WS 16 Player - how to split monolithic vmdk in Linux?

[Kris3]

Mint 21 Cinnamon current
winver: 21H1 19043.1889(needs a couple updates)(edit: now updated to 21H2 19044.1889)
VMWARE: 16.2.4 build-20089737 (supposedly current) (single vmdk says 16.6GB)

This concern started because my win10 in VMware apparently took an update, even though I had WUMgr (but I had forgotten to check the box for "don't use WU".). So I checked that box and rebooted and checked again and WUMgr says I have a 04-2022 updte available which I figure I should take but first powered win10 off so I could (in VMWARE) defrag and compact the space. Oddly, defrag said it didn't have enough space to defrag even though there was showing about 22GB used and 16GB free. So duh! So I booted back to win and using properties/clean, cleaned it including system files though this was only a gain of about 600MB - 300MB from temp and 300MB from update.
Powered win off.

VMWARE defrag still said not enough space. Compacted again and now defrag was okay and defragged it.
Confused!
So booted win again, grabbed defraggler and defragged C. after defrag (about same as before) C shows 22.5GB used. 22GB free.
Then power win off so i can compact vmware stuff....

VMware hard disk = 45GB, again defrag says not enough space, so compact, then defrag went okay. says current size 14GB, system free 20.6GB

Wondering: what is normal care and feeding of VMWARE and win in VMWARE?
Thanks!

EDIT: OH, I wonder if it is having problems because I chose single vmdk segment on this build???

[wila]

Hi,

Yes this was because you used the single file vmdk layout instead of the recommended/advised split disk format.

--
Wil

[Kris3]

Thanks. - Definite partial solution!!!

Any way to split that?(without destroying the win10 machine I have on it?)

found this for windows but nothing for Linux. https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2006898

[Kris3]

Can I get some help on this?

Thanks!!!

[wila · Accepted solution]

Hi,

We're all volunteers here, users helping other users, not employees, so sometimes we're just busy, or just don't have a proper answer.

In this case, it is both. You're using Workstation Player.
Player does not come with a user interface to change the disk composition.

There's a program to change the disk as is outlined in the KB article you linked. The vmware-vdiskmanager one. It also exists on Linux. Sadly though, it is not included with Player either.

So you have basically two options.
1. Find a download for vmware-vdiskmanager somewhere.
2. Install VMware Workstation and use that to change the disk.

I highly recommend 2) as it is much easier than trying to locate a proper version of vmware-vdiskmanager. Most downloads I've seen are from old versions. While the old version might work, there is a risk it will corrupt disks from a newer version than what it was designed to work with.

VMware Workstation itself also comes with a copy of Workstation Player, so you can continue to use that once the license expires.

edit:

For completion sake, here's a link to the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit which should have a recent copy of the vmware-vdiskmanager program. (not tested myself for this version, but it used to come with that app included)
https://developer.vmware.com/web/sdk/7.0/vddk

--
Wil

[Kris3]

THANKS!