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GoforIT70
Contributor
Contributor

VMware workstation 7 disk usage problem

Hi,

I have a problem with my DELL M4300 running VMWare workstation 7. For an quick restart of my virtual xp I usally suspend the vm after use. Then after I quit the VMware workstation application my disk works constantly for up to 5 minutes. The computer hangs during this period of time. What causes this prolem and how can I solve it??

O

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AWo
Immortal
Immortal

When does the disk work constantly? While the XP shutdown Windows is still there or after the guest has been shutdown?

Exclude the .vmdk file of the guest from the virus scanner.

Check if the guest have enough RAM for all applications or is it forced to swap a lot.

How is you shutdown configured in the guest. Are there some "clean-my-marks" functions enabled, like delete the swap file during shutdown.

Firefoy and Notes also take a nice amount of time to quit. You don't see the application anymore but when you open the task manager they are still there. You can see a permanent decrease of used memory for their process and during that time the disk works.


AWo

VCP 3 & 4

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GoforIT70
Contributor
Contributor

As long as the VM is running everythink is ok. Performance is ok. When I finish working on the VM I simply press the Suspend button. The VM quits ok (after a few seconds)

The problems happens after I quit the VMWare workstation application. After some seconds the disk start to spin and keep spinning for several minutes

Since the VM runs OK, I do not think it should be any memory problems. The guest is setup with 2.5Gb of ram. And I am running some Siemens applications on it.

I'm not sure what you mean with "clean-my-marks". As far as I know the VM is setup with no specialitys.

The whole directory of VM's is already excluded form Avast antivirus

O

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a_p_
Leadership
Leadership

Just a guess.

Download filemon from SysInternals/Microsoft and set a filter to monitor file activity in the VM's folder.

If it is a VMware issue, then you should see it in filemon. Maybe the suspend action keeps the system state in memory until you shut down VMware Workstation (for a faster resume) and then writes the system state to the vmss file.

André

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AWo
Immortal
Immortal

GER 4:1 ENG

I'm not sure what you mean with "clean-my-marks". As far as I know the VM is setup with no specialitys.

There are registry switches which clean up some things (GER 4:1 ENG) when you shut down a host, for example delete the swap file.

GER 4:1 ENG


AWo

VCP 3 & 4

\[:o]===\[o:]

=Would you like to have this posting as a ringtone on your cell phone?=

=Send "Posting" to 911 for only $999999,99!=

vExpert 2009/10/11 [:o]===[o:] [: ]o=o[ :] = Save forests! rent firewood! =
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a_p_
Leadership
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... I usally suspend the vm after use

Just to make sure, I understand this correctly. What do you suspend? Windows XP itself on the OS level or the VM on the VMware level?

André

@AWo: In addition to the 4:1 --> Vettel (GER) #1, Hamilton (ENG) #2 Smiley Wink

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AWo
Immortal
Immortal

@AWo: In addition to the 4:1 --> Vettel (GER) #1, Hamilton (ENG) #2 Smiley Wink

Today? GOOD DAY!


AWo

VCP 3 & 4

\[:o]===\[o:]

=Would you like to have this posting as a ringtone on your cell phone?=

=Send "Posting" to 911 for only $999999,99!=

vExpert 2009/10/11 [:o]===[o:] [: ]o=o[ :] = Save forests! rent firewood! =
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GoforIT70
Contributor
Contributor

Ok,

The problems start some seconds after I suspend the virtual machine. I also

put the host into hibernate, but always after the disk stops spinning.

o

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a_p_
Leadership
Leadership

For me to clarify. You suspend the VM using the suspend functionality of VMware Workstation?

How much memory did you configure for the VM?

VMware will write the complete memory + some other data to a file with the extension vmss (Virtual Machine Suspend State). Depending on the amount of memory given to the VM, a clean shutdown/boot could be faster than a suspend/resume.

André

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AWo
Immortal
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That sounds normal to me. I face very often such a behaviour with XP. When several applications are closed (or a few one allocating a lot of memory) my Xp takes some time with heavy disk activity. I never investigated it, but my assumption is that XP may swap back what was swapped out due to too less memory.

When your guest and VMware Workstation leaves the game and memory becomes free XP might shift some things back from the swap area.

As suggested by a.p. install the sysinternal file activity monitor and check the activity. You may also want to check with the task manager if there's a process wich has occupied a lot or RAM is giving that back.


AWo

VCP 3 & 4

\[:o]===\[o:]

=Would you like to have this posting as a ringtone on your cell phone?=

=Send "Posting" to 911 for only $999999,99!=

vExpert 2009/10/11 [:o]===[o:] [: ]o=o[ :] = Save forests! rent firewood! =
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