VirtualBox 4 is cruel to its users

[Leolo]

Today I've fired up VirtualBox and I've been greeted with the following screen:



I haven't changed anything, my virtual disks are in their own folder, perfectly accessible, as they have always been. And I really don't understand why VirtualBox is being so mean to me!

Why can't I select another virtual hard disk?

Why won't it let me try to fix the problem in a more reasonable way? (you know, maybe letting me enter the configuration and selecting another path, for example)

Destroying the virtual machines and recreating them is really the only way ??

PS: Clicking Refresh button does nothing, I guess it's as useful as those placebo buttons they put on traffic lights for the pedestrians!

[fixedwheel]

looks insane...

please open a bug report in the bugtracker
separate account needed, the anti-bot securtity question for the latest VBox version AFAIK should be answered with: 4.0.0

[Perryg]

A few questions for you first.
Did this work yesterday?
What was changed since the last time it worked?
Can you post the VirtualBox.xml file (as an attachment)

[Leolo]

Ok. Here's the file.

Yesterday it was working fine, and I haven't touched anything since. In fact, I haven't even restarted my computer yet!

Can this be fixed if I manually edit the config files somehow? I've never done that, so I'm not sure how to do it...

[Perryg]

Don't get in a rush. Let's see what happened and hopefully fix it before you make it to where none of it works.

Do these files exist still on your hard drive?
C:\Users\Daniel\VirtualBox VMs\WinXP SP3\WinXP SP3.vbox
C:\Users\Daniel\VirtualBox VMs\Win7\Win7.vbox

If so then post these as an attachment and look in the the VirtualBox VMs folders and see if the vdi files are still there.

[Scalindor]

Do you activated the 3d/2d video option?
I had the same problem, until I disabled 3d/2d video option, now it works fine...
ut srly, It needs a fix...

Cheers!

[Leolo]

Perryg, yes, the files are there and are accessible.

Here they are attached:

Scalindor, I didn't check anything video related. I left those settings at their defaults.

[Perryg]

Using the file manager go to one of the .vbox files and double click it. Does it start the guest?

[Leolo]

No, Sir. I get this error instead:



The error message gives new and interesing info. Which steps should I take now?

[Perryg]

I would really like to know what happened when you shut down the last time and what removed the entries of the guests from the xml file, but you want to get going so let's just fix it.

The message says that you still have the guest registered so choose one of the guests and click on the settings button.
Look at the storage section and see if there is a file still associated with the HDD.
I don't think there will be so in that case you need to associated the VDI file with the controller that it was using.

So what I want for you to do first is click on the settings and then on the storage section. Once this is open make a screen shot and post it here.
Please don't send a screen shot of the entire monitor just the settings section.

[Perryg]

If you can not get the settings to work you will need to remove the guest from the main VirtualBox program, (BUT DO NOT) tell it to remove and delete the file. Just remove.
Then double click and see if it will associate it again with the main program.
Post the results.

Edit: I need to do something and will be gone for 30 minutes but I will check when I get back to see how you are doing.

[Leolo]

Sir,

As you correctly guessed, I couldn't get the settings to work, so I removed both guests from the main VirtualBox program. I clicked "Remove" when I was presented with this question:


Then I double clicked on one of the .vbox files and was greeted by this error:


I think I'm now resigned to the idea of destroying the config files and recreating the virtual machines again, but I will wait for your comments. I'm willing to investigate this issue a little bit more if you are still interested and still have your patience intact (which I do really appreciate!)

Kind regards.

[Leolo]

I've just noticed that I can go to the media manager directly from the main screen, from the "File" menu.

Here's a screenshot of what I have:



Time to declare defeat?

[Perryg]

No not yet.

If the VDI files are still intact you are able to re-connect them
In the main VBox program click on the machine tab and then add.
Drill to the location of the .vbox file and try adding it.

[Leolo]

Same error as before:



I think this VirtualBox program is more obstinate than me!