Converting virtual hard disks

Converting virtual hard disks

Warning

Converting a virtual hard disk can use a large percentage of processor resources. We recommend that you do not perform this operation on a production computer.

You can convert certain virtual hard disks from one type to another. You can make the following types of conversions:

  • Fixed-size virtual hard disk to dynamically expanding virtual hard disk. A common reason for doing this type of conversion is to prepare for compacting a disk. A dynamically expanding disk is the only type of disk you can compact. For more information, see Compacting dynamically expanding virtual hard disks.
  • Dynamically expanding virtual hard disk to fixed-size virtual hard disk. Before you do this type of conversion, ensure that you have enough disk space for the fixed-size virtual hard disk file. The conversion process creates a fixed-size virtual hard disk that is the same size as the maximum size that was originally specified for the dynamically expanding virtual hard disk. As a result, the fixed-size virtual hard disk file may be significantly larger than the dynamically expanding virtual hard disk file. The default size of a dynamically expanding virtual hard disk is 16 gigabytes (GB).
  • Linked disk to either a fixed-size virtual hard disk or a dynamically expanding virtual hard disk. Typically you would perform this type of conversion as part of the process of creating a virtual hard disk from a physical disk. For more information, see Copying a physical disk to a virtual hard disk.

For step-by-step instructions, see Convert a virtual hard disk.

Note

Conversion copies the contents from the old virtual hard disk to a new virtual hard disk, but it does not delete the old virtual hard disk. Use the file system of the host operating system to delete the old virtual hard disk. You must have Create File permission on the folder you specify to store the converted virtual hard disk.