How to change UUID of .vbox image

[zimbodel]

I searched as much as I could but could not find a solution for changing UUID of a copied image. I need backup images in order to be able to go to a previous state with difficult software installs.

So how do you change .vbox UUID so that the copy can also be a separate virtual machine.

sethduuid doesnt seem to work on .vbox images

[birdie]

*.vbox is a simple text file - you can edit it in any text editor and change the virtual machine UUID manually.

You could change just a single digit or use uuidgen console command to generate something truly uniq.

[scottgus1]

Note, however, the first lines of every XML file generated by Virtualbox:

<!--
** DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE.
** If you make changes to this file while any VirtualBox related application
** is running, your changes will be overwritten later, without taking effect.
** Use VBoxManage or the VirtualBox Manager GUI to make changes.
-->

So blindly editing the .vbox file may get undone by the process that causes the need for the error above.

I need backup images in order to be able to go to a previous state with difficult software installs.

The easiest way to do this is make a complete backup of the fully-shut-down, not save-stated, guest folder, as well as any guest disk files that were p;aced outside the guest folder.

Changed UUIDs may break activation and boot loaders.

A clone has completely changed UUIDs.