Moving your VMs to a new VirtualBox. (or fixing a broken one)

[MiloTheDev]

Most of VirtualBox relies on its VMs.

But sometimes, Your VirtualBox can break. Before you attempt to fix it, (or your trying to get a new virtualbox version)
Lets make sure your VMs are safe so that you don't have to spend your stress reinstalling them,

First, Open the VirtualBox VMs Folder. (it is mainly found in your personal folder and is not hidden.)

Then go into each of your VM Folders and take out the .vhd or .vdi files (in my case its .vhd) and put them on your desktop.

Now, make a Folder on your desktop and put the VHDs or VDIs in them.

Now it is safe to reinstall virtualbox or do whatever you need to do w/ it.

Once you have done that, Remake ALL of your vms, and This time, Don't create the Hard disk. Just use the one you put in your folder on the desktop that corresponds the OS you want.

When you startup your VMs, They will have an OS w/ all your saved VM files on them.

That's how to do it!

Thanks and Hope this helped!

--MiloTheDev.

[socratis]

That's how to do it!

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

I'm sorry, but this is not the best VirtualBox related advice I've seen, on the contrary! Why would you want to do all that? Just because of a very, very specific problem in your case?

If you are interested in giving advice and guides, consider all the cases. And your suggestion doesn't. It's convoluted, it's error prone, it's simply the wrong way. There's a better one: BACKUP!!!

go into each of your VM Folders and take out the .vhd or .vdi files (in my case its .vhd) and put them on your desktop.

Are you going to do that for all ninety (90) of my VMs? Are you sure you want to do it like that?

Now it is safe to reinstall virtualbox or do whatever you need to do w/ it.

The two are not related. At all actually!

Once you have done that, Remake ALL of your vms, and This time, Don't create the Hard disk.

Are you sure you want to recreate 90 VMs? Do you remember the settings for 90 VMs? I most certainly don't. That's why I make a

BACKUP!!!

Or two.

[MiloTheDev]

SHUSH

[MiloTheDev]

BACKUP!!

Well how would you do that if...

windows errorz.PNG (17.91 KiB) Viewed 387 times

[socratis]

SHUSH

Come again? Are you actually trying to "shush" another user? Seriously?

Whilst we accept that some robust debate may be appropriate, we will not accept unnecessarily aggressive or rude behavior. So please, no matter what your personal frustration, try to keep your comments constructive. If you cross this line then the moderators will delete your posts.

This time it's a warning only; the first and last one. I do not want to see such behavior again!

[andyp73]

Well how would you do that if...

Document is empty.
Location C:\Users\milo4\.VirtualBox\VirtualBox.xml

I would either restore C:\Users\milo4\.VirtualBox\VirtualBox.xml from a backup or I would go to C:\Users\milo4\.VirtualBox and if VirtualBox.xml-prev isn't zero bytes copy that back to VirtualBox.xml. I would then look to try and understand the cause of why a file has got written as 0 bytes when it shouldn't have.

-Andy.

[MiloTheDev]

I would go to C:\Users\milo4\.VirtualBox and if VirtualBox.xml-prev isn't zero bytes copy that back to VirtualBox.xml.

Thanks! It worked perfectly!!!!
Also it worked for my broken Windows 7 VM!!! (w/ Windows 7.vbox-prev!)