Unable to expand a Windows Server 2003 disk hosted on VMware vSphere

Problem

You have Windows Server 2003 virtual machine running on VMware vSphere 4.x or 5.x and you need to expand one of the data drives (non-system) so you proceed with increasing the size of the VMDK, log onto the Windows Server to perform a refresh in Disk Management:

… then proceed with using diskpart to extend the drive but notice that the operation fails with the following:

C:\>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 5.2.3790.3959

Copyright (C) 1999-2001 Microsoft Corporation.

On computer: FILE1

DISKPART> list volume

Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info

---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------

Volume 0 C System NTFS Partition 18 GB Healthy System

Volume 1 D Data NTFS Partition 80 GB Healthy Pagefile

Volume 2 E DVD-ROM 0 B Healthy

DISKPART> select volume 1

Volume 1 is the selected volume.

DISKPART> extend

The volume you have selected may not be extended.

Please select another volume and try again.

DISKPART>

Solution

While there can be various reasons why message:

The volume you have selected may not be extended.

Please select another volume and try again.

… would be displayed when an attempt is made to extend the drive, one of the reasons why is if you Windows page file stored on the volume:

 

To workaround this issue, move the page file off of the drive you’re trying to expand:

… then proceed with using diskpart to extend the volume:

C:\>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 5.2.3790.3959

Copyright (C) 1999-2001 Microsoft Corporation.

On computer: FILE1

DISKPART> list volume

Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info

---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------

Volume 0 E DVD-ROM 0 B Healthy

Volume 1 C System NTFS Partition 18 GB Healthy System

Volume 2 D Data NTFS Partition 80 GB Healthy

DISKPART> select volume 2

Volume 2 is the selected volume.

DISKPART> extend

DiskPart successfully extended the volume.

DISKPART>