VM using 52 GB on host, while guest reports 20 GB used

Hello,
I have a MacOS Big Sure beta VM under Parallels Desktop Version 16.0.1 (48919).
The corresponding .pvm file is 52.19 GB, and Parallels report a 'Hard Disks' size of exactly the same (I removed all snapshots).
But the guest OS reports 20.37 GB used. How can I reduce the size of the .pvm file?

The current usage for the guest OS was not always that low. When I was downloading the last update, the usage was probably much bigger (although I don't think it ever went above 35 GB). I did use snapshots, but removed them. After the install of the update, and cleaning as much as possible the guest OS, I would really want the .pvm file to shrink, so that it doesn't waste that much space on my HD.

 

Huh?

 

Note that the VM was shutdown when HD usage was recorded. And as all snapshots have been removed, the HD usage can not come from RAM used by the VM. I suspect that Parallels didn't clear the snapshots, that multiple copies of the same virtual disk content are still stored...

 

Did you try this solution?

 

I didn't know the Parallels Toolbox, so thanks for the link. I already cleaned my disk using the tools provided by macOS and, at this very moment, the disk in my VM has "40.78 GB available of 68.38 GB". So there is only 28 GB used, and there is nothing left to clean.
Yet, the pvm file uses 60.94 GB, including 52.19 GB for a single snapshot that uses only 28 GB of storage... This doesn't really make sense.

 

it sounds like it's same issue as this one https://forum.parallels.com/threads/pd16-trim-for-guest-is-not-working.350900/

wonder when will Parallels admit TRIM issue in macos guests.

 

Upgrade to latext PD16.10 and trim should work. After upgrade from 16.01 to 16.10 my pvm shrunk by 20+Gb since the trim started to work.

 

Yes, with the just issued version 16.1.0, PD correctly handles disk space reclaiming again.
Fine!