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Command to expand a disk in Vmware VI3 / esx 2.5x

vmkfstools -X 10G disk1.vmdk

will extend disk1.vmdk to 10GB

You will then need to let windows know that it can use the entire disk - if it isn't a boot or system disk then this is easy. You simply go to the command prompt run diskpart. Select the disk then the volume and run extend.

If its a system disk or got the page file. You need to either boot off of a bartpe cd and run the command or temporarily attach it as a secondary disk to another VM and run the same command.

If like me you get..

Failed to extend disk : One of the parameters supplied is invalid. (1)

This is because its a disk I imported from ESX 2.5x and needs t be converted first with vmkfstools -M disk1.vmdk

Print | posted on Friday, November 17, 2006 10:10 AM

Comments

# re: Command to expand a disk in Vmware VI3 / esx 2.5x

Hi!

It doesn't work for me :(

Posted @ 11/28/2006 1:00 PM

# re: Command to expand a disk in Vmware VI3 / esx 2.5x

What error did you get, you often have to put the full path of the .vdmk file in.

Posted @ 11/28/2006 9:43 PM

# re: Command to expand a disk in Vmware VI3 / esx 2.5x

Can I use vmkfstools in a Windows machine? I seem to have problems expanding the hard drive.

Thanks in advance,
K

Posted @ 2/14/2007 6:04 PM

# re: Command to expand a disk in Vmware VI3 / esx 2.5x

I mean the virtual Vmware hard drive.

Thanks,
K

Posted @ 2/14/2007 6:05 PM

# re: Command to expand a disk in Vmware VI3 / esx 2.5x

Hi guys, hope i can help, i have been having trouble with the same thing

i run vmware server in windows vista, and vmware-vdiskmanager.exe sounds like it is pretty much the same as vmkfstools

how?

open a cmd as administrator

"c:\Program Files\vmware\vmware server\vmware-vdiskmanager.exe" -x 8Gb "C:\Vitrual Machines\Windows XP Professional\Windows XP Professional.vmdk"

file locations and sizes will change for what you want, but this is how i did it.

I then booted to a GParted live cd (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php) to expand the hard drive so that windows sees the drive as bigger.
(if you are using windows later then 2003, it has expand functions built into its disk manager in mmc)

Seemed to work for me

Hope i helped someone

jt

Posted @ 9/13/2007 1:29 AM

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