I accidentally deleted all files from .VirtualBox

[ftwig]

But still, have all the directories with the VMs in them. How do I relink these VMs back to Virtulbox.

[scottgus1]

When the .Virtualbox folder is deleted or moved, Virtualbox will make a new .Virtualbox folder with a new Virtualbox.xml configuration file.

You can use the main Virtualbox window's Machine menu, Add command, to browse to each VM folder then select the .vbox file. (Turn on all extensions if your host OS unhelpfully hides known extensions and you don't at first see the .vbox extension - web-search how to do this.)

Each VM you add will reappear in the VM list. (note that if you delved into fancier setups like linked clones, you'll have to add the base VM first before the clone).

[ftwig]

I figured that but how do I relink the VMs I managed to delete from the app.

[BillG]

If you had figured it out, they would already be there!

What did you do when you found the .xml file for the vm? The way you register a vm (i.e. add it back into the list) is to double-click the .xml file.

[mpack]

Just to avoid confusion, the file you need to double click has a ".vbox" extension (assuming you did as Scott instructed and enabled filename extensions in the Windows host).

VM control files have not had a ".xml" extension since VirtualBox 4.0.0 was released (in 2010).

[ftwig]

Just to avoid confusion, the file you need to double click has a ".vbox" extension (assuming you did as Scott instructed and enabled filename extensions in the Windows host).

VM control files have not had a ".xml" extension since VirtualBox 4.0.0 was released (in 2010).

Wow thanks, that easy.

[BillG]

Sorry about the confusion. I have no idea how .vbox became .xml !

Christmas greetings to you all from Australia.