Hello Sasquatch,Sasquatch wrote:First off, the disk UUID does NOT change when you import it. It's written in the VDI file and only a "VBoxManage internalcommands sethduuid <vdi file>" will change it (or using the cloneVDI tool from mpack).
Second, the HD UUID does NOT trigger an activation, only the VM UUID. So all you have to do, is keep that UUID near the W7 VDI. You can even give a different machine UUID than it's own UUID to the VM OS. See the manual for more information on that (VBoxManage modifyvm [--hardwareuuid <uuid>]). This means that you can still clone your W7 VM, get a new VM UUID, but let it send the original UUID to the OS.
I can totally understand the first point, however not the second.
1. When you say "VM UUID", you are refering to the <MachineEntry uuid> in the VirtualBox.xml, right?
2. What does modifyvm do? I tried it. It simply adds the modified uuid after <Hardware version="2"> node in the machine.xml . I don't see how it helps with preventing reactivation.
3. By the method privided by Jegert, I am able to copy a guest machine and migrate it to another host without causing activation issue. Are we able to do it on the same host? I.e., to have two identical guest on a same host. I think the answer is no, because I can't register the VM UUID twice in the VirtualBox.xml.