Extend partition of a VM c:\ partition

[Wajeeh]

Dear Experts,

We recently installed a product of HP operation manager for windows on a virtual machine having 4vCPU, 4GB Mem and 50GB HDD as C:\ partition. The storage is not local but a SAN. So the datastore is on SAN defined of 250GB and in this data store other virtual machines also exists.

We came to know now that this given space of 50GB is not enough for this product, and we want to extend the size say from 50GB to 80GB. This is the partition where OS is running and it is Win 2008 R2 x64 bit. I am new in this area and need to know if possible to extend the C:\ partition and how, is it possible when the VM is live ON OR shutdown is required? what ever is the case Live extension OR shutdown, let me know the steps to follow on this. Also once the partition is extended how to make Windows see that new space and join it to existing 50GB c:\. What steps needed in Windows after VM settings are edited.

I look forward for support.

Kind Regards,

[beckham007fifa]

Yes Sir, you are absolutely correct but I was looking for extending it without going for any conversion.

[rickardnobel]

beckham007fifa wrote:

Yes Sir, you are absolutely correct but I was looking for extending it without going for any conversion.

Are you saying that with a default installation of Windows 2008 (with some 100 MB partition first on the disk) you could not extend C: after having extended the virtual disk through vSphere?

[vGuy]

not sure if you have already tried this but as per my understanding Windows will look for to the next contigous space for the extension. So once you extend the virtual disk you may perhaps be able to extend the system partition using diskmgmt.msc or diskpart.exe..

[rickardnobel]

beckham007fifa wrote:

how to do if we have a recovery partition installed on the disk. As it get installed default with win2k8 installations?

any way to do it??

I just did a quick verify with a Windows 2008 R2, there was no problems at all extending C: while having the small 100 MB default partition first on the disk.

[beckham007fifa]

does it need a restart before extending, I have recovery partition of 300 MB which is hidden with setautofailover. I have extended it somehow, drive will extend but blue screen on the very first restart. So, I considered myself as not a right way to do. Please tell me if I am wrong.

step:

1. Edit settings, increase the size of the disks

2. login to the server, go to disk management, refresh it and extend it.

[rickardnobel]

beckham007fifa wrote:

does it need a restart before extending, I have recovery partition of 300 MB which is hidden with setautofailover. I have extended it somehow, drive will extend but blue screen on the very first restart.

So you have some installation done with Windows PE and some non-default partition of 300 MB - and this is the partition you have extended?

On a typical install there is a 100 MB hidden partition which should not be touched or extended. The actions are simple as extend the vmdk file, do a rescan in Windows Disk Management, right click the larger C: and select extend. No reboot is needed.

[beckham007fifa]

ok, i will try with a new machine and let you know the result. I am confident now as you said it will work, here we have some customized system partion and I was facing issue with it and we have all images with such partiton only.:smileycry: