Image expanding, guest OS not seeing

[pcorchary]

Host: MacBook 13"/2Ghz/2GB/160HDD, OSX 10.4.10, Parallels Build 5160
Guest: Windows XP, latest SP+current patches on NTFS partition

Problem - Windows keeps complaining that I'm running out of space on my disk, which is a Parallels Expanding image, originally created for 10GB, since expanded to 12GB, 14GB and 16GB in the last 48 hours in an attempt to resolve the issue (while guest OS was off).

I have also cleaned up the Windows disk (recovered about 700-800MB that way), and run the compressor several times, all with no errors ...

Still Windows is running out of space!

Thoughts? Ideas? Assistance?

 

[pcorchary]

Well ... I figured out the issue, and it should have been obvious

In Windows XP, my C: boot partition was 'basic' type. Meaning that after I use Parallels disk tool to expand, the new space was just left as Unallocated, and not added to the NTFS Partition.

To expand the NTFS partition, there are several optoins.

1) convert to 'Dynamic Drive' in Windows (XP, 2003, Vista only). For some reason this options was not available in Disk manager for my installation, so ...

2) If your partition is already Dynamic, you can do this entirely in Windows using diskpart.exe. Please see this KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325590

3) use an external partition manager software like Partition Magic ($$$), or gpartd (from SourceForge). Here is a URL with some instructions on this option: http://durcan.net/blog/2007/08/22/m...-c-drive-for-xp-running-within-osx-parallels/ (you can find more with Google).

 

[sandro]

hi,
expanding of virtual harddisk doesn't help guest Windows because actually you increasing size of disk not the Windows partition that was allocated for OS. So i recomend you follow:
1. Use Parallels Explore utility (it places at /Applications/Parallels folder) that let you to access your Windows partition files without starting guest OS (VM) and remove there some unnecessary files in view of guest OS will be able to load.
2. When you'll be able to load Windows create additional partition (you can do that at Control Panel->Administrative tools->Computer management->Disks management) and use it as storage in view of to minimize storing data size at Windows system partition

Also you can to use removing temporary files service from system volume preferences dialog that eliminates all unnecessary data that were collected at your system volume. And i recomend you to move paging file from system partition to another one (you can do it at My computer->Preferences->Advanced tab->Performance and virtual memory settings - as i right remember - can't to check now, sorry). Also temporary dir may to be reconfigured in view of less using of disk space of Windows system partition.