VirtualBox Does Not Detect U.S.B. Drive for Export.

[CharmingNathan]

Dear All,

This isn't the usual issue of a U.S.B. Pen Drive not being detected within VirtualBox, as in the guest, which in my case is running Widows X.P., but something more puzzling than that, though I am sure this will be resolved in less time than I took to type this message out!

I am attempting to copy the contents of my VirtualBox which runs on CentOS 6 as the host, by using exporting appliance.

However, when I attempt to select a location to copy the .vdi file to, a 2.0Gb U.S.B. Pen Drive that CentOS 6 detects, mounts, and IS visible within its installation, it is not selected, selectable, or even seen from within the VirtualBox directory tree; all I see is either Computer or "/" nothing else.

I have attempted to research this before posting, but most queries relate (understandably) to the U.S.B. drive not being detected within the Guest O.S.

Any ideas with this please?

Many thanks.

[mpack]

I am attempting to copy the contents of my VirtualBox which runs on CentOS 6 as the host, by using exporting appliance.

Why? Are you planning to leave us? If the target is an instance of VirtualBox on another host then it's usually easier (and much safer, and more reliable) to follow Howto: Move a VM.

Exporting a VM as an appliance involves making changes to the VM which cannot be easily undone, not all of them necessarily desirable. This isn't something you do when you have alternatives.

[socratis]

The external USB is there. It might not be visible as a top-level entry, because it's not. Your FileManager may present external hard drives as top-level items, but they're actually not. Look under "/mnt" or "/media" and see what you find. Or even better, try to find the exact location from your FileManager by toggling the location. On my Mint19 for example, ext. HDs are mounted under "/media/socratis/".

[CharmingNathan]

Firstly, mpack, thanks for your reply.

Secondly, I'm not sure how this happened, or more to the point didn't happen, but I did post a reply to your message yesterday, and it just disappeared, looked like it had been posted, but not there today - maybe it was deleted for reasons unknown?!

Basically, I am not leaving VirtualBox, but I am needing to back up the data in my guest (Widows XP) installation, as there is a problem with the L.V.M. where not all disk space has been used, and I need to extend it, so backing up, is all important.

If there is an alternative way to using the Import/Export Appliance method, please advise.

Thank you also, socratis, for your brilliant suggestion, and I did indeed manage to find the right path, and the .ova file is now (finally) being saved to the U.S.B. Drive, but is full already, and the file is only at 12% completed with a size of 966.8Mb, how large is it likely to get? I had assumed that some sort of compression maybe used?

Thanks mpack and socratis, both for your help, very much appreciated.

[mpack]

If there is an alternative way to using the Import/Export Appliance method, please advise.

I gave you a link in my previous post. If your purpose is to make a backup then you certainly should not be using "export". A backup should be a bit for bit copy, not a new VM which hopefully somewhat resembles the original.