Virtual box can't find my VM but I can

[Villandra]

I just installed Virtual Box in Ubuntu 18.04, and spent ALL DAY managing to install Windows 7 and activate it by phone.

Suddenly Virtual Box won't open it because allegedly it can't find it.

I can find it. The VDI is right where it's supposed to be.

The hard drive that contains it is mounted. I unmounted it and then remounted it, same problem.

I noticed that it's mounted into a file in/ mnts instead of /media, with a long string for a name, and maybe it doesn't have the same name it previously did?

Error is

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine Windows7HVM.

Could not open the medium '/media/dora/Windows7VM/Windows7HVM.vdi'.
VD: error VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND opening image file '/media/dora/Windows7VM/Windows7HVM.vdi' (VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND).

Result Code: NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component: MediumWrap
Interface: IMedium {ad47ad09-787b-44ab-b343-a082a3f2dfb1}

In the Virtual Box manager it says SATA Port 0: Windows7HVM.vdi (Normal, Inaccessible)

Allegedly didn't power off the machine can be a cause. The machine IS powered off.

I tried copying the vbox-prev folder to the vbox folder. It didn't help. I copied the backup copy I created to the vbox folder. Still doesn't work.

I notice that it thinks it's in Home/Dora/VirtualBox VMS and there is no such folder as Dora, it's in Home/VirtualBoxVMS. I created a folder /Dora in /Home and copied the VirtualBoxVMS folder with all of its contents into it, and Virtual Box still can't find the virtual machine.

I've seen various instructions to edit things IN the vbox file, and, allegedly in Windows one can use an ordinary text or Word editor to do that - but gedit won't open it. Just tries to run it in Virtual Box.

[socratis]

I can find it. The VDI is right where it's supposed to be.

I already asked you in another thread to post the .vbox file. That will clear the confusion.

I noticed that it's mounted into a file in/ mnts instead of /media, with a long string for a name, and maybe it doesn't have the same name it previously did?

Unless you become more specific, by giving us the exact mount points and paths, all we can do is speculate.

In the Virtual Box manager it says SATA Port 0: Windows7HVM.vdi (Normal, Inaccessible)

If the VDI can't be found in the location that's specified in the .vbox file, yes, it will be inaccessible...

I tried copying the vbox-prev folder to the vbox folder. It didn't help

Why would it? A backup of a file, with a different name, randomly copied in some random place is not a way of solving the problem, far from it.

I've seen various instructions to edit things IN the vbox file

In rare cases, following really specific instructions. It's not for the first-time-user of VirtualBox.

allegedly in Windows one can use an ordinary text or Word editor to do that - but gedit won't open it. Just tries to run it in Virtual Box.

Are you kidding me? Did you try to run gedit and open the .vbox file? And you couldn't? Doesn't compute, unless the only thing you tried was to double-click on the .vbox file...

Actually, on a second thought, if you can't even open a text file with gedit, you most probably shouldn't be messing around with XML files, you might make things even worse! Wait for an expert opinion and do *not* try things at random.

[Villandra]

Socrates, by VBox file, do you mean the machine file, or the XML file? Noone ever differentiates between the two, which can greatly confuse a newbie. Especially as VirtualBox, not me, put VirtualBox.xml in a config folder, and Windows7HVM1.vbox in the VirtualBox folder.

I wonder if I am intended to edit the VirtualBox.XML file, which DOES open in Gedit?

I now understand that the fln.vbox file is the virtual machine itself? It won't open in gedit. It doesn't look as if it should open in gedit; instead of looking like a text file icon the icon is a blue cube like a dice cube.

I now understand, by implication when someone got incredulous because I said that I put the vdi file and the vbox file in different folders, that the vbox file that has a .vbox extension is the virtual machine?

When writing instructions for newbies it is necessary to be more specific than this!

[socratis]

Socrates, by VBox file, do you mean the machine file, or the XML file?

If I wanted the "VirtualBox.xml" file I would have said so. I said the .vbox file, and I included a link to the thread that I want you to post the .vbox file, along with instructions, the last paragraph.

Noone ever differentiates between the two, which can greatly confuse a newbie.

One is a .xml file, the other is a .vbox file. You must be really trying to confuse the two, even for a newbie.

I wonder if I am intended to edit the VirtualBox.XML file, which DOES open in Gedit?

At your level, I wouldn't suggest editing any file. We'll figure out what's wrong with your setup, and you'll follow the instructions, if and when those are given.

When writing instructions for newbies it is necessary to be more specific than this!

Just follow the instructions given and don't try things that might make the situation worse. Like editing files you're not supposed to edit.

[siddhi]

It's easy to fin you have to just search for .vbox and .xml file in pc.