virtualbox.org

After reading the manual for Virtualbox, I finally taught myself what the 3 "close" options mean... I learned to not power off the machine since it's like unplugging your computer... and I learned that save the machine state is like closing a laptop lid.

So now I want to know though... when I save the machine state... I can do that and get back all of my RAM for my host system?

Also my bigger question... what's the difference between "sending the shutdown signal" from the menu or shutting down Windows Vista from the start menu? (Vista is my guest OS... Host being Leopard)

rye9 wrote:So now I want to know though... when I save the machine state... I can do that and get back all of my RAM for my host system?

Yes. "Save the machine state" option stores RAM used by virtual machine on hard disk and removes it from host RAM.

rye9 wrote:Also my bigger question... what's the difference between "sending the shutdown signal" from the menu or shutting down Windows Vista from the start menu? (Vista is my guest OS... Host being Leopard)

Maybe You have noticed, that on laptops You can manage actions for closing lid, low battery state, pressing power button, etc. This is possible because when something like that happens ACPI sends a message to operating system about them.* The "send the shutdown signal" is like making ACPI know, that the power button was pressed.

Conclusion: It's not a very big difference, because in both situations guest operating system shutdowns itself by itself.

* - to anyone: correct me if I'm wrong.

etam wrote:* - to anyone: correct me if I'm wrong.

As far as I know you are correct. Either way, the OS receives a command to shut down. The only difference is that in one case the command is generated internally by software, the other way it's the result of a hardware signal (pushing the power button on your PC).