Hard drive isn't big enough

Apr 27, 2006, 08:32 PM #1
engrProf Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 34	Hard drive isn't big enough I have very little space left on my C: drive. It is an expandable drive, but the limit is only 4096 MB, which was swallowed up pretty quickly when I installed a few applications. I guess I created it with that limit, although I don't recall setting such a low limit (maybe I just accepted a default without realizing it). I really need more space on my C: drive. The documentation says I can do this using the Imaging Tool, but that's not implemented yet. It would be a huge time sink to have to create a new virtual machine and re-install all the software I've installed on this one. When will I be able to expand the size of my C: drive?

Apr 27, 2006, 08:32 PM

engrProf
Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 34

Hard drive isn't big enough

I have very little space left on my C: drive. It is an expandable drive, but the limit is only 4096 MB, which was swallowed up pretty quickly when I installed a few applications. I guess I created it with that limit, although I don't recall setting such a low limit (maybe I just accepted a default without realizing it). I *really* need more space on my C: drive. The documentation says I can do this using the Imaging Tool, but that's not implemented yet. It would be a huge time sink to have to create a new virtual machine and re-install all the software I've installed on this one. When will I be able to expand the size of my C: drive?

Apr 27, 2006, 09:13 PM #2
markup Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 14	Ditto ... I'm in the same situation. The Parallels team has been amazing with all the response so far. I am hoping this will get implemented as well. I know everyone has been saying "if it just does X then I'll pre-order." Well, being able to increase the disk size is my X. Thanks for all your help, Parallels ... you guys are great!

Apr 27, 2006, 10:46 PM #3
mlandel Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 29	I solved this as follows for FAT32 partitions (dynamic sized): 1) download the following freeware (google to find): g4u - this is ghost for unix and will copy a FAT32 drive presizer - this will will resize the copied drive/partition to use the added space 2) create a new drive/image that is the size that you want 3) add the new drive/image to your VM or create a new VM that has both drives/images 4) boot the g4u cd image to copy the small drive/image to the large drive/image. This takes a while. 5) boot from the presizer floppy image and run presizer on the larger drive/image. This adds the unused space to the parition, making it a copy of the smaller drive, only bigger. 6) arvhive the small .hdd file for safety and transition to the new larger .hdd. I change the names to transisition as I like my primary drive image file to have the same name as the VM. That's it!. It's actually reasonably straight-forward and makes use of freely avaialbe tools. This is the same process that can be used on real PC's to transition from a smaller to a larger hard drive. Matt

Apr 27, 2006, 10:46 PM

mlandel
Junior Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 29

I solved this as follows for FAT32 partitions (dynamic sized):

1) download the following freeware (google to find):
g4u - this is ghost for unix and will copy a FAT32 drive
presizer - this will will resize the copied drive/partition to use the added space
2) create a new drive/image that is the size that you want
3) add the new drive/image to your VM or create a new VM that has both drives/images
4) boot the g4u cd image to copy the small drive/image to the large drive/image.
This takes a while.
5) boot from the presizer floppy image and run presizer on the larger drive/image. This adds the unused space to the parition, making it a copy of the smaller drive, only bigger.
6) arvhive the small .hdd file for safety and transition to the new larger .hdd. I change the names to transisition as I like my primary drive image file to have the same name as the VM.

That's it!. It's actually reasonably straight-forward and makes use of freely avaialbe tools. This is the same process that can be used on real PC's to transition from a smaller to a larger hard drive.

Matt

Apr 27, 2006, 10:49 PM #4
engrProf Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 34	*I did* pre-order** Even with the non-expandable hard drive, which is a very big problem for me, I pre-ordered today. I've been using Parallels since the first Beta, back when it used to reboot if I put it to sleep with the VM running. The improvements since that time are amazing. I really like in b5 that I can just move in and out of the VM window without having to do the ctrl-alt thing. That was very annoying. Things VPC had that would be really nice are: - Drag & drop files between host and guest - Clipboard shared between host and guest Those would be truly wonderful. But I must say, this is a very nice product. Excellent value for $40.

Apr 27, 2006, 10:49 PM

engrProf
Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 34

I *did* pre-order

Even with the non-expandable hard drive, which is a very big problem for me, I pre-ordered today. I've been using Parallels since the first Beta, back when it used to reboot if I put it to sleep with the VM running. The improvements since that time are amazing. I really like in b5 that I can just move in and out of the VM window without having to do the ctrl-alt thing. That was very annoying.

Things VPC had that would be *really* nice are:
- Drag & drop files between host and guest
- Clipboard shared between host and guest

Those would be truly wonderful.

But I must say, this is a very nice product. Excellent value for $40.

Apr 27, 2006, 10:56 PM #5
engrProf Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 34	I'm NTFS. This won't work for NTFS?

Apr 27, 2006, 11:18 PM #6
markup Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 14	Thanks, mlandel. Your solution looks very promising. I wish I had time to try it this evening. I'll give it a shot in the morning. I'm going to purchase regardless ... but I'll feel better about it once I'm running with more than a 4GB drive. : )

Apr 27, 2006, 11:54 PM

alkalifly
Senior Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 140

Quote:

Originally Posted by engrProf

Things VPC had that would be *really* nice are:

- Clipboard shared between host and guest
.

Beta 5 has this (beta 4 did as well) you just need to make sure and install the Parallels tools. Unless you are using an OS other than windows, in which case you can't

Apr 28, 2006, 12:14 AM #8
engrProf Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 34	I didn't see shared clipboard on the list of new features in either Beta 4 or Beta 5. But yes, you're right it's there. Except I can't make it work! I have clipboard synchronization enabled, and if I copy text in an XP application and open Parallels Tools Center and click on clipboard synchronization, the text is there in the clipboard. But if I go over to the Mac side and paste, nothing happens. Then if I copy something on the Mac side and go back to XP, the clipboard hasn't changed. What am I doing wrong?

Apr 28, 2006, 12:14 AM

engrProf
Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 34

I didn't see shared clipboard on the list of new features in either Beta 4 or Beta 5. But yes, you're right it's there. Except I can't make it work! I have clipboard synchronization enabled, and if I copy text in an XP application and open Parallels Tools Center and click on clipboard synchronization, the text is there in the clipboard. But if I go over to the Mac side and paste, nothing happens. Then if I copy something on the Mac side and go back to XP, the clipboard hasn't changed. What am I doing wrong?

Apr 28, 2006, 12:42 AM #9
tacit_one Parallels Team Join: Mar 2006 Posts: 410	Clipboard sharing is not implemented for primary OSX yet. This feature will surely be available as it is very useful.

Apr 28, 2006, 12:25 PM #10
markup Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 14	engrProf ... it took me a while to remember that windows copy/paste uses CTRL-c/v but OS X uses CMD-c/v . That's not your issue, is it? It still trips me occasionally. : )

Apr 28, 2006, 01:50 PM #11
babazoid Junior Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 4	So let me get this straight... I've been having the same problem. The drive won't dynamically increase in size... But Parallels reports that it is a dynamically resizing drive. Is this a limitation of the current beta? Is there going to be a way to fix this without using 3rd party tools? thanks Mark

Apr 28, 2006, 05:01 PM #12
Andrew @ Parallels Parallels Team Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,516	1. Expanding disk image dynamically increase its size from zero up to maximum size choosen in VM configuration. Once disk is created you could change it maximum size only by Image Tool utility which will be introduced in next beta. Even then you'll need some guest tool like Partion Magic or Acronis Partition Expert to resize you partitions. 2. The other solution could be adding 2-nd virtual disk to VM configuration. __________________ Best Regards, Andrew @ Parallels

Apr 28, 2006, 05:01 PM

#12

Andrew @ Parallels
Parallels Team

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,516

1. Expanding disk image dynamically increase its size from zero up to maximum size choosen in VM configuration. Once disk is created you could change it maximum size only by Image Tool utility which will be introduced in next beta. Even then you'll need some guest tool like Partion Magic or Acronis Partition Expert to resize you partitions.
2. The other solution could be adding 2-nd virtual disk to VM configuration.

__________________
Best Regards,
Andrew @ Parallels

Apr 28, 2006, 05:05 PM

#13

engrProf
Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 34

Quote:

Originally Posted by babazoid

So let me get this straight... I've been having the same problem. The drive won't dynamically increase in size...

But Parallels reports that it is a dynamically resizing drive. Is this a limitation of the current beta?

Is there going to be a way to fix this without using 3rd party tools?

thanks

Mark

It's a dynamically resizing drive UP TO THE LIMIT. In earlier betas, the default limit was 4G. If you're not paying attention when creating a VM (apparently I'm not the only one who wasn't), you got a drive with a limit of 4G. That's way too small for a default. They've increased the default in later betas, but if you created your drive in an earlier beta, you're stuck. :( :(

Apr 30, 2006, 04:22 PM #14
engrProf Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 34	Freeware 3rd party solution to expanding your hard drive Posted on http://forum.parallels.com/thread1278.html.

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Hard drive isn't big enough