This article provides the steps to change a monolithic disk (a virtual machine disk contained in a single file) into to a split disk (a virtual machine disk split into 2GB files) in VMware Workstation.
VMware Workstation 7.x & above (Linux & Windows)
To change from a monolithic disk to a split disk, the disk data must be copied from the monolithic disk to a new split disk. After copying the data, the new split disk must then be associated with the virtual machine. Once done, the old monolithic disk can be deleted.
Prerequisites:
To copy a monolithic disk into a split disk:
\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation
Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation
Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation
/usr/bin/
vmware-vdiskmanager.exe -r <filepath of original disk> -t 1 <filepath of new disk>
-r
introduces the original/source disk, which must be supplied in full, including the name-t
introduces the new/target disk, which must be supplied in full, including a new name1
refers to the virtual disk type0
: A growable virtual disk contained in a single file (called "monolithic sparse").1
: A growable virtual disk split into 2GB files (called "split sparse").2
: A preallocated virtual disk contained in a single file (called "monolithic flat").3
: A preallocated virtual disk split into 2GB files (called "split flat").ubuntu2
, in the same directory as the original virtual disk.vmware-vdiskmanager –r "C:\Virtual Machines\ubuntu.vmdk" –t 1 "C:\Virtual Machines\ubuntu2.vmdk"
ubuntu.vmdk
) is more than 2GB in size, this command actually creates multiple.vmdk files, all of whose names begin with the new virtual disk's name (in our example, ubuntu2
). The command creates multiple files because it creates a virtual disk that is split into files that are each no more than 2GB in size. For more information, see the Virtual Machine Files section of Using VMware Workstation.After creating the new virtual disk, the disk must be configured for the virtual machine to use it. For more information, see the Add an Existing Virtual Hard Disk to a Virtual Machine section of Using VMware Workstation.