VMware Fusion + Win XP Pro

[bmwpowere36m3]

I'm having "problems" I think with VMware Fusion and windows xp pro. When I first install the VM, I set aside 6GB of space, which after JUST installing win xp pro seems to have taken up the majority of the space on the VM HD. I thought the installation was around 1.5GBs. Also when installing other software, It seems to take up more space than usual.

Am I missing something, or it this normal and I just need to set aside more space? After installing and selection the HD allowance, can you can that. Like I started with 6GB, but now want 10GB? Thanks.

 

[MacDawg]

Isn't the recommended allocation much higher than 6 GB
More like 15 or 30?

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[micsaund]

Are you judging the size of the XP install from the files in the OSX side, or from within the guest?

The growable VMW partitions do not auto-shrink. so once they are allocated, the vmdk will be larger than what's actually allocated within the vmdk. As Windows is installed/etc., the vmdk is grown and doesn't shrink back down.

Go into Winbloze and right-click your C: drive and select Properties. That should be more along the lines of the 1.5GB you're expecting.

As for increasing the size of your VM's disk: yes, you can do it, but increasing the VM hard disk size will not automatically make Winbloze see all of the space, just like with a physical machine. You'll have to increase the HD size and then run Patition Magic/Acronis/Gparted to expand the partition within the VM.

Mike

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

I guess I might have done something wrong previously... when I setup a new VM I set aside 20GB for it. Upon initial XP Pro installation, it used up 1.79GB and then after updating w/ SP2 & SP3 finally used 3.9GB. I didn't realize it was so much, but anyway it works great.