I do something similar 1. Shut down VM 2. Use putty to ssh into ESX server - use vmkfstools to extend the vmdk file 3. Attach the vmdk to a *different* VM. 4. RDP to second VM and use diskpart to extend the partition. 5. Shutdown second VM, move vmdk back to original VM.
-----Original Message----- From: Damien Solodow [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 9:40 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: VMWare ESX -- Extending a VM's C: drive Seems rather more convoluted then strictly necessary. What I've done is shutdown the guest to be resized, and ssh to the esx server to resize the disk with vmkfstools. Then to resize the partition, what you want is the gtparted livecd. Download that, and set it as the cd for the guest. Then boot the guest and make it boot from the cd. Then use gtparted to resize the partition. Remove the iso from the guest, and reboot it. That first bootup it will run chkdsk, so don't freak. Windows will probably want another restart thinking it found new hardware, so go ahead and let it. Rejoice. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of jond Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 9:34 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: VMWare ESX -- Extending a VM's C: drive Has anyone here resided the C: drive on a server running inside VMWare ESX? Any advise or words of wisdom? Any methods better than the others? *Note, this isn't a mission critical server. The ESX host box is mission critical, but the server in question is not. That's the only reason I'm considering this. This is the method I'm considering: * Shutdown the virtual machine you want to resize * Log into the ESX Server console via Putty * Type "vmkfstools -X /vmfs/volumes///" ie. /vmfs/volumes/Storage1/my_vm.vmdk New disk size can be specified in kilo, mega or gigabytes and will be the total size of the new disk. So if you want to increase a virtual disk from 20GB to 24GB you would specify either 24000m or 24g * Shutdown the second helper virtual machine * Edit the settings of the second VM and add the hard disk from the first VM * Power on the second VM and load the Disk Management snap-in and verify that the disk from the first VM has un-allocated space on it * Select Start, Run and enter diskpart.exe * The command 'list volume' will show you all volumes. * Select your volume based on the results of the list volume command, ie. 'select volume 1' o Type the command 'extend' to extend the volume * Check the Disk Management snap-in again and the volume should be extended with a larger capacity * Shutdown the second VM and remove (not delete) the disk from it * Power on your first VM and the new space should be there and ready to use Advise? Thanks, Jon ~ Upgrade to Next Generation Antispam/Antivirus with Ninja! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbelt-software.com/SunbeltMessagingNinja.cfm> ~ ~ Upgrade to Next Generation Antispam/Antivirus with Ninja! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbelt-software.com/SunbeltMessagingNinja.cfm> ~ ~ Upgrade to Next Generation Antispam/Antivirus with Ninja! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbelt-software.com/SunbeltMessagingNinja.cfm> ~
