Resizing a Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk (VHD)
Ever run into problems with a VHD that ran out of space?? I did just yesterday, and found a couple of solutions for that problem. Here are two ways of dealing VHD size issues .
Methode 1:
Using 3rd part tool “VDH Resizer”
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Download and install VHD Resizer. |
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Open VhdResizer and point to the file you VHD you want resized.
Choose a location to put the new file, and choose a new size. The resizing process might take a while, but be patient, it will be worth the wait. When the resizing is done start a the virtual pc with the new VHD |
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Open computer management |
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Expand Storage and click on Disk Managment. |
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Note that the extra space you just created still sits as unallocated space. |
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Right click the active disk and choose Extend volume |
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Click Next |
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If you want to use the entire amount of added space just choose default settings and click Next. |
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Click Finnish |
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You will now notice that the disk now uses the entire volume. |
Methode 2:
Using Microsoft ImageX. (on Windows 7)
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Open computer management on your local computer.
Expand Storage, right click Disk Management and click on Attach VHD. Note: This is also a nice way to add and remove files from your VHD’s |
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Point to the VHD in question. |
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Notes that the VHD has now been added as a disk (in this case I:) |
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Run Deployment tools command prompt with administrative rights |
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Capture an image of the VHD:
imagex /capture I: C:\NewVHD.wim "disk1" /compress max |
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The VHD has now been captured as a WIM image. |
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From Disk Management click Create VHD |
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choose a location to put the VHD, and the size you want it to be…
Click OK |
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There will now be a new Unknown disk with the size you just choose.
Right click and click Initialize Disk |
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click OK |
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Right click the volume and choose New Simple Volume |
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Click Next |
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Choose default to use the entire volume.
Click Next |
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Choose a drive letter and click Next |
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Click Next |
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Click Finish |
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Note that there now is a new Volume with a drive letter assigned (in this case H). |
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Open Deployment Tools Command Prompt as Administrator |
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to ad the image you captured earlier to the new VHD, type
iamgex /apply C:\newVHD.wim 1 H:\ |
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After a while the image will have been applied to the VHD. |
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From Disk management, right click the VHD disk and click Detach VHD. |
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Make sure “Delete the virtual hard disk…” is NOT checked
Click OK |
There you go. Two methods of changing the size of your VHD’s
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