Import Virtual Machines from old Virtual Box Installation

[chaosphysik]

Hey Folks.

I recently had to reinstall my Windows and now, installing the latest Version of Virtual Box (4.0.2.) I am unable to add my existing virutal enviroment (created with virtual box 3.x, which is stored below d:\virtualbox\Machines\%MachineName%). Inside those folders i have the following files:


Directory of D:\VirtualBox\Machines\W2k3_Eng_SP2


13.01.2011 11:16 <DIR> Logs
13.01.2011 12:06 <DIR> Snapshots
15.02.2011 17:07 0 Test.txt
13.01.2011 12:06 11.320 W2k3_Eng_SP2.xml
13.01.2011 12:06 11.321 W2k3_Eng_SP2.xml-prev

Directory of D:\VirtualBox\Machines\W2k3_Eng_SP2\Logs

13.01.2011 12:06 67.741 VBox.log
13.01.2011 11:13 67.060 VBox.log.1
24.11.2010 10:31 68.276 VBox.log.2
04.11.2010 17:03 70.719 VBox.log.3

Directory of D:\VirtualBox\Machines\W2k3_Eng_SP2\Snapshots

13.01.2011 12:06 863.395.545 {52c9bad3-5e1d-4ba5-bb83-321ab338604b}.sav

So, how do I import this machine to the new Virtual Box? I have tried to use the following command, but without success:

C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>VBoxManage.exe registervm d:\VirtualBox\Machi
nes\W2k3_Eng_SP2\W2k3_Eng_SP2.xml
VBoxManage.exe: error: Could not find an open hard disk with UUID {759415be-bcdf
-4ed1-b412-bb9832890239}
VBoxManage.exe: error: Details: code VBOX_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND (0x80bb0001), compo
nent VirtualBox, interface IVirtualBox, callee IUnknown
Context: "OpenMachine(Bstr(a->argv[0]).raw(), machine.asOutParam())" at line 88
of file VBoxManageMisc.cpp

and

C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>VBoxManage.exe import d:\VirtualBox\Machines\
W2k3_Eng_SP2\W2k3_Eng_SP2.xml
VBoxManage.exe: error: Appliance file must have .ovf extension
VBoxManage.exe: error: Details: code VBOX_E_FILE_ERROR (0x80bb0004), component A
ppliance, interface IAppliance, callee IUnknown
Context: "Read(Bstr(pszAbsFilePath).raw(), progressRead.asOutParam())" at line 2
66 of file VBoxManageAppliance.cpp

Do you have any clues how i will be able to get my virtual enviroment back online? I have tried to add the existing virtual HDs through my "Virtual Media Manager" but i am unable to add anything inside it. Looking forward to your comments.

So long.

chaosphysik

[vbox4me2]

It looks like you only have snapshots and not the base vdi file of the VM, only snapshots are useless without the base.

[chaosphysik]

Hey Folks!

My Bad, after checking the XML-Files, i realized that the harddrives are located in a diffrent folder:

Directory of D:\VirtualBox\Harddisks

15.02.2011 17:30 8.843.772.416 TestEnv_W2k8R2_eng.vdi
15.02.2011 17:37 5.815.484.928 W2k3_Eng_SP2.vdi
15.02.2011 17:30 8.916.242.432 W2k8R2_DC1.vdi
15.02.2011 17:30 16.573.874.688 Win7_Client_Eng_x86.vdi
15.02.2011 17:30 6.161.515.008 Windows 2k8 StandAlone x86.vdi
15.02.2011 17:30 3.877.675.520 XP1-domjoined.vdi
15.02.2011 17:30 3.619.725.824 XP2-domjoined.vdi

Currently I am in the process installing the 3.2 Version, getting everything back up running and then exporting into the new format, but if anyone has an easier way to do it. please let me know.

[inspired888]

Was no one able to answer this question?
I am looking for the same info.

I had a VM installed on a linux machine. I am guess it used a 3.x of VBox.

I now have a new computer (a mac), and need to open the VM I was using on the linux box. I have Vbox 4.x on this machine.

Would love to know how to get this old VM image to load into the new Vbox installation.

With much thanks,

Jonathan

[Etepetete]

After discovering, late in the game that the 4.x version of VBox uses a new directory structure for VM storage as well as using different file extensions for the XML files I went about it in this manner:

• Made copies of the "old" VM XML files,
• Made copies of the "old" VDIs,
• Uninstalled VBox from my host,
• Cleaned the Windows registry,
• Installed the newest version of VBox,
• Installed the current version of the Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack,
• Created a new VM for each VM I wanted to transfer to the new format creating a new, empty VDI (I read throught the old VM XML files making sure the same configuration was used for the new VM as in the old VM. I also read the manual to figure out which new options, peculiar to the 4.x version apply and selected them accordingly.)
• Changed the boot order of the VM to allow booting from CD/DVD first,
• Attached the clonezilla iso file to the CD/DVD drive of the VM,
• Attached the "old" VDI to the newly created VM (now two VDIs attached),
• Booted the VM and ran clonezilla to transfer the content of the old VDI to the new, empty VDI,
• Shut down the VM,
• Detached the old VDI from the VM,
• Removed the clonezilla iso from the VM's CD/DVD drive,
• Rebooted the VM and installed the guest additions.

I understand that this is a lot of work. For me it worked, I only transfered two VMs this way. For people running tens or hundreds of VMs, all I can say is, "Have a nice week or two!"
I opted for the above solution because I read reports that the option to export and import VMs was buggy.

[mpack]

I had a VM installed on a linux machine. I am guess it used a 3.x of VBox.
I now have a new computer (a mac), and need to open the VM I was using on the linux box. I have Vbox 4.x on this machine.

The easiest method is just to copy the VDI to your new host, then create a new VM around it, making sure to keep the VM settings identical as far as possible, particularly as regards the settings for VT-x, IO APIC, IDE controller type, NIC type and MAC address.

The above is easy provided you have not used snapshots. If you have used snapshots then you need to use "VBoxManage clonehd" to convert the most recent snapshot to a merged, standalone VDI, then follow the instructions in the previous paragraph.

[mpack]

I understand that this is a lot of work

I'm pretty sure you made it harder than it needed to be! You already had the disk images, there should have been no need for CloneZilla etc.

[Etepetete]

I'm pretty sure you made it harder than it needed to be! You already had the disk images, there should have been no need for CloneZilla etc.

Your right. After creating the new VM with an empty VDI I could have then just

• Copied the old VDI into the newly created directory structure for the VM
• Detached the new, empty VDI from the VM
• Attached the old VDI to the VM

and then continue on, but then I wouldn't have had so much "fun"
Seriously, I did it the way I did, because I wanted to make sure everything, including the VDIs, were all "version 4.x", for what ever good it might have been.

[mpack]

Seriously, I did it the way I did, because I wanted to make sure everything, including the VDIs, were all "version 4.x", for what ever good it might have been.

Oh, I see. FYI then, for future use, the VDI format did not change between v3 and v4, only the default location changed.