VirtualBox on Mac with VMDK file issue

Faustus

Faustus

Faustus

Soldato
Joined
20 Mar 2007
Posts
5,413
Following Parallels refusal to support PD6 in Mountain Lion exactly 1 year after purchase I decided I wasn’t prepared to shell out yet more cash for an upgrade. Following that decision I thought I would try VirtualBox and was pleasantly pleased with the results – works really well on the Mac with Windows 7 as the VM.

The only downside has been an inability to shrink/compress the virtual HD. To import Parallels PVM into VirtualBox one has to use VMware converter tool. This then leaves the VirtualBox VM as a VMDK file rather than the default VDI file. In the Windows environment one can use CloneVDI to shrink a VDI HD but there doesn’t appear to be a similar tool for the Mac Host. I have also not been able to come across any method for shrinking a VMDK file on a Mac Host. This being the case the VM file is bound to grow and grow with time. Has anyone else been able to overcome this issue?
 
stueng said:
I find performance to be horrible when using VMDK's

you?
Click to expand...

Not really, though I suppose it depends on what your are using the VM for. I only need it for some older office apps we use at work etc. so it isn't really an issue. I downloaded VMware Fusion 4 and found it just as good as Parallels. However, Parallels will not get any more of my cash after abandoning support for PD6 just twelve months after the release of PD7. From what I've read this isn't the first time they have done this with their customers.

I've now got VirtualBox in VDI format and I'm finding it an excellent alternative to the commercial products.
 
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