, 83886080 sectors / 40 GB.

And specifically this...

twoGbMaxExtentSparse

The virtual hard drive is a Sparse disk and should have shrunk in the conversion however this may not have occurred because you only have ~5.74 GB free space left on the Macintosh HD however it was my understanding that with split-disks that you only need a little over 2GB free space because it process one segment at at time...

So my suggestion would be after making sure the User Data on the Virtual Machine is backed up off of the Virtual Machine I'd try using VMware Tools to shrink the disk.

Have a look at: VMware Fusion (menu bar) > Help > VMware Fusion Help > Creating Virtual Machines > VMware Tools > Configuring VMware Tools (Specifically at "Shrink a virtual machine's virtual disk, to reclaim unused space.".)

Note: If you have an external drive with adequate space I would also make a backup copy of the Virtual Machine Package while shutdown, not suspended, and Fusion closed before doing anything.

[kunalyadav]

Hi woody,

Thanks for you help it worked .. I tried to reply you in VMWare

discussion session but I tried to give you points ans not able to find

any option . It only ask for message + check box for question answered

or not .. Please let me know so that I can give you points while

answering ..

Thanks !

Kunal

[WoodyZ]

Hi woody, Thanks for you help it worked

Your welcome, I'm glad it worked.

.. I tried to reply you in VMWare

discussion session but I tried to give you points ans not able to find

any option . It only ask for message + check box for question answered

or not .. Please let me know so that I can give you points while

answering ..

Points can be awarded as Helpful Answer (6 points) and 2 per discussion and or Correct Answer (10 points) and 1 per discussion by clicking the appropriate button next to the reply you would like to mark as Helpful Answer or Correct Answer as shown in the attached image. Note: This is when using a browser and while logged with your VMware Account login.