[Invalid] Copying VM to a Different Host

[Dale S]

I am running VB 5.2.16 with a Windows 7 Pro guest on a Linux Ubuntu 18.04 LTS host. I am trying to copy the VM to a Windows 10 host, running the same version of VirtualBox. (Doing so would prevent me from having to do a lengthy re-install of several components from scratch.) I am able to copy it and run it with limited success. The Win7 VM itself comes up and runs fine. The application I am needing to run has a few components that do not run on the duplicate VM.

The application is Johnson Controls' Metasys HVAC app (v. 6.1.0.3200). When the app is up and running, I can only run one of the controller programming tools within the app, when I normally have at least three available for my use. It's as if there are some files/components it accesses outside of the VM, on the host. Is that possible? All components were installed originally within the guest Windows 7 Pro installation that I am trying to copy. I would think that *everything* would copy over and run on one host as well as another, but it doesn't seem to be that way.

Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!

[socratis]

Is that possible?

Not if the sentence following this question is true:

All components were installed originally within the guest Windows 7 Pro installation

Unless you somehow had a network mode which allowed access of the host from the guest, and the application was referencing networking locations, no, it's not possible...

Did you move the whole VM as described in the "Moving a VM" FAQ? Any errors when you first launched it on the new host? Like networking or shared folders missing?

[Dale S]

Yes that statement is true.

There are no network references other than the IP address to access the Metasys server for normal operations.

I did copy the VM as indicated in the link you listed.

I will start over and try it again, paying closer attention to anything that might not go smoothly.
I do not recall any errors that appeared on initial start-up.

Thank you for your prompt reply, socratis. I appreciate it!

[socratis]

Hey, don't sweat it...

Another thing that popped in my mind, did you run the app installer from the network or did you copy it locally, inside the VM? Keep that in mind, sometimes the installers have a tendency of remembering where they run from...

Checking the registry for invalid references with a program like CCleaner (a freeware utility) could help you. Mind the installation, it comes with "offers" from 3rd parties, known as "bundleware".

[Dale S]

The app was installed from an .msi that was d/l-ed directly to the guest from their main site, and run from inside the Win7 guest.

Hadn't thought of the registry. I'll keep that in mind if I don't get anywhere otherwise. I have not ruled out something funky with their app, either. I know how that proprietary stuff can be.

[Dale S]

UPDATE:

All of the components work fine if I elevate the respective users to Admin in the Win7 guest. I'd rather not do that if I don't have to, but at least it works. It doesn't matter if I do a normal copy of the VM or if I clone it and use the clone. Apparently, it's a Windows permissions issue.

[socratis]

Apparently, it's a Windows permissions issue.

Yeah, something doesn't sound right about your guest.

Just because an OS/program that runs in the context of VirtualBox has a problem, it doesn't make it a VirtualBox problem necessarily. You're having an issue that has most probably nothing to do with VirtualBox, so my suggestion would be to treat it as such, as a native problem with the OS or the application of the guest.

Marking as [Invalid].