Shrink Windows 2003 VM?

[cwhitmore]

I created a Windows 2003 vm with a 250GB disk size. I'd like to resize it to 100GB. I can use gparted to resize Windows 2003, but how do I resize the vm?

(This is running on ESXi 3.5)

[Chamon]

I would recommend using VMware converter. I think that is your best option. That will do it all for you and you can download the stand alone free. Other wise connect to your ESXi with your VIC and right click the VM then select edit settings and select the drive you wish to resize. You should be able change the size here. Unless I am thinking of VC and the converter plug in. Take a look and see what your options in the edit settings are. But converter is the best way to go.

[cwhitmore]

If I use converter will I still need to use gparted or some other Windows partition tool?

[Chamon]

No it will take care of it for you.

[khughes]

Unless they changed something that I'm not aware of you can go up, but not down in the VM settings. You are right that converter will be the best route to go though. What I would do is backup your VM, run converter and resize the drive(s) to the correct sizing and then test it to make sure everything works properly. You wont have to use any other tools as the OS will see the new hard drive of 'X' GB. Good rule of thumb whenever you p2v or build out new VM's, always start with what you know you need, it is a lot easier to expand / add hardware (vCpu's / RAM) than it is to take it back.

• Kyle

[RolandK]

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[Chamon]

In VC 2.5 and the converter plug in I thought that you can resize up and down. It is just VC and converter in one GUI instead of two right? It should show you the minimum size you can shrink to. That is why I am unsure what they will see. I don't know if they have VC and the converter plug-in or not. Or am I mistaken?

[JWilliams1]

I use Vizioncore voptimizer pro. Make it whatever you want or even schedule it to resize and align the disk. only problem so far is that is doesnt support 2008 yet.

www.vizioncore.com

[cwhitmore]

Will Converter work with Windows 2008?

[Chamon]

Following info found here http://www.vmware.com/support/converter/doc/releasenotes_conv40.html#platf

Supported Guest Operating Systems

Converter Standalone 4.0 supports the following guest operating systems:

• Windows 2000 SP4

• Windows XP Professional (32 bit and 64 bit)

• Windows 2003 (32 bit and 64 bit)

• Windows Vista (32 bit and 64 bit)

• Windows Server 2008 (32 bit and 64 bit)

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 (32 bit)

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0 (32 bit and 64 bit)

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 (32 bit and 64 bit)

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 (32 bit and 64 bit)

• Red Hat Linux Advanced Server 2.1 (32 bit)

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 (32 bit and 64 bit)

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 (32 bit and 64 bit)

• Ubuntu 5.x

• Ubuntu 6.x

• Ubuntu 7.x (32 bit and 64 bit)

CAUTION: During cloning of powered-on Linux machines, Converter Standalone 4.0 preserves the following source file systems on the target: ext2, ext3, reiserfs, and vfat. All other source file systems are converted into ext3 file systems on the target virtual machine.

[cwhitmore]

Not sure that list is correct. I just shrunk a Windows 2008 data disk from 200GB to 100GB and it destroyed it using converter 4.0

[Chamon]

Look at the link. It is from the release notes from vmware

On Jun 6, 2009, at 9:34 PM, cwhitmore <communities-emailer@vmware.com

[Chamon]

What happened to the vmdk?

On Jun 6, 2009, at 9:34 PM, cwhitmore <communities-emailer@vmware.com

[cwhitmore]

Not sure. When I booted Windows 2008 vm it told me that the drive needed to be formatted. I'll try shrink from within Windows 2008 and see what happens.

[cwhitmore]

With regard to Windows 2008 it looks like there was either a pagefile or snapshot on my data drive. I've trying to fix that now so I can shrink it. Even within Windows 2008 the data drive will only let me shrink the 200GB drive to 150GB.

[AlbertWT]

I think it is because of the SCSI controller that is changed during the V2V conversion with the purpose of resizing the new hard disk ?

Kind Regards,

AWT