The file system where disk resides is full

[KaL4]

Hi everyone,

     From past couple of days, im getting this error -

" The operation on the file D:\ECC 6 VM Ware\Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition.vmdk  failed (There is not enough space on the disk).

The file system where D:\ECC 6 VM Ware\Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition.vmdk resides is full.

Retry to attempt operation.

Cancel to end the session. "

I've attached a few screenshots where you could observe that the HDD has about 19GB free space before starting VMware.

And an Hour later it is 0bytes.

At this point of time i get the previously mentioned Error and have no other option but to End the Session.

After ending the session, i have to restart my system in order to restore the 😧 drive with its 19gb of free space!

Hoping that someone could guide me with a Solution.

p.s: i've also attached the Log file just in case.

Thanking you'll in advance,

Kaly

[a_p_]

The error message is certainly an expected one. To find out what's using up the 19GB you'll may use e.g. TreeSize. Anyway, the proper way to resolve this issue is definitely to free up disk space.

André

[WoodyZ]

Per your reply (Re: .vmx is not a valid virtual machine configuration file), no I do not know what's causing this issue and it has nothing to do with the .vmx configuration file I provided you.  However the first thing you need to do is ascertain what is eating up the disk space and the fact that a reboot of the Host frees the used space up it should make it easier to ascertain.  I would use tools like Process Monitor and WinDirStat to find what's consuming the space and with that information go from there.

[mfelker]

What is the size of the virtual hard disk itself?  Go into the VM settings (without trying to start the VM).  If the disk  is larger than 19 GB (a distinct possibility for a server) you may just want to move it to removable disk and move it back when you've cleanit 😧  Look for a swap file or hibernation file. ( Windows may be warning of low disk space - is this the case??

Also it looks like you've confused two threads you started.  This causes great confusion for anyone replying.

[WoodyZ]

Martin Felker wrote: Also it looks like you've confused two threads you started.  This causes great confusion for anyone replying.

The only one greatly confused here is you!  All KaL4 did in a thread he originally started and was resolved in Jan was to ask me if the .vmx configuration file I provided him was the cause of the current issue, which of course it's not, and then asked me why I though the error (of this thread) was being caused.  It certainly made more sense to provide the answer here.  I referenced the original thread since André had already provided an adequate simliar answer and I didn't want it to look like I was just butting in.

The bottom line is since the space is reclaimed upon Host reboot Ka4L needs to ascertain what explicitly and specifically is consuming that space and once that is known it can be properly dealt with.  He has already been told by André and I what utilities can aid in uncovering that!

[mfelker]

Twas a the link in your reply that confused me.  To me including that muddied the water -  that confused me.  Take out the the link then your reply to the poster may or may not be useful.  Determing the  virtual hard disk size may be useful -  espcially since his host disk space  is very low.  Operations on  the VM may be degraded . The red bar indicates the problem.  If yo are interested in what the red says  bar

http://superuser.com/questions/234332/what-is-the-drive-level-low-space-warning-threshold-for-window... 

You have to cut and paste this so as not to follow up on on even more diverence  from this querstion.

As has been normal I did not reply to you or your  post but to the OP.

Per your reply (Re: .vmx is not a valid virtual machine configuration file), no I do not know what's causing this issue and it has nothing to do with the .vmx configuration file I provided you.

[KaL4]

Firstly, there is nothing to be confused about this post...its plain and simple.

Secondly, WoodyZ, i apologize for the linkup between the problems..it was out of mere frustration.

Aneways, coming to the point, i've tried this tool called TREESIZE but in vain.

Even these tools don't ascertain anything.

At this point of time, VMware had already consumed about 17GB of space -

Finally, after Rebooting....voila

[a_p_]

According to the screen shot you have NTFS compression enabled for this volume!? I'm not sure whether and how this is what's causing the issue, but certainly something that shouldn't be done for large files like .vmdk files.

André

[mfelker]

No Andre.  The red bar on the 😧 indicates the drive splace is low - just Googled it.  I don't think it would matter if the drive was compressed - it can still run out of space of  course.

To the OP - if you added stuff to the Windows Serve when the VM did start at some point it could be larger than 19GB  when you installed it ou probably needed to tell the Windowsinstaller  that the disk was over a 100GB - but that is virutal. - we don't know but since you haver a screen capture program please snap the VMware virtual HD screen. And upload it.

[a_p_]

@mfelker

If "No", how do you explain "Compr.: 9%" in the first screen shot, which equals approximately the free disk space after the restart?

André

[mfelker]

Hi Andre.  I was referring to the red bar denoting the disk space  availabe  on the 😧 drive  I don't compress drives the performance hit is not worth it. (these days you don't generally need more disk space as TB drives are common)  However the OP  has obviously deleted  several screenshots (assuming  he took them) that is 2 and 3.   The free  space on  what he calls "New Volumle" <I'd  have labeled it  different than the disk manager default - like Virtual  Machines or even  Windows Server 2003 VM>.  Whether the drive was  compssed or not  after it filled up (an attempt which will fail with the  9% free he has -  same error - not enough space) ) it would still show Red - he has not  not said whther or not  he got the Windows Low-Disk warniong.  It  appears s you can turn off that  warning by  editing   the registry (or  perhaps a third party progam  might do it for you) but I serioulsy doubt  he did this.

Anyway ther is no point in contiuing the  thread until he replies to you, me or more fully to WoodyZ (I don't  think he learned all about Treesize in a few minutes let alone the other programs  mentioned

Guess we will just have to wait.

[MarAndreas]

Old-ish article, but applicable:

Understanding NTFS Compression

Note the part where NTFS reserves extra space on the disk when a compressed CU is accessed - I suspect that's what's going on here.