Windows 10: Unable to retrieve Virtual Hard Disk Space

I have used WSL and it took space almost 100 GB in my C drive but when I tried to uninstall, the space dint get released on its own. How to uninstall WSL completely and retrieve the space.

:)

 

20GB Missing from drive after Virtual Hard Disk Deleted

If you have deleted a 20GB virtual hard disk but cannot see the 20GB space freed up on your physical drive, it is possible that the virtual hard disk was not actually stored on your physical drive but rather on another storage device or partition. It could also be possible that the virtual hard disk was located in a hidden or system folder that you may not be able to see by default.

Here are some steps you can take to try to locate the missing 20GB of storage:

1. Check if the virtual hard disk was stored in a different location: If you created the virtual hard disk in a location other than your default drive, it may be stored in a different folder or drive. Try searching your other drives or partitions to see if the virtual hard disk was stored there.
   
2. Check for hidden or system folders: Some virtual hard disks may be stored in hidden or system folders that are not visible by default. Make sure that you have enabled the option to view hidden files and folders in Windows Explorer, and also check for system files and folders.
   
3. Run a disk cleanup: It is possible that the deleted virtual hard disk is still occupying space in your Recycle Bin. Empty your Recycle Bin and also run a disk cleanup to remove any temporary or unnecessary files.
   
4. Use a disk space analyzer tool: You mentioned that you have already used WizTree, but it is worth trying other disk space analyzer tools like TreeSize or WinDirStat to see if they can identify any hidden or unallocated space on your drive.
   

If none of these steps work, it is possible that the virtual hard disk was not properly deleted or was not deleted at all. You may need to use a data recovery tool to attempt to recover the virtual hard disk or to recover any lost or hidden storage space on your drive. However, data recovery can be a complex and risky process, and there is no guarantee that it will be successful.

 

Unable to create virtual hard drive

Hi,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



As you are trying to create a virtual machine, you can try creating a virtual hard disk manually by using PowerShell command and check if that helps.



Please follow the steps mentioned below to create virtual hard disk.

• Type PowerShell in the Windows start menu.
  
• Right click on PowerShell and select run as administrator.
  
• Please enter this command New-VHD "C:\Hyper-V\Virtual Machines\Drive1.vhdx" –size 60GB –dynamic
  and hit enter key. (Note: you can change the size of the virtual hard drive according to your requirement)
  
• Open Disk Management.
  
• Click on Action and select
  Attach VHD.​
  
• Click on Browser and navigate to the location
  C:\Hyper-V\Virtual Machines and select drive1 and click on
  Open.​
  
• Click on OK.​
  
• Now, right click on Disk 1 and select
  Initialize Disk.​
  
• Select the Type of partition you want to use and click on
  OK.​
  
• Now, right click on unallocated space and click on
  New Simple Volume.​
  
• Follow the on-screen instructions to assign a
  drive letter.
  

If the issue persists, I suggest you to post your query in TechNet
forums, where we have support professionals who are well equipped with the knowledge to create virtual machines.



Hope it helps.

Noor Azam S

Microsoft Community - Moderator

 

Can't remove Hyper-V Virtual Hard Drive partition

Hi Robert,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

I understand that you are facing an issue when you are trying to remove the Hyper-V Virtual Hard Drive partition. This partition is just a virtual partition that is created by using the space within your physical hard disk, so that
it can be used within Hyper-V. Since you are no longer using Hyper-V and you wish to remove the Virtual Hard Drive partition, I would suggest you to follow the steps below and check if it is helpful to you.

Steps to remove the Virtual Hard Drive partition using Disk Management:

1. Press the Windows key and
   R key, this will open the Run dialogue box for you.
   
2. Type diskmgmt.msc and press
   Enter, this will open the Disk Management Window for you.
   
3. Your Virtual Hard Drive will be indicated by a ‘blue’ drive beside the
   Disk n (n is the disk number to which the VHD is associated), select the allocated
   Volume, right-click and select Delete Volume. You can check the picture below for your reference.
   
   
   
   
4. You will receive a prompt, click on
   Yes. This will delete the volume allocated to the Virtual Hard Drive and the space allocated will now be turned into an
   Unallocated space.
   
5. To detach the Virtual Hard Drive completely,
   right-click on the Disk and select Detach VHD.
   
6. You will receive a prompt, you may click on the check box to
   Delete the virtual hard disk after removing the disk. Click on
   OK.
   

This will remove the Hyper-V Virtual Hard Drive partition from your system.

If the issue still persists, I would suggest you to post your query in IT Pro

TechNet forums, where we have support professionals who are well equipped with the knowledge on the issues with Hyper-V and Virtual Hard Drive to assist you with your query.

Regards,

Aaron Summith

Microsoft Community - Moderator