If I can extend VM's disk size when VM is running

Question

If I can extend VM's disk size when VM is running

Xiwei Zhang 20

Dear,

I have a VM hosted by Azure Local (Azure Stack HCI), I want to extend it's D drive from 200 GB to 300 GB.

The question is, If I can extend VM's disk size without reboot it.

Thanks

Anonymous

2025-03-19T15:47:00.23+00:00

Hi Xiwei Zhang,

Yes, it is possible to extend the disk size of a VM without rebooting it, provided certain conditions are met. To do this, the user can expand the disk using tools like Windows Admin Center or PowerShell. Ensure that the VM is running on Azure Stack HCI and that the disk type supports resizing without downtime. After resizing the disk, the operating system must recognize the additional space, which can also be done without rebooting the VM. However, note that this feature is supported for data disks but not for shared disks. Also, ensure the disk type (e.g Premium SSD, Standard SSD) supports resizing without deallocation.

For detailed steps, please refer to the documentation

Expanding virtual hard disks :https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/expand-disks

Managing volumes in Azure Stack HCI: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/manage-volumes?tabs=windows-admin-center

Expand virtual hard disks attached to a Windows VM in an Azure - Azure Virtual Machines

Expand the size of the virtual hard disks attached to a virtual machine using Azure PowerShell in the Resource Manager deployment model.

If it was helpful, please click "Upvote" on this post to let us know.

Thank You.
Anonymous

2025-03-20T08:46:44.4066667+00:00

Hi Xiwei Zhang,

Just checking in to see if you have got a chance to see my response to your question in resolving the issue.

If it was helpful, please click "Upvote" on this post to let us know

Thank You.

Accepted answer

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Anonymous

2025-03-19T15:47:00.23+00:00

Hi Xiwei Zhang,

Yes, it is possible to extend the disk size of a VM without rebooting it, provided certain conditions are met. To do this, the user can expand the disk using tools like Windows Admin Center or PowerShell. Ensure that the VM is running on Azure Stack HCI and that the disk type supports resizing without downtime. After resizing the disk, the operating system must recognize the additional space, which can also be done without rebooting the VM. However, note that this feature is supported for data disks but not for shared disks. Also, ensure the disk type (e.g Premium SSD, Standard SSD) supports resizing without deallocation.

For detailed steps, please refer to the documentation

Expanding virtual hard disks :https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/expand-disks

Managing volumes in Azure Stack HCI: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/manage-volumes?tabs=windows-admin-center

Expand virtual hard disks attached to a Windows VM in an Azure - Azure Virtual Machines

Expand the size of the virtual hard disks attached to a virtual machine using Azure PowerShell in the Resource Manager deployment model.

If it was helpful, please click "Upvote" on this post to let us know.

Thank You.
Anonymous

2025-03-20T08:46:44.4066667+00:00

Hi Xiwei Zhang,

Just checking in to see if you have got a chance to see my response to your question in resolving the issue.

If it was helpful, please click "Upvote" on this post to let us know

Thank You.

Answer 1

Hi Xiwei,

Yes, you can extend the disk size of a VM without rebooting it, but there are a few steps and considerations

Increase the Disk Size in Azure:

Go to the Azure portal, navigate to the VM, and resize the disk under Disks.
For Azure Stack HCI, use the appropriate management tools to resize the disk.

Extend the Partition in the OS

For Windows: Open Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc). Locate the disk, right-click the partition (e.g., D: drive), and select Extend Volume.
For Linux:
- Use tools like fdisk or resize2fs to extend the partition.
Ensure the disk has unallocated space after resizing in Azure.

Backup: Always take a backup before resizing disks.

Links for OS (Windows or Linux)

Extend a Windows VM OS Disk

Extend a Linux VM OS Disk

Best regards,

Alex

P.S. If my answer help to you, please Accept my answer

Xiwei Zhang 20 Reputation points

2025-03-21T01:53:51.54+00:00

Thanks for you help

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If I can extend VM's disk size when VM is running

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