How to Increase Storage Space for Guest OS on VirtualBox 6
If you are using VirtualBox 6 for virtualization and find yourself running out of storage space on your guest operating system, don’t worry! In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of adding more storage space to your guest OS on VirtualBox 6.
Before we begin, make sure you have VirtualBox 6 installed on your computer. If you don’t have it, you can download it from the official VirtualBox website and follow the installation instructions.
Step 1: Create a New Virtual Hard Disk
The first step is to create a new virtual hard disk that will provide the additional storage space for your guest OS. To do this, open VirtualBox and go to the File menu, then select Virtual Media Manager.
In the Virtual Media Manager, click on the Add button to create a new virtual hard disk. Choose the VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image) format and click Next.
Next, you will be asked to choose between a Dynamically allocated or Fixed size virtual hard disk. If you are not sure which one to choose, the dynamically allocated option is recommended as it will only use the actual space on your physical hard disk when needed.
Specify the size of the virtual hard disk. This should be the amount of additional storage space you want to add to your guest OS. Keep in mind that the maximum size you can choose depends on the available disk space on your physical hard disk.
Click Next and then Create to finish creating the new virtual hard disk.
Step 2: Attach the New Virtual Hard Disk
Now that you have created the new virtual hard disk, you need to attach it to your guest OS. Start by selecting the virtual machine for which you want to add more storage space in the VirtualBox main window.
Click on the Settings button to open the virtual machine’s settings. Go to the Storage tab and click on the Add Hard Disk button.
In the Add Hard Disk wizard, choose the Choose existing disk option and click Add.
Browse for the location where you saved the new virtual hard disk file and select it. Click Open to continue.
Back in the Storage tab, you will see the new virtual hard disk listed under the Controller: SATA or Controller: IDE section. Click on the OK button to save the changes.
Step 3: Modify Guest OS Settings
The last step is to modify the settings of your guest OS to recognize and use the additional storage space.
Start your virtual machine and wait for the guest OS to boot. Once it is up and running, go to the Start menu and open the Control Panel.
In the Control Panel, click on Administrative Tools and then Computer Management.
In the Computer Management window, click on Disk Management under the Storage section.
You should see the new unallocated disk space listed. Right-click on it and select New Simple Volume.
Follow the instructions in the New Simple Volume wizard to format and assign a drive letter to the new storage space.
Once you have completed these steps, your guest OS should recognize and be able to use the additional storage space provided by the new virtual hard disk.
That’s it! You have successfully added more storage space to your guest OS on VirtualBox 6. Now you can enjoy the benefits of having extra storage for your virtual machine.
