The following guide explain “How to resize Windows 2003 server (boot system) virtual disk on VMware ESX”.

Preliminary Note

  • Operating System: Windows 2003
  • Hostname: Win07
  • Initial drive c: hard disk space: 12 GB
  • Allocate additional hard disk space: 8GB
  • Total size(resize) = 20GB
  • VMware ESX version 3.5 update 3
  • GPart LiveCD 0.3.9-4

Note: We’re NOT warranty and response for any disk corruption. Please make sure you have BACKUP before proceed.

Here you go step by step:

  1. Power off Windows 2003 virtual machine.
  2. Resize existing hard disk size from 12Gb to 20Gb.

    3. Resize Disk

  3. Power on Windows 2003 virtual machine and make sure you can see additional disk allocated.

    4. Resize Disk

  4. Once again, restart Windows 2003 virtual machine and boot with GPart LiveCD(default settings).

    5. GPart Live CD

  5. Select ‘Don’t touch keymap’ and press ‘ENTER’.
  6. Press ’33′ and ‘ENTER’.
  7. Please ‘ENTER’ to continue.
  8. Right click on GParted menu -> click ‘Resize/Move’.
  9. Use your mouse and scroll/resize /dev/sda1 to maximum size.

    10. GPart Resize

  10. Click ‘Resize/Move’.
  11. Click ‘Apply’ twice.
  12. Click ‘Close’.

    13. GPart Resize

  13. Restart Windows 2003 virtual machine again and I would suggest you run Windows checkdisk(chkdsk) during boot up.

    14. Chkdsk

  14. Go to Windows Disk Management tools.

    15. Resize Windows 2003 done

  15. Gongratulation if you can see 20Gb drive C: available.

Any feedback or comment are welcome and I hope this guide is helpful.