Upgrading and need for reinstallation of VM

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janpeter
Posts: 112
Joined: 27. Apr 2009, 11:51
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows 10, Ubuntu 20.04

Upgrading and need for reinstallation of VM

Post by janpeter »

I am about to uprgrade from 2.2.0 to 3.0.12 and I wonder if there is a definite need, or recomendation,
to reinstall your VM?

(I think the questions is general and not specific to the host OS but in fact I use Mac OS X 10.5.8 and
plan to upgrade to 10.6.2 first. As guest OS I use Windows XP Pro SP3).
Sasquatch
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Re: Upgrading and need for reinstallation of VM

Post by Sasquatch »

It's best to make a backup of your entire .VirtualBox folder inside your home drive to be safe, then upgrade the whole lot (OS first, then VB). There should be no need to reinstall the VM or recreate it.
Read the Forum Posting Guide before opening a topic.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org

Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
janpeter
Posts: 112
Joined: 27. Apr 2009, 11:51
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows 10, Ubuntu 20.04

Re: Upgrading and need for reinstallation of VM

Post by janpeter »

So no need to reinstall VM eventhough VirtualBox goes from 32-bit to 64-bit application
(as is the case for Mac OS host, and limited support of 64-bit guest if at all)?
Sasquatch
Volunteer
Posts: 17798
Joined: 17. Mar 2008, 13:41
Primary OS: Debian other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux
Location: /dev/random

Re: Upgrading and need for reinstallation of VM

Post by Sasquatch »

As long as your profile folder isn't remove, you don't have to reinstall it. With the backup, you can simply restore it in case your home is removed.
Read the Forum Posting Guide before opening a topic.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org

Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
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