Export/Clone snapshots from a computer to another

[pocoto]

Hi everybody in the forum,
just a question i have no idea how to do it... i am stuck on it.
i have created a windows VM and taken a couple of snapshots of it. Afterthat i export the virtualized service just to import it in another computers so several users can used the VM.
I am trying to export the snapshot cuz it has several applications open and another things i would like the user to have in the screen, but no idea how to do it.
I tryed to copy the snapshot from my machine after importing the service, but no luck.
Does anyone know how to export/import or clone/copy/paste the sanpshot into the other computer?
Thanks in advanced

[mpack]

You can either export the VM as an appliance (File | Export), or you can simply copy the VM folder.

Your given reasons for wanting to include snapshots in the exported VM don't make sense to me I'm afraid.

[pocoto]

let me explain the resasons then. but FOA i have tryed cloning the VM via export/import, and copying the forlder to the other computer and modify everything... but the snapshots are not being exported =(
i am trying to have the snapshots because it has a lot ot info already loaded, avoiding the waste of time and the errors loading all the info

[mpack]

If you export then only the current state is exported, which includes all the applications you've loaded. The only thing that is not preserved is the ability to revert the VM to older states, which is the only thing that a snapshot gives you.

Copying the VM folder cannot fail to copy the snapshots along with it, assuming you are talking about a VM created by VirtualBox v4.x. You need to use Machine|Add to register the .vbox on the new host.

[pocoto]

the first point is totally clear, all apps installed would be cloned.
but the point is tha lack of possibility of exporting the "image" with the apliaction already opened and for example word open and configure to be written.

[mpack]

but the point is tha lack of possibility of exporting the "image" with the apliaction already opened and for example word open and configure to be written.

Ah, ok. In that case the entire question is misplaced, because snapshots cannot do that. I guess this explains why I couldn't understand what you were trying to do, though on rereading it now I do get it.

If you suspend a VM then the live memory contents etc are saved in a SAV file, which is not the same as a snapshot VDI. SAV files are in effect memory dumps, and are not in general portable to other PCs - e.g. the CPU state is preserved, so could only be restored on an identical CPU.

[pocoto]

so if I had 20 identical computers, how could be the sav file copyed and loaded? i mean, how could be the vm (in the state saved) copied? just to avoid or FOA the installation on all computers all programs (it is REALLY boring) or open in ecah single computer the vm, open the programms and save the state of the VM??

[mpack]

Avoiding 20x installation of the OS and apps is easy - just copy the first VMs folder after all that work is done. In essence you are copying the state of the virtual hard disk to another PC.

But you asked that the apps be already opened, which means the runtime state of the VM (essentially, the contents of RAM and CPU registers). The runtime state is only ever preserved when the VM is suspended, in which case it gets saved to a SAV file, and a SAV file is not designed to be portable, as I've already said.

[pocoto]

the first point is already done and just take the time of copying the VM in the compueters.

But is in the second point where i could not get why it is not possible, cuz the compuetes have the same characteristics, applicactions installed, they have been build with the same OS image. (at least is what i have been said). I was wondering if such a copy and paste this SAV could work.

[noteirak]

It is not possible for the simple reason that before reaching the state that is into the SAV file, you first must boot, get your OS to start, open and edit some files, lock some ressources, etc. All these will be writes to the disks.
But if you never done that, the state saved in the SAV will be inconsistent with what's in the VDI to where you are porting.
The moment you boot a computer, changes to the disks are made, which you will not find in another disk.
And thats only for the disk!

So at best, you'll crash the applications or the OS. At worse, you'll get severe data corruption.