Uninstall Virtualbox 5.1.30/5.2.2 in macOS Sierra preserving settings

[joseluisbz]

Hi, I want to know what settings file I need to copy in order to be applied again later.

I want to uninstall Virtualbox in my macOS Sierra, I'm not sure if it is working according expectation, but I don't want to lose my guest settings and general settings.

When I remove from macOS the settings are lost.
What files and locations I need to save?

[socratis]

Ch. 10.1 Where VirtualBox stores its files of the User Manual.

You should have a searchable PDF included with your installation (Help » Contents). Take advantage of that fact and use it to search the PDF for those terms.

[joseluisbz]

Code: Select all

$ cp -r ~/Library/VirtualBox /SOME/PATH

$ sudo rm -rf /Applications/VirtualBox.app
$ sudo rm -rf /Applications/VirtualBox.pkg
$ sudo rm -rf /Library/Application\ Support/VirtualBox
$ sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.virtualbox.startup.plist 
$ sudo rm -rf /Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/vboxapi*
$ sudo rm -rf /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/vboxapi*
$ sudo rm -rf ~/Library/VirtualBox
$ sudo rm ~/Library/LaunchAgents/org.virtualbox.vboxwebsrv.plist 
$ sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/org.virtualbox.app*
$ sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/org.virtualbox.app*
$ sudo rm /dev/vbox*

$ sudo find /private/var/db -iname "*virtualbox*" -delete

$ sudo rm -rf /usr/local/bin/V*Box*
$ sudo rm -rf /usr/local/bin/vbox*

Hi, this was found.

[socratis]

When I remove from macOS the settings are lost.

No, they're not. Not if you use the "VirtualBox_Uninstall.tool" that is in your DMG, they're not. I uninstall and re-install VirtualBox several times a day. My settings, my VMs and their settings are not touched. Just open the uninstall script with a decent text editor and see what gets deleted...

but I don't want to lose my guest settings and general settings.

Well, the following ones that you are deleting with your "script", *are* your settings/preferences. *YOU* are manually deleting the preferences!!!

Code: Select all

$ sudo rm -rf ~/Library/VirtualBox
$ sudo rm ~/Library/LaunchAgents/org.virtualbox.vboxwebsrv.plist
$ sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/org.virtualbox.app*
$ sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/org.virtualbox.app*

Stick with the "VirtualBox_Uninstall.tool". If you want to start experimenting, expect trouble if you don't know what you're doing.

[joseluisbz]

You have reason,

The Uninstaller left:

Code: Select all

$ sudo ls -al ~/Library/Preferences/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox*
-rw-------  1 joseluisbz  staff  288 Dec 15 11:06 /Users/joseluisbz/Library/Preferences/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox.plist
-rw-------  1 joseluisbz  staff   80 Dec 15 11:16 /Users/joseluisbz/Library/Preferences/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBoxVM.plist
$

$ sudo ls -al ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox*
/Users/joseluisbz/Library/Saved Application State/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox.savedState:
total 32
drwx------   5 joseluisbz  staff   170 Dec 15 11:16 .
drwx------@ 25 joseluisbz  staff   850 Dec 15 11:17 ..
-rw-------   1 joseluisbz  staff  1104 Dec 15 11:16 data.data
-rw-------@  1 joseluisbz  staff  5376 Dec 15 11:17 window_1.data
-rw-------   1 joseluisbz  staff   404 Dec 15 11:16 windows.plist

/Users/joseluisbz/Library/Saved Application State/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBoxVM.savedState:
total 32
drwx------   5 joseluisbz  staff   170 Dec 15 11:42 .
drwx------@ 25 joseluisbz  staff   850 Dec 15 11:17 ..
-rw-------   1 joseluisbz  staff  1088 Dec 15 11:42 data.data
-rw-------@  1 joseluisbz  staff  6208 Dec 15 11:44 window_1.data
-rw-------   1 joseluisbz  staff   895 Dec 15 11:42 windows.plist
$

$ sudo find /private/var/db -iname "*virtualbox*"
/private/var/db/BootCaches/E22879AF-588D-4B0E-AB99-B3FBABE80132/app.org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox.playlist
$ 

I used comparator to get what files and folders are installed on Guest "clean of VirtualBox" macOS.
And I was removing manually all the new files appeared when Installation is performed.

Then we have two options, uninstaller an manually command (securely erasing folder and files).

Check the running unistaller y check my list, may be yo get files not erased by tool.