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curiousagain
Contributor
Contributor

Change Hard Drive capacity

Hi,

I've configured hard drive with 30 GB and would like to increase it to 50 GB.

Is there any way to change hard drive size after configuring it?

Thanks.

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weinstein5
Immortal
Immortal

Yes tiu can increase the size of a virtual disk in the VM - this done in the settings of the VM. It will depend on your O/S on how you whatt you will have to do to get the O/S to see the new space -

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curiousagain
Contributor
Contributor

when I'm trying to edit HD size the field is disabled.

how can I resize it?

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tadeuszjl
Contributor
Contributor

power down vm (remove snapshots) and run vmware-vdiskmanager on it. There is separate pdf manual for it. After resizing 'physical disk' you need to add partition, or resize partition or delete existing partition and create one. It all depends what you need and what id indtslled in vm.

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lorne1
Contributor
Contributor

Hi I have the same issue did you ever get it solved? I see the post but they do not really seem to help much. if you have specifics thanks in advance.

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timw18
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I use Converter to do this. You have to power the machine down and it makes a clone of the original and you just edit the size of the c drive and make it 50 GB. Dosn't take to long to convert the machine and you are away.

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prakashraj
Expert
Expert

Hi,

What version of vmware are you using?

http://vsphere-land.com/tips-tricks/re-sizing-virtual-disks

Prakash

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johthi
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

You can resize your Harddisk in vmware.

If you are using ESX 3.0.X. VC 2X

Step 1: Select the VM which you want to resize the HDD. then find the datastore of HDD located. (note it down the datastore path with VMDK file and ESX server name)

Step 2: Shutdown VM

Step 3: Take putty session of ESX server then go to datastore (\vmfs\volumes\datastore1\vm.vmdk)as you taken in step 1. then run this command vmkfstools -X 50G <path of the VMDK file> (50 GB is final HDD size)

Step 4: Now power On the VM then go to command line then use DISKPART command to expand your HDD

If you are using ESX 3.5.U2 VC 2.5

Step 1: Power down the VM

Step 2: go to VM edit setting and increase the size as you want

Step 3: Now power on the VM then go to command line then use DISKPART command to expand your HDD>

If you are using ESX 3.5. U4 VC 2.5 or Vsphere

You can do it while the VM is powered ON. (I am not test it out check with Vsphere PDF document)

Note: If you are try this activity first time better you can it backup of the HDD or clone of the HDD (Its always better.)

If this info is helpful to you, please mark it Correct or helpful.

Regards

John

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Tanav
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

if you have 30 gb and extending it to 50 gb. my question is will it append 20 gb with 30 gb and make it one single 50 gb hard disk(parition) or it will append 20 gb and make it 30 gb and 20 gb with two parition.

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prakashraj
Expert
Expert

Hi,

Check the attachment for clarification

Prakash

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timw18
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I only use this method when extending the size of a windows c drive from 20 GB to 50 GB which means you end up with a c drive of 50 GB. If it is any other drive then the c drive I would use VC to do it.

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Tanav
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

hi Prakash,

how do i get vdiskmanager.exe. is it by defualt installed with vmware tools.

vdiskmanager is compatible with esx 3.5 or not. you run vdiskmanager.exe with esx 3.5 or vsphere.

thanks

TANAV

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Tanav
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

hi ,

when i tried to extend the boot partition, it flash me the error that you cannot extend the volume. but when i add another hard disk of 10 gb, format it as E drive then i am able to extend the parition size by 7 gb or more than that. it means we cannot extend the root partition. can someone correct me if i am wrong.

thanks

Tanav

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prakashraj
Expert
Expert

Hi Tanav,

There is tool named "vmkfstools" available in ESX to extend drive size for VMs present in ESX3.0,3.5&4.0

Also Boot partition can be resized

Post the steps that you tried for boot partition resize

Prakash

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Tanav
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

post steps i did not tried for Boot partition. i added another disk (apart from boot) only then i was able to extend. because while extending boot parition i was getting error. let me tried with vmkfstools command.

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Tanav
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

hi Parkash,

when i tried the extend the parition with vmkfstools command it extend it to 37 gb but it kept 7 gb and 30 gb as separate parition. i need when i run command like vmkfstools or any other i need the 37 GB as one single parition but not two separate parition. but when i tried to extend the parition (other than boot parition)it gives me the one single parition 37 gb instead of two parition.

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Tanav
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

forgot to send the screenshot of above question. please find it attached,

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prakashraj
Expert
Expert

Hi Tanav,

After excuting vmkfstools for increasing drive size it will add additional partition in the same disk then you have to merge it by using third party tools or diskpart utility in windows

Refer URL for More info

http://vsphere-land.com/tips-tricks/re-sizing-virtual-disks

Prakash

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Tanav
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

i installed converter on my VM which i want to resize as per your link provided. but i dont see any vmware converter application console from there i can import the machine. how can i use vmware converter for the same. i dont see any icon on my desktop as i can see for vmware infrastructure client.

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