How to expand, shrink or do other disk operations in VMware from cmd

Mar 29, 2012 | virtual machine, Windows

In most cases to utilise your vm-disk it needs to be dynamic. So if you have preallocated space for your disk then convert it to a dynamic one.

[bash]# make the vm-disk from pre-alloc. to dynamic (-t 0 = dynam. single file)
vmware-vdiskmanager -r sourceDisk.vmdk -t 0 targetDisk.vmdk

# expand the size of a vm-disk
vmware-vdiskmanager -x 40GB myDisk.vmdk

# shrink a vm-disk
vmware-vdiskmanager -k myDisk.vmdk

#You can also rename a vm-disk once you have removed from VMware library
vmware-vdiskmanager -n myDisk.vmdk myNewDisk.vmdk[/bash]

In some cases you might not be able to shrink it, then it is best to use VMware Converter which does the job fine by selecting the partition/volume holding the system and ommit the secondary “larger” partition wich you should have previously repartitioned i.e. PartitionMagic and left only the useful part of the drive.

how to configure QEMU Manager to boot off a USB in windows

Nov 18, 2011 | virtual machine

After QEMU Manager 7.0 installation:

  1. Create a new VM from Qemu Manager
  2. Type a name for the new VM > Next
  3. Select, “do not use an image” > Next
  4. Output, “QEMU Manager Default” > Finish
  5. Then under the “Advanced tab of the new VM properties, set in Additional QEMU parameters with:
[text]-hda //./PhysicalDrive2[/text]

Note: If the USB doesn’t boot, then you may have something wrong with the MBR. Try deleting
the whole drive and reformat it (make sure the drive is partitioned as “Primary” volume,
because a “Logical” volume will not boot!