Import old VDI/XML VM
Posted: 26. Apr 2014, 00:41
I have an old set of VDI and XML files for a 2011 Win7 VM. Is it possible to import it into a 4.3.x VirtualBox environment? I pulled it from an old system backup.
Import no, recreate yes.
Manual method: if you understand the XML format you should be able to modify the xml to make it the same as a .vbox, using a .vbox for comparison. The main changes are to update the xml version number, and add a media register.
Other method: create a new VM, but select "Use existing" when you get to the disk creation step. Use the old xml as a reference to get the hardware recipe right. Make sure the VDI is located inside the VM folder (move it there when the hdd browse dialog appears, but before answering the dialog). One trick you could do is, before running the VM, unregister it from VirtualBox, then manually edit the VM-UUID inside the .vbox to match that of the old VM, then Machine|Add... back the .vbox file. This may mean that you won't have to reactivate.