> I have VirtualPC installed on a partition on my hard drive. Everything
> works fine, however my C drive (60GB) is almost full. When I explore the C
> drive I find a file called New Virtual Machine that is 27GB. Is this file
> just for adding another virtual machine? Can I remove it to free up space?
> Host system is vista home.

> "Tom" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
> news:(email address - cut out)...
>
>> I have VirtualPC installed on a partition on my hard drive. Everything
>> works fine, however my C drive (60GB) is almost full. When I explore the
>> C drive I find a file called New Virtual Machine that is 27GB. Is this
>> file just for adding another virtual machine? Can I remove it to free up
>> space?
>
> It sounds like it might be the remnants of another virtual machine that
> you're no longer using...
>
> Do this:
>
> 1) Close down all virtual machines.
>
> 2) In the VPC console, inspect each virtual machine's configuration and
> see which one is pointing to this hard disk.
>
> 3) If none of your virtual machines is using this hard disk, rename it and
> then start up each of your virtual machines one by one. If they all start
> up and run OK, you can safely delete the file.
>
> 4) If one of your virtual machines is using this hard disk, then you will
> need to decide whether you still need that virtual machine or not...
>
>> Host system is vista home.
>
> Just a reminder that VPC 2007 isn't officially supported by Microsoft on
> Vista Home editions, though it does work...
>
>
> --
> Mark Rae
> ASP.NET MVP
> http://www.markrae.net

> "Tom" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
> news:(email address - cut out)...
>
>>> 1) Close down all virtual machines.
>>>
>>> 2) In the VPC console, inspect each virtual machine's configuration and
>>> see which one is pointing to this hard disk.
>>>
>>> 3) If none of your virtual machines is using this hard disk, rename it
>>> and then start up each of your virtual machines one by one. If they all
>>> start up and run OK, you can safely delete the file.
>>>
>>> 4) If one of your virtual machines is using this hard disk, then you
>>> will need to decide whether you still need that virtual machine or
>>> not...
>>>
>>>> Host system is vista home.
>>>
>>> Just a reminder that VPC 2007 isn't officially supported by Microsoft on
>>> Vista Home editions, though it does work...
>>
>> I checked and this is the hard drive for the virtual machine that I am
>> using.
>
> OK.
>
>> If I installed virtual machine on a separate partition, how did the
>> virtual machine hard drive get on my C drive with my vista os.
>
> Because that's the default location for virtual machines:
> http://www.mattberther.com/2005/03/25/virtual-pc-default-paths/
>
>> My virtual machine is running XP Pro. It seems like 27GB is a lot of
>> space for the OS and a few programs to do medical transcription. I
>> installed virtual machine and purchased XP Pro because the transcription
>> programs were not compatible with Vista.
>
> 1) Dun Disk Cleanup on the virtual hard disk:
> http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4GPTB_en-GBGB298GB298&q=XP+cleanup&meta=
>
> 2) Defrag the virtual hard disk:
> http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GPTB_en-GBGB298GB298&q=XP+defrag
>
> 3) Precompact the virtual hard disk:
> http://vpc.essjae.com/precompact.zip
>
> 4) Compact the virtual hard disk:
> http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GPTB_en-GBGB298GB298&q=Virtual+PC+compact
>
> 5) Optionally move the compacted hard disk onto another hard disk to boost
> performance a bit - N.B. moving it onto a different partition on the same
> physical hard disk as your system partition won't help...
>
>
> --
> Mark Rae
> ASP.NET MVP
> http://www.markrae.net

>
>
> "Tom" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
> news:(email address - cut out)...
>> Thank You for your reply's, I have already done disk cleanup and defrag
>> on the virtual PC. I will also do the compacting that you recommended. I
>> do understand that vista home is not a supported o.s. for virtualPC. What
>> I do not understand is this. When I check properties on the c drive on
>> virtual PC it takes up less than 3 gb. When I check virtual machine's
>> hard disk space in the console it reports 27 gb. Aside from the o.s. what
>> can be taking up all that extra space??
>>
>> Tom
>>
>
> The only reason I can think of for that would be that you created a fixed
> size vhd. If you create a 27G fixed size VHD it immediately allocates 27G
> of the physical disk for the vhd.
>
> If you created a dynamically expanding 27G vhd it should only grow as
> more space is required by the vm (ie as you add applications or data to
> the vm).

>> 1) Close down all virtual machines.
>>
>> 2) In the VPC console, inspect each virtual machine's configuration and
>> see which one is pointing to this hard disk.
>>
>> 3) If none of your virtual machines is using this hard disk, rename it
>> and then start up each of your virtual machines one by one. If they all
>> start up and run OK, you can safely delete the file.
>>
>> 4) If one of your virtual machines is using this hard disk, then you will
>> need to decide whether you still need that virtual machine or not...
>>
>>> Host system is vista home.
>>
>> Just a reminder that VPC 2007 isn't officially supported by Microsoft on
>> Vista Home editions, though it does work...
>
> I checked and this is the hard drive for the virtual machine that I am
> using.
> If I installed virtual machine on a separate partition, how did the
> virtual machine hard drive get on my C drive with my vista os.
> My virtual machine is running XP Pro. It seems like 27GB is a lot of space
> for the OS and a few programs to do medical transcription. I installed
> virtual machine and purchased XP Pro because the transcription programs
> were not compatible with Vista.

>>> Thank you for your replies, I have already done disk cleanup and defrag
>>> on the virtual PC. I will also do the compacting that you recommended. I
>>> do understand that Vista Home is not a supported OS for VirtualPC. What
>>> I do not understand is this. When I check properties on the C drive on
>>> virtual PC it takes up less than 3GB. When I check virtual machine's
>>> hard disk space in the console it reports 27GB. Aside from the OS what
>>> can be taking up all that extra space??
>>
>> The only reason I can think of for that would be that you created a
>> fixed size vhd. If you create a 27GB fixed size VHD it immediately
>> allocates 27GB of the physical disk for the vhd.
>>
>> If you created a dynamically expanding 27GB vhd it should only grow as
>> more space is required by the vm (ie as you add applications or data to
>> the vm).
>
> OK I did the precompact utility, then tried to compact the virtual hard
> disk with console wizard, then got the error, the virtual hard disk is
> unable to be compacted because there is not enough space on the physical
> hard disk. Help!! I knew that already, that is what started me on this
> quest???

> Thank You for your reply's, I have already done disk cleanup and defrag on
> the virtual PC. I will also do the compacting that you recommended. I do
> understand that vista home is not a supported o.s. for virtualPC. What I
> do not understand is this. When I check properties on the c drive on
> virtual PC it takes up less than 3 gb. When I check virtual machine's hard
> disk space in the console it reports 27 gb. Aside from the o.s. what can
> be taking up all that extra space??
>
> Tom
>

> "Tom" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
> news:(email address - cut out)...
>
>>>> Thank you for your replies, I have already done disk cleanup and defrag
>>>> on the virtual PC. I will also do the compacting that you recommended.
>>>> I do understand that Vista Home is not a supported OS for VirtualPC.
>>>> What I do not understand is this. When I check properties on the C
>>>> drive on virtual PC it takes up less than 3GB. When I check virtual
>>>> machine's hard disk space in the console it reports 27GB. Aside from
>>>> the OS what can be taking up all that extra space??
>>>
>>> The only reason I can think of for that would be that you created a
>>> fixed size vhd. If you create a 27GB fixed size VHD it immediately
>>> allocates 27GB of the physical disk for the vhd.
>>>
>>> If you created a dynamically expanding 27GB vhd it should only grow as
>>> more space is required by the vm (ie as you add applications or data to
>>> the vm).
>>
>> OK I did the precompact utility, then tried to compact the virtual hard
>> disk with console wizard, then got the error, the virtual hard disk is
>> unable to be compacted because there is not enough space on the physical
>> hard disk. Help!! I knew that already, that is what started me on this
>> quest???
>
> Then, regrettably, I think you're out of luck as your current hardware is
> no longer sufficient for your needs...
>
> I would respectfully suggest that you consider acquiring a larger hard
> disk. 60GB is miniscule these days - the smallest available from my usual
> supplier is 160GB, and even then only as an end-of-line product
> clearance...
>
> Alternatively, an external hard disk would help, as you could simply copy
> the virtual hard disk onto it and compact it from there - you could even
> leave it there permanently in order to free up some badly needed space on
> your already straining physical drive...
>
>
> --
> Mark Rae
> ASP.NET MVP
> http://www.markrae.net

>>>>> Thank you for your replies, I have already done disk cleanup and
>>>>> defrag on the virtual PC. I will also do the compacting that you
>>>>> recommended. I do understand that Vista Home is not a supported OS for
>>>>> VirtualPC. What I do not understand is this. When I check properties
>>>>> on the C drive on virtual PC it takes up less than 3GB. When I check
>>>>> virtual machine's hard disk space in the console it reports 27GB.
>>>>> Aside from the OS what can be taking up all that extra space??
>>>>
>>>> The only reason I can think of for that would be that you created a
>>>> fixed size vhd. If you create a 27GB fixed size VHD it immediately
>>>> allocates 27GB of the physical disk for the vhd.
>>>>
>>>> If you created a dynamically expanding 27GB vhd it should only grow as
>>>> more space is required by the vm (ie as you add applications or data to
>>>> the vm).
>>>
>>> OK I did the precompact utility, then tried to compact the virtual hard
>>> disk with console wizard, then got the error, the virtual hard disk is
>>> unable to be compacted because there is not enough space on the physical
>>> hard disk. Help!! I knew that already, that is what started me on this
>>> quest???
>>
>> Then, regrettably, I think you're out of luck as your current hardware is
>> no longer sufficient for your needs...
>>
>> I would respectfully suggest that you consider acquiring a larger hard
>> disk. 60GB is miniscule these days - the smallest available from my usual
>> supplier is 160GB, and even then only as an end-of-line product
>> clearance...
>>
>> Alternatively, an external hard disk would help, as you could simply copy
>> the virtual hard disk onto it and compact it from there - you could even
>> leave it there permanently in order to free up some badly needed space on
>> your already straining physical drive...
>
> Mark, thanks again for all your [reply's] replies.