Are you getting a virtual disk service error when trying to run DiskPart? This can be a very frustrating issue, but luckily it is easy to fix. In this article, I will walk you through the steps to resolving this problem. This is a technical article for users of virtual machines But first, a couple of definitions is case you are new to virtual operating systems.
A virtual machine (VM) is a digital version of a physical computer. Virtual machine software can run programs and operating systems, store data, connect to networks, and do other computing functions, and requires maintenance such as updates and system monitoring. The main purpose of VMs is to operate multiple operating systems at the same time, from the same piece of hardware.
A virtual hard disk (VHD) is a disk image file format for storing the entire contents of a computer’s hard drive. The disk image, sometimes called a virtual machine (VM), replicates an existing hard drive, including all data and structural elements. Important to note that the VHD is a backup copy of your disk drive.
What is Virtual Disk Service?
Virtual Disk Service is a Windows service that manages and provides information about virtual disks. This service is required for many tasks related to disk management, such as creating or extending a volume.
At the time of Windows 2000, each storage device manufacturer offered its own application to install and manage its devices. As a result, if users have different types of storage devices on their computer system, they must use separate applications. Disk and partition management became difficult as a result of this.
Virtual Disk Service (VDS) was established in Windows Server 2003 to address the management problem. VDS is a set of application programming interfaces that include the Disk Management snap-in, the DiskPart command-line tool, and the DiskRAID command-line tool, which provides a unified interface for disk management.
VDS eliminates the need to use multiple storage applications to manage various storage devices. Instead, any hardware with a VDS hardware provider may be managed using the same compatible storage application.
Why are you getting a Virtual Disk Service error?
There are a few different reasons why you may be getting a Virtual Disk Service error.
- The most common reason is that the service is not running.
- Another common issue is that the security descriptor of the VDS registry key is corrupt. This can happen if you have recently installed or uninstalled a third-party storage application.
- The VDS dynamic-link library (DLL) may be damaged or missing. This is usually caused by malware or a virus.
- The storage device is not compatible with VDS.
- You do not have the correct permissions to manage the storage device.
- The storage device is in use by another process.
Common DiskPart Virtual Disk Service Errors and their solutions
The DiskPart Virtual Disk Service error can occur due to various circumstances. We will list out all the errors and their solutions with it.
In most solutions, you will require to use third-party apps such as EaseUS Partition Master or Minitool Partition Wizard.
Error #1: Clean is not allowed on the disk containing the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump, or hibernation volume
While confirming DiskPart clean command on the system disk, if you will receive the following error message, this solution is for you:
“Virtual Disk Service error: Clean is not allowed on the disk containing the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump or hibernation volume.”
This error is caused by the fact that you are trying to clean the system disk. You cannot use the DiskPart clean command on the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump or hibernation volume. To fix this error and use the DiskPart clean command successfully, you will need to create a bootable disk using EaseUS Partition Master. This will allow you to boot your system with external media and clean your system partition.
Here are the steps for that:
- Make a disc or hard drive. You will need storage media, such as a USB flash drive or CD/DVD disc, to make a bootable EaseUS Partition Master disk. Connect the device properly to your computer. Then, from the top menu bar, choose “WinPE Creator.” Select it to continue.
- When you select a drive, your computer will detect the attached device and display whether it is USB or CD/DVD. If you do not have a storage device on hand, you may also save the ISO file to a local drive and then burn it to a storage medium later. Once you have picked an option, click “Proceed.”
- Connect the WinPE bootable disk to the PC. Restart your computer and press the Esc button repeatedly to go into BIOS. Set it so that the PC boots from “Removable Devices” or “CD-ROM Drive” instead of Hard Drive. Press “F10” to save and exit the BIOS menu.
- Install and Open EaseUS Partition Master. Select the hard drive or solid-state drive to erase. Then right-click and select “Wipe Data.”
- Set the number of times to erase data. You can only set it to 10 at a time. Then, press “OK”.
- A message box will appear telling you that “A computer would restart after the disk erase is recommended”. Click “OK” to continue.
- To start wiping the data, click “Execute the operation” and then “Apply.”
Error #2: The Volume size is too big
The following error message might appear when you are trying to format a partition to FAT32 using DiskPart:
“Virtual Disk Service error: The volume size is too big.“
If you are getting this error, the size of the disk you trying to format is probably greater than 32 GB. Windows do not support formatting a device beyond 32GB into FAT32 due to the file system’s limitation. You have two choices to resolve this issue, either use a third-party tool like EaseUS Partition Master to format the drive to the FAT32 file system or you can format the disk in another format such as NTFS or exFAT. For that follow these steps:
- On the Windows search box type Disk Management and launch it.
- Right-click on the disk and choose Format.
- Choose a Volume label, File system (as NTFS), and Allocation size. Click OK to format.
Error #3: There is not enough usable space for this operation
If you are receiving the “Virtual Disk Service error: There is not enough usable space for this operation.” it might be because there is no unused free space or not enough unallocated space available on a hard disk for some specific operations, such as to extend a partition or to create a primary partition using DiskPart utility.
The solution is to Shrink Volume:
- On the Windows search box type Disk Management and launch it.
- Right-click on the disk and choose Shrink Volume.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to shrink the volume.
Error #4: The service failed to initialize
Normally, the Virtual Disk Service launches automatically on a Windows PC. However, it may not start at times or fail to initialize. Under such a scenario, you will get the following error:
“Virtual Disk Service error: The service failed to initialize.“
To fix the error you need to start the VDS service, from the Windows Services. Here are the steps for that:
- On the Windows search box, type Services and click on its icon to launch Windows Services.
- Search for Virtual Disk Service and double click on it.
- Click on the Start button to start the Virtual Disk service.
Conclusion – a couple of questions
Windows DiskPart is a powerful command-line tool that you can use to manage partitions on your hard drive. However, sometimes you might encounter errors when trying to use it. In this article, I have provided solutions to some of the most common DiskPart errors.
How do I fix an invalid parameter DiskPart error?
If you are getting the “DiskPart has encountered an error: The parameter is incorrect” error, it might be because you are trying to clean a drive that is currently in use. To fix this, you need to first unmount the drive and then run the clean command.
How do I fix a virtual disk service error in Windows Server 2008?
If you are getting the “Virtual Disk Service error: The service failed to initialize” error, it might be because the Virtual Disk Service is not running. To fix this, you need to start the VDS service from the Windows Services.
Stay protected!
George Cox is the owner of Computer Diagnostics and Repair. He can be reached at 346-4217.
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