Opened 11 years ago
Last modified 7 years ago
#13046 new defect
modifyhd --resize should not be permitted when snapshots exist
| Reported by: | skittleys | Owned by: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component: | virtual disk | Version: | VirtualBox 4.3.10 |
| Keywords: | modifyhd resize snapshot undocumented | Cc: | |
| Guest type: | all | Host type: | all |
Description
Currently, a VM with snapshots can be "resized" via VBoxManage modifyhd --resize. However, this puts the user between a rock and a hard place. The VM settings show the new size, but the guest OS does not. The VM cannot be reduced to its former size (VBOX_E_NOT_SUPPORTED). The snapshots cannot be deleted. Basically, the program claims the snapshot is being deleted, then when that dialog disappears, all VMs say "Information Unavailable" and the Settings windows are blank. When VirtualBox Manager is restarted, all the VMs are fine again, but the snapshot still exists.
The issue is irreversible. The only solution I've found thus far (here) is to clone the VM without also cloning the snapshots, assign a new UUID to this disk (another issue), and proceed from there.
This issue has existed for many years, yet remains completely undocumented. Furthermore, because it is not mentioned in the User Guide or the numerous blog posts outlining how to expand a VM, the only way the user will discover it is when they search for information after they've done an irreversible procedure.
This is essentially a duplicate of ticket:9103. However, I felt the need to open a new ticket because that ticket and its specified version are over 3 years old, no support activity has occurred in over 3 years (though 1 user commented on it recently), and the issue has yet to be addressed. At the very least, this caveat should be documented under section 8.23 of the User Manual.
+1
#10818 should be marked as a duplicate of this, because here's the better problem description.
(Can someone add me to Cc please? It seems I can't do this myself.)