Shrink guest on hosted platform: Difference between revisions
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Shrink guest on hosted platform (view source)
Revision as of 01:15, 13 October 2021
, 13 October 2021→Zero out using fstrim
(added a note to look at the vmdk file ownership after shrinking via the command line.) |
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If this is not for you, then do read on. | If this is not for you, then do read on. | ||
=== Zero out using fstrim === | |||
These days there's an alternative way for zero-ing out the parts of the disk that are not used using [https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/fstrim.8.html fstrim]. | |||
The great thing about this is that it only zero's out the parts of the disk that are not zero and as such the disk does not inflate to its full size. | |||
* [https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/ssd-trim-maintenance.56951/post-328912 Detail comment from Theodore Ts'o on using fstrim] | |||
* [https://github.com/vmware/open-vm-tools/issues/457 Avoid disk expansion while shrinking (github issue tracker)] | |||
== Zero out unused space on a Windows VM == | == Zero out unused space on a Windows VM == | ||
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The trigger to zero space with 0x00 has changed to -z! | The trigger to zero space with 0x00 has changed to -z! | ||
== Zeroing an encrypted disk == | |||
If you use disk encryption in the guest OS then zero'ing out the disk won't help. | |||
The reason is that a good disk encryption scheme will write out random data to the disk when you write out zero's. | |||
In other words, if you have enabled full disk encryption in the guest then you can not shrink the disk anymore as there is no space to reclaim. | |||
== Shrink the disk == | == Shrink the disk == | ||
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Where "/" is the mount point of the partition that you want to shrink. | Where "/" is the mount point of the partition that you want to shrink. | ||
On Windows in order to use this run: | On Windows in order to use this run (as administrator): | ||
C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools>VMwareToolboxCmd.exe disk shrink <location> | C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools>VMwareToolboxCmd.exe disk shrink <location> | ||
where <location> is the drive you want to shrink | where <location> is the drive you want to shrink | ||
For example: | |||
C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools>VMwareToolboxCmd.exe disk shrink c:\ | |||
Please disregard any warnings about disk space for the duration of shrink process. | |||
Progress: 62 [=======> ] | |||
The progress you see here is VMware Tools blanking out the unused space. | |||
At 99% it will popup the "Shrinking Disk" progress dialog at the host that takes care of the actual shrinking process. | |||
If you are logged in via remote desktop then do expect to loose the connection for a bit while the actual shrinking is taking place. | |||
On OS X / macOS the command to use is: | On OS X / macOS the command to use is: | ||
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[https://communities.vmware.com/thread/581576 Solved: Shrink an APFS virtual disk] | [https://communities.vmware.com/thread/581576 Solved: Shrink an APFS virtual disk] | ||
== External links == | |||
* [https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Workstation-Pro/16.0/com.vmware.ws.using.doc/GUID-421A1073-BF16-4BC7-AA76-46B954CA438D.html Clean Up a Virtual Hard Disk on Windows Hosts - Workstation 16 Pro documentation] | |||
* [https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Workstation-Pro/16.0/com.vmware.ws.using.doc/GUID-3F94C7B5-19A5-4E91-9709-B17FAA93FF75.html Configuring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks - Workstation 16 Pro documentation] | |||
* [https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Fusion/12/com.vmware.fusion.using.doc/GUID-6BB29187-F47F-41D1-AD92-1754036DACD9.html#GUID-6BB29187-F47F-41D1-AD92-1754036DACD9 Clean up a Virtual Machine - VMware Fusion 12 documentation] | |||
