How do I make multiple copies of a VDI in 4.0.0

[rstuart]

I am a new VirtualBox user and have created a Windows XP SP2 VDI - I want to copy this VDi 3 times and install 3 versions of Microsoft Office on each vdi.

How can I do this in 4.0.0 as some of the forums I have seen refer to earlier versions and the instructions don't seem to work on my version.

My PC is Windows 7 Home Premium.

Any help appreciated - thanks.

[Zium]

Hello,

if you want to keep different harddisks (and maybe different machines) :
Use CloneVDI tool or command line "VBoxManage clonehd" (have a look in the manual)

if you only want to give a try to office then remove it, you can use snapshots.
Once you're done with your office test, just discard the last snapshots of the machine and you'll go back to the previous saved state.

[Zium]

CloneVDI is a gui to help you cloning disks.
I really suggest you to download and use it :

http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=22422

After cloning, create new virtual machines and attach new created harddidks.

[rstuart]

The tool did the job - thanks.

[hank]

I'm trying to accomplish the same end result
-- multiple copies of a base VM, so I can put one version of Office in each.

I'm confused by this in the manual:

"Starting with version 4.0, to create new disk images, please use the "Storage" page in a virtual machine's settings dialog because disk images are now by default stored in each machine's own folder."

Does the manual's method (under version 4) for new disk images accomplish the same end result as using CloneVDI (under version 4)? I think a "hard disk" and a "disk image" mean the same thing, and a "VDI" is different, but am not sure the terms are always used the same way.

I see repeated references in the manual to attaching multiple hard disks to a single VDI.
When is that desirable -- or to be avoided -- when trying to accomplish the end result asked for here?

[mpack]

I think a "hard disk" and a "disk image" mean the same thing, and a "VDI" is different

A hard disk is a hard disk - a piece of metal and electronics in the real world. A disk image is an image of a hard disk (usually), i.e. a sector for sector copy of the disk contents. But, since VirtualBox typically works with virtual hard disks - which are actually disk images - the terms "(virtual) hard disk" and "disk image" are usually interchangeable in the VBox world.

"Disk image" is a generic term. A VDI is a specific form of disk image, in fact it's the form which is native to VirtualBox. Other virtual disk forms which VBox supports include VMDK (from VMWare) and VHD (from MS Virtual PC a.k.a. Win 7 XP Mode).

I see repeated references in the manual to attaching multiple hard disks to a single VDI.

Look again - what I think you've seen is that you can attach multiple hard disks to a VM (a Virtual Machine), which is something else entirely: a VM is a simulation of a complete PC, a VDI is just a disk image.

[hank]

Thanks for the correction. Yes, I meant to ask what the difference is between three descriptions.
Let me try direct quotes.

The original question above asked this:
-- "I want to copy this VDi 3 times and install 3 versions of Microsoft Office"

I understand your advice above; your tool worked for him.

I had found (4.0.2 Manual p.80 Ch. 05)
-- "5.6 Cloning disk images. You can duplicate hard disk image files on the same host to quickly produce a second virtual machine with the same operating system setup."
That sounds like it answers the same question (using the command line method)

I was puzzled because I had read earlier in the 4.0.2 manual p. 76 Ch. 05:
-- "Starting with version 4.0, to create new disk images, please use the “Storage” page in a virtual machine’s settings dialog"

Is that instruction only for creating an entirely new disk image -- but not to be used to create a duplicate hard disk image file?

[mpack]

I was puzzled because I had read earlier in the 4.0.2 manual p. 76 Ch. 05:
-- "Starting with version 4.0, to create new disk images, please use the “Storage” page in a virtual machine’s settings dialog"

Is that instruction only for creating an entirely new disk image -- but not to be used to create a duplicate hard disk image file?

Yes, it's an instruction for creating an entirely new (blank, unformatted) VDI. AFAIK the GUI provides no means for duplicating an existing disk image: that's one of my original reasons for writing CloneVDI.