winxp inaccessable

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peaceandlove
Posts: 8
Joined: 21. Jun 2021, 06:16

winxp inaccessable

Post by peaceandlove »

When i try to login today i got this
error1.png
error1.png (69.83 KiB) Viewed 2763 times
I read a theread it says
delete 'VirtualBox.xml' and rename 'VirtualBox.xml-prev' to 'VirtualBox.xml'.

If you don't find 'VirtualBox.xml-prev', then delete 'VirtualBox.xml' and start Virtualbox. Your guest list will be empty, but the guests will still be available. Find each guest's .vbox file using the Machine menu, Add.. and the guests will be re-registered. You may need to reset any global settings you changed in File menu, Preferences
but i did not able to get how to find each guest.box files? where are they located?

or an other solution
BillG
Volunteer
Posts: 5102
Joined: 19. Sep 2009, 04:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows 10,7 and earlier
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by BillG »

By default they are located in C:\Users\your username\VirtualBox VMs. If yours are somewhere else, that is because you asked VirtualBox to put them somewhere else. You would be the only person with any idea where that was.
VMFiles.PNG
VMFiles.PNG (31.94 KiB) Viewed 2749 times
What drive in your PC is F: ? Is it a removable drive? Is there anything in that drive?
peaceandlove
Posts: 8
Joined: 21. Jun 2021, 06:16

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by peaceandlove »

Thanks for your reply

I had only install one virtual mahcne that is xp and when i goto c user i can see thiss
box.png
box.png (76.23 KiB) Viewed 2746 times
I did rename VirtualBox.xml to VirtualBoxcandelete.xml

and thten VirtualBox.xml-prev to VirtualBox.xml but it does not help

Is there any way i can recover my virtual box or atleast if i can see the files i stored in it using my windows 10?
peaceandlove
Posts: 8
Joined: 21. Jun 2021, 06:16

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by peaceandlove »

What i remember i install it on f:\winxp , now what if i try to reinstall it on f:\winxp , can i able to recover the files i had on that?
BillG
Volunteer
Posts: 5102
Joined: 19. Sep 2009, 04:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows 10,7 and earlier
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by BillG »

Why did you pick F: ? What is it? Can you read the contents of F: from Windows file explorer?
Bill
peaceandlove
Posts: 8
Joined: 21. Jun 2021, 06:16

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by peaceandlove »

i can access F: but there is no folder f:\winxp

and even my winxp running good and there is no folder in f:\winxp , you can see it on my first screen

why i choose it as this drive is almost empty so i choose to create it so i got space , it happen few month agoo

I would very thankful if you can tell me a way to restore it

or

even i i cannot restore it, actually i pasted few files in c:\myfolder under virtual box winxp (you can assume it like some excel files) and i just want to get them back, is there any way i can get them from my windows 10 some how? if so event htat can resolve my issue so any way to get files i copied to my virtual winxp machine ?
BillG
Volunteer
Posts: 5102
Joined: 19. Sep 2009, 04:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows 10,7 and earlier
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by BillG »

There is no way of copying the files from your XP vm until you find where its virtual disk is stored. It should be called winxp.vdi .

Search Windows for any .vdi files (ie search *.vdi) . If none are found, there is no hope of recovering files. If I do it on my machine, it files all the .vdi files for my vms.
Last edited by BillG on 21. Jun 2021, 09:57, edited 1 time in total.
Bill
peaceandlove
Posts: 8
Joined: 21. Jun 2021, 06:16

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by peaceandlove »

winxp.vdi where can it be located? let me try to find it

or is there any way i can re install winxp instant and i get my files kept and not lose?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by mpack »

Sorry, but no-one here can tell you where you put your files on your PC. Try the Windows search function.

VirtualBox VMs use "virtual drives". These are "images" of actual drives. Various image formats are supported, but the main one is VDI. In order to access files in a VDI file you typically mount it in a VM - though of course there are third party tools that can inspect the contents, such as 7-zip. But of course: you have to find the VDI first, there is no substitute for that.
peaceandlove
Posts: 8
Joined: 21. Jun 2021, 06:16

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by peaceandlove »

Based on my screen shots can you please guess where is my VDI located?
box.png
box.png (76.23 KiB) Viewed 2725 times
error1.png
error1.png (69.83 KiB) Viewed 2725 times
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by mpack »

No, I'm afraid that looking at the screenshot for the manager folder will not tell me where a VM stores its files.

The error message tells you that the VM folder is "F:\WinXP\WinXP". Normally the VDI would be located in there too. I can't tell you much more than that. I assume that "F:" is a removable drive which is not currently plugged it, or else Windows has assigned a new drive letter to it.

"F:\WinXP\WinXP" is where the VM was located when it was first registered or created. If the VM has since moved location then you need to unregister the dead VM and re-register the .vbox file in the new location.
BillG
Volunteer
Posts: 5102
Joined: 19. Sep 2009, 04:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows 10,7 and earlier
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: winxp inaccessable

Post by BillG »

@peaceandlove

Do you read the replies you get? Do you ever try any of the things we suggest? For instance, did you ever use Windows search to find what .vdi files exist on your PC?
Bill
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