URGENT--How can I increase my virtual disk size

I keep getting a message 'low disk space' For some reason the virtual partition is set at 32 gig and I am at 31. It is dragging like a dog. I have plenty of space on my main hard drive, so I need to increase this virtual partiton if possible without reloading everything. I am also having a problem with Parallels locking up when i launch. I hve to force quit and then re-launch and it works. But for some reason everything on the Windows side is dragging due to this space issue. Help someone please...

 

I guess no one moderates this forum. I need help. I posted this question over two weeks ago and not one response, so I reposted. Am I supposed to pay $30 for phone support, since the tech support link does not work. What gives here?

 

I'm just an enduser, and I have not tried this myself, but I believe the way to increase the VM disk size is via the Parallel's imagetool program. You can search the knowledge base, or try this
http://kb.parallels.com/entry/27/133/0/

From what I have read (but not tried myself) there is however a significant limitation - imagetool will increase the VM size, but not the size of the C: partition in the VM. Thus, after you are done, you will not really be better off. You can therefore do one of two things:

Use windows to make a new partition in the VM, which would show up as a D: drive, if this will meet your needs.

or

Use a third party partitioning program, running from Windows in the VM, to increase the size of the VM's C: drive partition. This would give you the best result. If you purchased the "premium" version of Parallels for the Mac, the included Acronis disk Director Suite would do this.

Needless to say, I would back up the VM before doing anything.

 

alexofindy & mhickman,

Or there is an option C:
Back-up your .hdd file.
Expand orig .hdd file with Parallels Image Utility.
Boot from your back-up with your original (expanded) disk connected.
Use DISKPART to expand the partition size of the orig. hdd file.
Shut Down.
Boot into the original .hdd and you should be all set.

I outlined exact steps in a thread a week or two ago, see if you can find it. If not, I'll search for it.

 

VM would not start low disk space.

I tried to move some items to my external hard drive .Than when I went to restart my vm I get this message NTLDR files missing ? How do i get these back ?

Thanks Ken

 

----------------- Activation Data ----------------
Status: Valid
User Name: Ken
Company Name:
Product ID: 9-3221230181-196612
Validity period: Not limited
Product Name: Parallels® Desktop 3.0 for Mac
Product Version: Build 5582 (December 5, 2007)
-------------- End of Activation Data ------------
--------------- Host PC information ------------
---Primary OS version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.1: Wed Oct 10 18:23:28 PDT
2007; root:xnu-792.25.20~1/RELEASE_I386---End of
Primary OS version
---Processor(s) info:
MacBookPro1,1
Number of CPU: 2
---End of Processor(s) info
---Memory info:
User memory: 1995612160
---End of Memory info
Home directory: /Users/kenkulmane
Display:
Session: local
Vendor:
Memory size: 2048
----------- End of Host PC information ---------
------------ Guest system configuration ------------
Current configuration (bf0bb1):
OS type: Windows XP (135)
Boot: c
Memory: 1000 Mb
Memory block size: 2^14
Overall memory limit: 1628
Monitor base: 0xec000000
Memory working set : current=0x4000, maximum=0x3e800
Monitor host speed: 1997
Timer resolution: 1
Refresh rate: 40
Use opt cmos: 1
Time schema: 1
Timer adjusting schema: 0
Time period scale: 10000
Minamal timer tsc ticks: 500000
Halt tsc ticks ignore: 1
Portion slow timer: 4
Portion plan timer: 1
Acceleration level: 2
Smart application acceleration: 1
Smart kernel acceleration: enable=1, state=0
Smart kernel mode #2: 1
Fast stub parameter: 0xffffffff
Fast system call: 0
Fast system call #2: 1
Multi frame parameter: 4
Hack parameter: 4
Bit D remap: 1
PagesTTL: 10
Ignore interrupts parameter: 0
Minimal async time: 0
Enable write-back disk cache: 1
Strong checks: 0
Full LDT map: 1
HALT scheme: 255
VM was resumed: 0
PC speaker: 1
Screen resolution: 640x400x4 (stretch: 1x1)
Vesa mode: 0x0
OpenGL processes: 0
DirectX processes: 0
FDD0: type=12, insert=0,
path=/Library/Parallels/Tools/vmtools.fdd
IDE0: HDD, type=1DE, cyl=48762, head=16, spt=63,
path=/Users/kenkulmane/Library/Parallels/winxp.17/winxp.17.hdd
IDE1: CD-ROM, type=CD, insert=0
path=/Users/kenkulmane/Library/Parallels/winxp.17/winxp.17.hdd
LPT1: pass=0, conn=1 path=Default Printer
Network: type=RTL8029(AS), mem=0, port=0x300, irq=3
mac=008e4cb8220a
Sound: 1
PCI: devices=0x61
-------- End of guest system configuration ---------
------------------- Print buffer -------------------

---------------- End of print buffer ---------------
-------------- Guest processor state ---------------
Inhibit Mask=0

CS=0D00 [D000FFFF 00009B00] V=1
SS=0000 [0000FFFF 00009300] V=1
DS=0D00 [D000FFFF 008F9300] V=1
ES=0D00 [D000FFFF 008F9300] V=1
FS=0000 [0000FFFF 0000F300] V=1
GS=0000 [0000FFFF 00009300] V=1

EAX=00000E00 EBX=00000007 ECX=00000202 EDX=00004D88
ESI=000001EB EDI=00000204 EBP=000107BE ESP=0000D000
EIP=000011C0 EFLAGS=00000246

LDTR=0000 [00000000 00000000] V=0
TR=0000 [00000000 00000000] V=0
GDTR=000F9030(0000001F)
IDTR=00000000(000003FF)

CR0=00000012
CR1=00000000
CR2=00000000
CR3=00000000
CR4=00000000

0D00.000011C0 0000 add byte
ptr [bx+si], al

0000.0000D000 52EB 4E90 4654 2053 2020 0020 0802 0000
4AC0 0120
----------- End of guest processor state -----------

 

I need 1065 mb space but have only 935 space How do I increase this so vm will start once I get started I will just transfer some files to a flash drive
Thanks Ken

 

See above post...

 

NTLDR is missing

Hi
I can not start my virtual machine now.I get message (see attachment) This all started when I cleaned up my disk in vm then I started getting messages low disk space can not start vm.so I went into libary found vm and tried to make room .I now get the message
NLTDR is missing press con,alt,del to restart ,however nothing happens

? how do i get that file back so I can first start my vm then I need to expand my vm hd to make more room
Thanks Ken

 

The first thing is to understand what a missing NTLDR file is... It could be a corrupted file, an actually missing file, or even an invalid boot source, which is what it sounds like you have.

Do you have another install of Windows that you can use instead of a second copy to go through the steps I have listed above? You need to add more space. I have a sneaking suspicion that the NTLDR file issue will take care of itself.

 

no luck with the earlier expansion instructions

I just went through your instructions using Vista (no SP1, yet) using build 5584 of Parallels and its accompanying Image Tool. When booting off the extended drive, the Windows Boot Manager says that Windows can no longer start, and asks me to repair my installation. The installation worked just fine before being expanded. Great.

From what I can tell, I did what diskpart wanted. I don't think I really wanted diskpart, however, because it would have been less DOS-like to have looked in the Control Panel and seen 'create and format hard disk partitions', and then used it.

In any case, it's time to piddle some more time away trying to change my virtual disk size.

 

The solution

HERE IS THE SOLUTION: http://kb.parallels.com/en/5010

 

The above post may be only half of the solution

OK: first a big caveat - I haven't done what you are trying to do myself.

The preceding user suggests you use Parallels Image Tool to increase the size of your virtual disk. That is, I believe a necessary first step. But, you also need to increase the size of the Window's "C" partition to take advantage of the increased virtual hard drive space.

I haven't done this myself, but when I looked in to this a year or so ago, I recall being told that this second step is necessary.

There are several programs that can do this. Version 4 of parallels comes with two programs from Acronis - True IMage and Disk Director. These programs have only very limited functionality on a Mac (they are windows only programs) but they do work under windows. In particular, the Disk Director program should be able to increase the size of the C partition once you have used the image tool to increase the size of the virtual drive.

If someone has actually done all this, hopefully he/she can comment, and correct my post if I have it wrong.