Need to move my vhd's to a different vrive

[Moonpig]

Hi there
I downloaded virtualbox to do website testing in Internet Explorer on my mac, and, using the terminal command -
curl -s ...xdissent/ievms/master/ievms.sh | bashfrom - from the osx daily/github article,
I now have a folder with 50GBs in it, hidden in my User folder.

I need to move this to an external drive. Can someone tell me how to do this, simply, and then get Virtualbox working correctly. I'm not a programmer.

Cheers

[Perryg]

What is the version of VirtualBox?

[Moonpig]

4.1.8

[Perryg]

Moving this could be as simple and copying the entire VirtualBox VMs folder to the new location and editing the VirtualBox.xml file to show the new location, but only if you know what you are doing. You would then need to edit the preference section on VirtualBox to show the new location of the default folder so any new guests is created in the proper folder.

Another approach (and safer) is to copy the entire folder to the new location and remove the guest/s (without deleting) and then use the add feature to add it back from the new location. You still need to make sure you set the default location in the preferences.

I would strongly suggest that you backup the VirtualBox.xml file and the guests *.vbox files to a safe location.

[Moonpig]

Hi Perry
Thanks for the reply, I just need a little clarification. So all I need to do is go into the hidden .ievms folder in my USer folder and move the folders named IE6 thru IE9, containing the various .vhd files, to the external drive, then go back into the Virtualbox Manager, and remove the IE6 to IE9 from the left panel and then add new, pointing to the new location? Will it matter that they are no longer in the hidden .ievms folder in my user folder? Also, I saw someone mention editing the VirtualBox.xml file but I don't know where this is, Spotlight can't find it. And by "the guests *.vbox files" do you mean the .vhd files or something else?

Thanks

[Perryg]

Here again hacking (editing) the xml file should be left to experienced user/s.

The second approach would be my suggestion to most users though. As for them being hidden or not that would not really matter as long as the absolute path is given to the VirtualBox program (the default location in preference) for new guests. Since you would be removing then (without deleting) and adding them back using the add feature, the xml file will be updated by the VirtualBox program.

Just do yourself a huge favour and back everything up.

[Moonpig]

Cheers
I think I've worked it out. I've moved the VMs folder (which I hadn't noticed before) to the same place I've moved the vhd folders, as well as pointing to it in the preferences. I've set up a new machine for IE6, and it seems to be OK, but I've never set up anything in Windows before and one thing is bothering me -
according to xdissent -

"IE6 only - Install network adapter drivers by opening the "drivers" CD image in the VM.
Note

The IE6 network drivers must be installed upon first boot, or an activation loop will prevent subsequent logins forever. If this happens, restoring to the clean snapshot will reset the activation lock."

I don't know where this "drivers" cd image is and how I install the network adapters. Am I doing this through Virtualbox Manager or inside Windows itself, or what?
Man, this stuff is really making me feel like a noob.

[Perryg]

That part I can't help you with as I don't try to get around activations.