Extend partition with new unallocated space

[payneb]

Not sure if I'm posting in the correct forum, but had a question:

Using vsphere (ver 4.0.0) and I already have a VM built and being used. I have two partitions, one Boot and the other Data. I decided that I needed to up the Boot partition another 20Gig. When the server booted back up, went to Disk Management and it of course by design, showed up as unallocated. I need to extend that Boot partition using the unallocated space. What is the safest way to go about doing this?? I dont want to affect the current server to where it crashes or anything serious happens... thanks!

[marcelo_soares]

Windows will not allow you to expand the boot partition (or like they call, the system partition). If you want to do it, use VMware Converter to resize the partition. Is free and very functional.

Marcelo Soares

VMWare Certified Professional 310/410

Technical Support Engineer

Globant Argentina

Consider awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.

[rickardnobel]

Windows will not allow you to expand the boot partition (or like they call, the system partition).

The names depends actually on which partition you mean. It is quite confusing..

If there are two different partitions, one for the boot files (boot.ini, ntldr, bootmgr..) and one for the operating system ( \windows) the names are these:

Partition containing the boot files: SYSTEM partition

Partition containing the system files: BOOT partition

Logic or crazy? :smileywink: Only Microsoft has the answer.

[Leandro Nairn]

Hi, check this http://ftp.dell.com/app/ExtPart.txt

This the link to download the app. http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&releaseid=R64398&formatcnt=2&fileid=83929

I had been using this tool very times and work very well.

[sd_virtublog]

As previously suggested here, I recommend using extpart..

Here is a post I wrote a while back on it's usage:

http://virtublog.com/2009/06/18/extending-servervolumes/

[Troy_Clavell]

extpart is a great tool, but doesn't always work. If it is a W2K8 guest you can just use diskpart to extend the C: Drive online

Otherwise you can use converter as suggested or a helper VM

[apple20121314]

Actually, the question you asked has discussed for a long time, and many computer users are not very sure how to realize it perfectly, certainly the minority of computer experts included.

I am very lucky, and I got the useful information about the efficient method to work it out.

So, now, maybe after you do as I said, you will find that extend partition is not difficult any longer.

Go and see the website I linked.

[ArunNukala]

Here are the couple of steps you can try.

1. Power off the virtual machine , and remove the .vmdk file ( what you wanna increase from the virtual machine , dont delete remove it )

2. Select any other virtual machine and then go to edit settings and then add a new harddrive , when it asks to create a new one , or use an existing one , point to to the one which we want to increase.

3. Then since it would not be a primary partition on the new virtual machine you can use a diskpart utility to increase the size or merge the unallocated space , then unpresent the harddrive from the virtual machine and add it to the original one with an extended space.

Simple to follow and easy to do.....

[SureshChandrase]

You can either use diskpart or thirdparty utilities like Acronis disk director server to extend the unallocated space

[ArunNukala]

The above process is a safest one , being a production machine and.. converter is one of the other , if he has enough space.. in the datastore.