Vmware Workstation Pro

I just descovered something with VM Workstation Pro. I thought once the virtual was made, that was it. I don't use anything that would write to the folder where the virtual was installed. At least I thought. So I have a Sandisk SSD portable and installed W11 there, then copied my virtual from my internal hard drive to another portable ssd for files only.

So I assumed since I was running the virtual on an external SSD, the original virtual on my internal would never be accessed. Turns out this is not so. And while I can create a new working folder I think it is necessary to still have the original install on my internal hard drive.

I turn off the abilty for the virtual machines to copy and paste, for security. Just being cautious. So is it possible to stop comminication with the original install on my hard drive? If not, I can recreate the virtual, this time on the external portable ssd. But what happens if the SSD should fail?

Could the original virtual install folder on the hard drive be copied to to a new SSD, and not read and from the hard drive at all?
And I know I can make a brand new working folder but still need the original install folder?

This is a little confusing, need some explanations :)

If I understand you correctly, the original installation media - whatever it might be - is not needed and can be safely removed.

I don't think that is it. What I am referring to is at the bottom of the virtual machine before powering on. It says Virtual Machine Details Then it says "Configuration file" and shows the path to that There is also supposed to be a working folder that can be changed.

I am wondering if these are the same thing - Which would mean the original folder the virtual machine was installed to is then the one that cannot be changed?

Before posting my tale of woe, I found a link (cannot find again) that said working folders can be changed, the original install folder cannot. It also said the original folder was needed so the virtual could run fast.

I looked at the vmx file and it does list the install folder in there. So I am wondering if I can edit the vms to show where I moved that original install folder to?

See if this helps.

pparks1 said:

See if this helps.

How to move a VMware Workstation Virtual machine to another hard drive.

Just recently I had the need to move my Palo Alto Networks lab Virtual machines to another hard drive on my Windows 10 PC, The disk was slowly but surely running out of space. To be honest It's a pretty straight forward task, never the less I thought I'd share

www.mbtechtalker.com

Click to expand...

Note : For a WINDOWS VM - choose "I MOVED it rather than I COPIED IT" ==> otherwise a new GUUID is created and Windows will think it's a new machine and you'll have to re-activate". -- (Or copy the GUUID in the vmx file (you can edit it with a bog standard text editor e.g notepad) before booting the new VM.

Another way is to simply back up the Virtual OS on to a physical disk as an Image (attach a physical disk to the VM if using Windows) or use DD if a linux VM you want to copy --in this case just attach another virtual disk - no need for a physical disk, run macrium or similar if a Windows VM is being moved and then restore to a new VM created anywhere you choose. Before booting edit the GUUID in the config file to be the same as the VM you copied (only needed for Windows VM's). - I prefer this method as it works with whatever VM software you use -- HYPER-V, Virtual Box, Parallels (on Mac) or KVM/QEMU on Linux host. You can then restore Windows VM's also to physical vhdx files or virtual ones as well if you want to run from vhdx files and you can create Windows to go physical systems too.

After creating the VM's - and ensuring they boot - just delete the original disks from the VM config.

If using the dd method to copy a Linux VM to another disk then after copying you can use GPARTED to adjust partition sizes for more space. If you need to increase the space of the root partition ('/') Then you can actually do that from within the original Linux VM itself. Simply add your 2nd Virtual disk of size you want and leave unformatted and use a stand alone iso boot image of GPARTED as the boot device. Then from Gparted use copy partition to unallocated space on the target device -- and you will be given the option of resizing target partition.

cheers
jimbo