Re: How to make a smaller disk image in VPC6?

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Jim B (babcoc2_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 05/09/04 

Date: 9 May 2004 09:33:37 -0700

nobody@imaginary-host.birchalls.net (Dan Birchall) wrote in message news:<slrnc9rasc.m59.nobody@malasada.lava.net>...
> bmhome1@aol.com (Bruce Miller) wrote:
> > Check your drive image's actual size with a Get Info on the .vpc6
> > package file, you will find it is much smaller than reported by within
> > Windows when running.
> >
> > For example, my actual XP Home drive image is only 2GB while Windows
> > "sees" it as 14GB while running. It's part of the emulation process.
>
> Oh, I know that - since Windows "sees" a drive image larger than my
> iBook's physical 10GB drive! :) But 2GB is more space than it should
> need, as far as I can see. :(
>
> -Dan
======================

Hi Dan: Perhaps your drive(s) have a lot of temp files than have never
been 'erased' . Below is a way to keep your C drive (& others) at a
minimum size
My C drive does run 2.2 to 2.4 gigs, though. I have Framemaker, Office
on W2K.

Also See <http://www.blackviper.com> for ways to winnow down more of
XP.

Cheers, Jim B
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, Nov 11, 2003 10:39 PM
Message-ID: cf2 < ul f9e3rvkgvorgt3t6at5i0oc0k01s5bv64f@4ax.com
ulnone > cf0
 
2 Ways to do it:
 
1. Free, long way:
 
Issue: Windows guest OS image file is much larger than the amount of
used space indicated inside the Windows guest OS.
 
Solution: When Windows installs, it copies a large number of
temporary files during the installation that are deleted when the
installation is finished. These copied temporary files cause the
guest OS image to be expanded. Virtual PC includes a utility to
compact the drive image. In Virtual PC for Macintosh it's the Virtual
Disk Assistant and in Windows, it is the Virtual Disk Wizard.
 
Before the Virtual Disk Assistant/Wizard can compact a drive image,
the unused space in the image must be zeroed out. This procedure uses
the utility Eraser, other zeroing utilities should also work.
 
This procedure is for Windows 95, 98, NT 4, Xp, and 2000 guest
operating
systems.
 
1. Defragment the guest OS hard drive.
2. Backup any critical data in the guest OS.
3. Download Eraser, (http://www.tolvanen.com/eraser/) and install
it in the guest OS.
4. Run Eraser in the guest OS.
5. Select Edit->Preferences->Erasing
6. Select "Unused Disk Space"
7. Select "New"
8. Enter the description "Blank"
9. Select Add
10. Create a 1-byte pattern of all zeros; THEN repeat for Byte 2 & 3.
11. Click Save
12. Select "Blank" under "Unused disk space"
13. Click Ok
14. Select File->New Task
15. Select "Unused space on drive"
16. Select Local Hard Drives
17. Click OK
18. Select Task->run on the previously created task
19. Wait for completion
20. Close the report
21. Exit Eraser and shutdown the guest PC.
22. Use Virtual Disk Assistant/Wizard on the Host PC to reclaim
lost space
 
 
 
2. Fast, not free way
 
1. make a new disk image
2. attach it to the vm
3. boot with a ghost boot disk
4. ghost the image to the new disk image
5. remove the old disk image from the vm and replace it with the new
one
6. AFTER checking that your disk image works and has the data, delete
the old image, if you want
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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