Introduction

I am just getting over a mishap I had with VMWare WorkStation Version 8.
On the VM Guest, the original provisioned disk was 40 GB on drive C: and 60 GB on drive D:

Not enough to do much with these days, and so I set out to increase it.

 

Attempt Disk Increase Using GUI

I took the VM Guest offline and tried increasing its disk layout.  But, each time on both disks (Disk C: and Disk D:)  got the same error message:

The called function cannot be performed on partial chains. Open the parent virtual disk (0x500003e83)

 

 

Attempt Disk Increase Using Command Line (vmware-vdiskmanager.exe)

Using VMWare’s vmware-vdiskmanager.exe:

Syntax:

c:
cd C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation
vmware-vdiskmanager.exe" -x [new-size] [file-name-vmdk]

Example:

c:
cd C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation
vmware-vdiskmanager.exe" -x 75GB Data-000003.vmdk

But, getting the same error…

Review VMWare WorkStation Version#

Reached for VMWare WorkStation Version# :

– Version 8.0

Upgraded VMWare WorkStation

Access  https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/info?slug=desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_workstation/8_0
 and reviewed available patches for VMware version 8.

Downloaded latest patch for 8.0; happens to be 8.06

Please keep in mind that you need a VMWare Account.  If you do not have one, you can create one on the fly.

Installed VMWare Patch

Installed patch

Again, Try To Increase Disk

Again, tried to increase disk, but same error.

Goggled for Help

I have one thing going, and that is an Internet connection — “Country Boy will survive”

• Can’t Re-size Disk Error — Please open the Parent Disk Virtual Disk(0x500003e83)
  http://www.pressingquestion.com/10242155/Cant-Resize-Disck,-Err-Please-Open-The-Parent-Virtual-Disk-0x500003e83

Here are the steps prescribed.

Clone VMWare Disk

Let us clone the disk; that is create a copy of the disk.

Again, keep in mind that you need sufficient disk to make a copy of the existing one. So you need about 1.5 * allocated VM disk space.

Syntax

"C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware-vdiskmanager.exe" -r virtual-machine-disk-source -t 0 virtual-machine-disk-destination

 

Sample

"C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware-vdiskmanager.exe" -r Data-000003.vmdk -t 0 Data-000003-Clone-20131105.vmdk

 

 

Output

 

Creating disk 'Data-000003-Clone-20131105.vmdk'
Convert: 100% done.
Virtual disk conversion successful.

 

Expand Resultant VMWare Disk

Let us expand the disk image that resulted from our cloning exercise.

Syntax:

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware-vdiskmanager.exe" -x [new-size] [cloned-disk-file-name]

 

Sample:

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware-vdiskmanager.exe" -x 75GB Data-000003-Clone-20131105.vmdk

Through VMWare WorkStation, Add new VMWare Disk

Through VMWare WorkStation, add new VMWare disk.

Here are the steps:

Add New VMWare Disk
https://www.vmware.com/support/ws5/doc/ws_disk_add_virtual.html

• Power off the specific Virtual Machine
• Open the virtual machine settings editor (VM > Settings) and click Add. The Add Hardware Wizard guides you through the steps to create your virtual disk.
• Click Hard Disk, then click Next.
• Select Use an existing virtual disk, then click Next.
• Enter the path and file-name for the existing disk file, or click Browse to navigate to the file.
• Click OK.

Through VMWare WorkStation, disconnect old disk

Through VMWare WorkStation, disconnect old VMWare disk.

Please keep in mind:

• Use the virtual machine settings editor to disconnect a virtual disk from a virtual machine.
• The Remove command does not delete files from the host file system. You can delete virtual disk files manually

Steps to disconnect old disk:

Removing a Virtual Disk from a Virtual Machine
https://www.vmware.com/support/ws5/doc/ws_disk_add_virtual.html

 

• Select a virtual machine and choose VM > Settings.
• Select the virtual disk you want to remove.
• Click Remove.
• The virtual disk is disconnected from virtual machine.

Power VMWare Guest On

Power VMWare Guest back on

Using VMWare Guest OS Native Tools, Expand Guest Disk

Use your Guest OS Native Tools to expand the Guest Disk unto the expanded space.

Thank Internet!

Thank Internet.