Comments on: How-To: Clone or Copy a VirtualBox Virtual Disk http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/ Experiences of a UK BizTalk Consultant Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:16:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jerry http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-1278 Jerry Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:33:56 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-1278 Benjy, You want to use the -remember switch on clonehd. Benjy,

You want to use the -remember switch on clonehd.

]]> By: Benjy http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-1272 Benjy Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:33:20 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-1272 Hi Nick, Very useful post. I have a slightly tangential question. What do you do about differencing disks? In VPC I could have a base workdisk (say with VS installed) and then a diff disk (with BTS and SQL) and still use the base to create a number of other diff disks (and in fact use the diff disk itself as a base). I can go to 3 levels with this. Virtual Box doesnt have this kind of functionality. I can take a snapshot, but I cant just export that particular snapshot (or a base + a number of snapshots) into a single package and use that. I have to keep cloning the machine and installing particular software on the clone to mimic what we have in VPC. benjy Hi Nick,
Very useful post. I have a slightly tangential question. What do you do about differencing disks? In VPC I could have a base workdisk (say with VS installed) and then a diff disk (with BTS and SQL) and still use the base to create a number of other diff disks (and in fact use the diff disk itself as a base). I can go to 3 levels with this. Virtual Box doesnt have this kind of functionality. I can take a snapshot, but I cant just export that particular snapshot (or a base + a number of snapshots) into a single package and use that. I have to keep cloning the machine and installing particular software on the clone to mimic what we have in VPC.

benjy

]]> By: The right way to backup a virtualbox .vdi file « Vinh Pham's Blog http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-1251 The right way to backup a virtualbox .vdi file « Vinh Pham's Blog Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:46:13 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-1251 [...] The right way to backup a virtualbox .vdi file By nauy Follow the instructions in this page: http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/ [...] [...] The right way to backup a virtualbox .vdi file By nauy Follow the instructions in this page: http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/ [...]

]]> By: Nick Heppleston http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-1248 Nick Heppleston Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:01:44 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-1248 Hi Jason, I had exactly the same problem with 3.1.2 r56127 running two Windows Server 2008 VM's on a Windows 7 host. I found that if I started the VirtualBox Admin Console as an administrator (i.e. 'Run as administrator') and then started the VM's the networking works! I think it must be a bug in this version - I suppose we just have to wait until the next release :-( Let me know if this solves your problem.... Nick. ps. VirtualBox Bug Tickets http://www.virtualbox.de/ticket/5949 and http://www.virtualbox.de/ticket/5924 have been raised that address this issue. Hi Jason,

I had exactly the same problem with 3.1.2 r56127 running two Windows Server 2008 VM’s on a Windows 7 host. I found that if I started the VirtualBox Admin Console as an administrator (i.e. ‘Run as administrator’) and then started the VM’s the networking works! I think it must be a bug in this version – I suppose we just have to wait until the next release :-(

Let me know if this solves your problem….

Nick.

ps. VirtualBox Bug Tickets http://www.virtualbox.de/ticket/5949 and http://www.virtualbox.de/ticket/5924 have been raised that address this issue.

]]> By: Jason http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-1246 Jason Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:21:23 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-1246 Slightly off-topic, but I'm looking for some VirtualBox help and you seem to be the most knowledgeable person that knows how to present material and be understood. I have a WinXP host running VirtualBox 3.1.2 r56127. I have two VIMs, each running WinXP. Host computer has an instance of SQL Server 2005 Express installed. One of my two VIMs also has an instance of SQL Server 2005 Express installed. I can't get my second VIM to connect to either database server. The only help I've gotten so far is to use "Bridged Adapters" for my network settings. Um, well, did that and it still ain't working. There must be more to it. Can you help? Slightly off-topic, but I’m looking for some VirtualBox help and you seem to be the most knowledgeable person that knows how to present material and be understood. I have a WinXP host running VirtualBox 3.1.2 r56127. I have two VIMs, each running WinXP. Host computer has an instance of SQL Server 2005 Express installed. One of my two VIMs also has an instance of SQL Server 2005 Express installed. I can’t get my second VIM to connect to either database server. The only help I’ve gotten so far is to use “Bridged Adapters” for my network settings. Um, well, did that and it still ain’t working. There must be more to it. Can you help?

]]> By: Travma http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-673 Travma Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:33:25 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-673 I use VirtualBox 3.0.4 r50677 in windows and I try several methods undocumented and documented but the 2nd clone machine does not complete the boot and freze in a black screen in about when it load mup.sys driver in safe mode in xpsp3. After 2 days with experiments I notice that I have checked 2 CPU cores in "master" pc but only ONE CPU to the 2nd clone. So beware the first time to try to start the clone machine the settings in system tab and/or anyware else to be the same in clone machines as in the master machine. Afterwards, I was able to change CPU cores for the 2nd clone machine and it just work (but not for the first time eg. the first boot must complete to be able to change CPU cores). Both the commands "VBoxManage clonehd scr.dvi dest.vdi" and "VBoxManage internalcommands sethduuid SimpleCopyFromMasterImage.vdi" are working fine. Also it doesn't matter if I unload images or not before using these commands. I use VirtualBox 3.0.4 r50677 in windows and I try several methods undocumented and documented but the 2nd clone machine does not complete the boot and freze in a black screen in about when it load mup.sys driver in safe mode in xpsp3. After 2 days with experiments I notice that I have checked 2 CPU cores in “master” pc but only ONE CPU to the 2nd clone. So beware the first time to try to start the clone machine the settings in system tab and/or anyware else to be the same in clone machines as in the master machine. Afterwards, I was able to change CPU cores for the 2nd clone machine and it just work (but not for the first time eg. the first boot must complete to be able to change CPU cores). Both the commands “VBoxManage clonehd scr.dvi dest.vdi” and “VBoxManage internalcommands sethduuid SimpleCopyFromMasterImage.vdi” are working fine. Also it doesn’t matter if I unload images or not before using these commands.

]]> By: DogSpit http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-672 DogSpit Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:41:21 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-672 Thanks! This is great. I've cloned a number of images now using both Linux and XP. Saves me a lot of setup time. Since I need to test programs, this allows me to create a base in a very short time and I now always have an exact starting point. Thanks! Thanks! This is great. I’ve cloned a number of images now using both Linux and XP. Saves me a lot of setup time. Since I need to test programs, this allows me to create a base in a very short time and I now always have an exact starting point.
Thanks!

]]> By: david palme http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-637 david palme Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:23:43 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-637 Worked like a charm. I copied the .vdi, renamed to my liking, copied the command into the cmd prompt, opened the folder containing the new .vdi, clicked on it and dragged to the cmd window (I needed to do this to make sure the syntax was correct - seems to need exact capitalization), completed the quotes and ran: Voila! Worked like a charm. I copied the .vdi, renamed to my liking, copied the command into the cmd prompt, opened the folder containing the new .vdi, clicked on it and dragged to the cmd window (I needed to do this to make sure the syntax was correct – seems to need exact capitalization), completed the quotes and ran: Voila!

]]> By: cope http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-564 cope Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:44:07 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-564 O Yes, the problem was because VM is turned on, now is everything OK, thank's a lot O Yes, the problem was because VM is turned on, now is everything OK, thank’s a lot

]]> By: Nick Heppleston http://www.modhul.com/2009/06/17/how-to-clone-or-copy-a-virtualbox-virtual-disk/comment-page-1/#comment-562 Nick Heppleston Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:03:54 +0000 http://www.modhul.com/?p=987#comment-562 Are you currently running the VM you are trying to clone in VirtualBox, or otherwise have a handle open to the VDI file? Are you currently running the VM you are trying to clone in VirtualBox, or otherwise have a handle open to the VDI file?

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