Re: increase disk space in vmware

Yes you can but you need tools to do so. I used Norton Ghost 8.

There are other tools, basically Disk Clone Tools just like you would have used to clone physical machines.

You add a new VMDK disk larger in size. Then clone the smaller one over. Then delete the smaller disk after testing that the clone work.

MS may require you to reactivate you windoze after finding itself in a new HDD.

To really do clone without installing Norton Ghost 8 into xp, I made a bootable ISO image via the Windows 98's emergency boot disk images and then had the Norton Ghost inside the ISO file. I would boot on that ISO image as a virtual CD to do clonings. They are swift and faster in virtual PCs than actual PC.

If you want to save your troubles, you can use another method:

Don't clone. Just add a new larger VMDK disk, get it mounted at a mount point, e.g. Documents and Settings or where else that you have most growing data. And move your data inside that new disk. XP can accept mounted volumes, which could be physically a new HDD or just a new VMDK disk.

To really do so, the procedure is to add a new VMDK virutual disk, have it formated via Computer Management of XP. Then1st have it mounted to a temp folder and then move your bulky data inside. After moving (empty that data folder clean into the new virtual disk, including hidden folders and files) shift the mount point over to that now emptied folder.

You will then find that your XP OS still booting from the old VMDK disk, and your new spacious HDD will take your new data from now on. That should entirely avoid a clone and avoid MS to trouble you to re-activate your petty MS license.