virtualbox.org

It's been since about 2009 since I had an occasion to update virtualbox software, but I recall at the time, that every time I attempted it, I had to recreate my virtual machines and start over. I'm wanting to update to the latest version now and don't want to lose my current vdi. Has the update process been made to where that won't happen anymore?

From which version to which version do you want to do the update?

I've been using VBox since 2008, and never had a situation where upgrading the VirtualBox software destroyed my data (the VMs). I did have one occasion where a particular VM (Windows 3.1) wouldn't launch after the upgrade, but that was a straightforward software bug (only affecting an obscure novelty VM, and fixed in a later version) not data loss. Had that VM been important to me I could easily have reverted to an earlier VBox software version.

Of course, backing up your VM folders should be done as a matter of course before you make any significant change.

I'll be going from 4.1.18 to current