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I Hope this is a simple question with a simple answer

I am a backup freak and always have a C drive backup to hand but it has been known that they refuse to restore.
If that happens are my VM's still recoverable? They are always stored on another drive and I don't keep checkpoints.

So If I had to reinstall the OS can I get the VM's to work again?
I am assuming I can just import them but I'd like a definitive answer.

Thanks for your help

Mike

mpooley wrote:always have a C drive backup

Is that the C drive of your host or your guest?

mpooley wrote:it has been known that they refuse to restore. If that happens are my VM's still recoverable?

No! Nothing is recoverable if the backup refuses to restore! Are you sure you've got this right? Why is it refusing? I hope you're not referring to a live restore.

mpooley wrote:I am assuming I can just import them but I'd like a definitive answer.

If you keep the VMs on a separate drive and that doesn't die, then yes. Read Moving a VM, and interpret it as "Backing up a VM".

mpooley wrote:it has been known that they refuse to restore. If that happens are my VM's still recoverable?

I think mpooley is referring to a host OS backup and failure to restore, and is asking will the guest OS's, stored on a separate drive, still be there.

mpooley wrote:my VM's . . . are always stored on another drive

If that other drive is still intact, and your guests are in the 4.0 format (guest .vbox file and drive in the same folder) then they are easily recoverable. When the new host OS and Virtualbox are installed, find and double-click the guests' .vbox files. The guests will re-register. (note that in the new host OS the other drive should have the same drive letter as it did in the old host OS, just to avoid any possible glitches.)

You can also back up the .Virtualbox folder in your user account folder (C:\Users\{you}.Virtualbox) as soon as you reboot the host, before running anything related to Virtualbox. As long as no Virtualbox processes are running, the .Virtualbox folder contains a full list of all the Preferences changes you have made, and all the guests you have registered. Copying that folder from the backup into your new User folder will restore the complete Virtualbox setup.)

scottgus1 :Thanks very much. Yes you are right about my meaning. C drive as in OS drive
So I'll be able to back up virtualbox folder on the same drive as the VM's

I didn't understand how to tell what format the guests are though, I can't see any mention of that.
but they are .vbox files and I am using the most up to date VirtualBox so assume that will be ok.

one more question what happens if my virtualbox folder backup is say a couple of days older than the .vbox file will it still work?

Thanks again

Mike

Exactly the same thing as a backup of a physical machine. It will take you back to the state it was in when you did the backup.

mpooley wrote: I didn't understand how to tell what format the guests are though, I can't see any mention of that.
but they are .vbox files and I am using the most up to date VirtualBox so assume that will be ok.

Scottgus told you that bit: if you have a .vbox file and a drive file (.vdi/.vmdk/vhd etc) then you have 4.0 format VM and it's easy to back up. In fact the presence of a .vbox file is enough to tell you it's a v4 VM.

But, back up the entire folder, not just those one or two files.

Ok I understand now
Thanks for all your advice.

Mike