Compacting Virtual Disk

What Is Disk Compacting Tool

Expanding virtual disks grow in size as you work with them. Besides applications and their data every disk accumulates temporary files. The Disk Compacting Tool, included in Parallels Workstation, cleans up unused disk space occupied by temporary files thus reducing the size of expanding virtual hard disks. We recommend that you use Disk Compacting Tool from time to time to save space on the host hard disk.

Disk Compacting Tool processes the following partitions:

• volumes located on the expanding virtual hard disks and formatted with Windows file systems.

Note. Disk Compacting Tool does NOT process: 1) volumes located on expanding virtual hard disks but formatted with other than Windows file systems, 2) plain virtual disks.

Compacting Procedure

In general the compacting procedure consists of the two stages that can be performed separately:

1. A preparation step, performed in the guest OS, when an unused disk space is marked.

   This step can be performed only in those guest OSes where Parallels Tools Center can be installed, i.e. in Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/2003 guest OSes. See Installing Parallels Tools for guidelines on installing Parallels Tools package.

2. And a compacting step, performed in the primary OS, when the unused space is removed.

   This step can be performed in two ways:

   • Immediately after the preparation step is completed.

     All of the selected expanding virtual disks are compacted in one operation.

     This way is available in those guest OSes where the preparation step can be performed, i.e. in Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/2003 guest OSes.

   • When the Virtual Machine is powered off.

     Compacting is launched for each expanding virtual disk one-by-one.

     This way is available in all guest OSes.

How to Compact Expanding Virtual Disks

To compact disks in Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/2003 guest OSes:

1. In the running Virtual Machine, open the Parallels Tools Center. See the Parallels Tools Center topic to learn how to do it.
2. In the Parallels Tools Center, open the Disk Compacting Tool tab.
3. In the Disk Compacting Tool tab, a table in the Status group displays the list of volumes that can be compacted. Select the volumes you want.

   If you want to proceed to compacting immediately after the preparation step is completed, select the Execute all stages at once checkbox.

   Click the Start button to begin preparing disks.

4. During the preparation step the Preparing for compacting. Please wait... message is displayed.
5. If you have selected the Execute all stages at once checkbox:

   When disks are ready for compacting, Disk Compacting Tool pauses the Virtual Machine execution and starts compacting. Compacting virtual hard disk box is displayed.

   When the process is finished, you are informed that "Process of compacting of virtual hard disk(s) has been successfully completed". Click OK to continue working with the Virtual Machine.

6. If you have NOT selected the Execute all stages at once checkbox:

   When disks are ready for compacting, you are informed that "You are able either start compacting right now or do it when the Virtual Machine is powered off".

   If you select to start compacting, the Disk Compacting Tool performs compacting as described in the step 5.

   If you select to put compacting off, you may continue working with the Virtual Machine. See the subtopic below to learn how to start compacting later.

To compact expanding virtual disks in any guest OS:

• When the Virtual Machine is powered off, click the Compact button on the Advanced tab of Hard Disk Options for each expanding-type virtual disk. While compacting is performed, Compacting virtual hard disk box is displayed. When the process is finished, you are informed that "Process of compacting of virtual hard disk(s) has been successfully completed".