virtual machine question

Geekazoid · 7 Jan 2015 at 02:04

if I make a virtual machine say using VMware or any other virtual machine software when I set the hard drive space for my virtual machine does it create a physical partition on my C drive??? or is it just space allocation??? within a virtual environment and don't affect your physical partitions??

The reason I ask this is because I have Intel Rapid Storage software running on my C drive and I don't want it to be physically partitioned as this could mess up my intel storage...

many thanks

Mynight · 7 Jan 2015 at 02:18

It won't touch your physical partitions it only allocates space. I can only say for definite that's what happens with VMware but I suspect the sames true of the others.

Rroff · 7 Jan 2015 at 02:45

Most VMs either use a single large file on the existing partition as a virtual disc either allocated at full size or some kind of sparse or dynamic disc where the file resizes as needed or some use some form of "host fs" that translate disc io directly to files and directories on the host disc.

Existing disc structure shouldn't be changed by most mainstream VMs though you might find some emulators that have such functionality.

Skeeter · 7 Jan 2015 at 07:05

For any VM software at home user level the VHD will just be a file stored on your existing physical HDD setup.

ED209 · 7 Jan 2015 at 10:40

with programs like virtual box and VMware you crate a single file or small files on the physical drive which then acts as the HDD on the virtual machine.

the software doesn't touch the physical drive or amend anything on it.

you will get options when you create the virtual machine if you want to store it as 1 file (used for moving the vm if ever needed) or single files if you don't need to move it and then it will ask the size you want the HDD on the VM to be.

I use the software at work and sometimes at home to test a ISO file for windows before doing the install on my PC like if I integrate a load of windows updates in to a iso file.

Geekazoid · 7 Jan 2015 at 21:12

Cheers fellas for the info much appreciated... I needed a virtual machine for how to videos I make but I wanted to install things/ software without messing around with same software on my machine already installed and properly set up... Needed a mess around Windows environment...