I have a machine with snapshots at different key points in the configuration.
Now I need to back up this VM, with its snapshots, to another machine.
- I tried the "Export" function, but the .ova file only contain the Current state, no snapshots.
- Other solution I see is reverting to the first snapshot, export, forward to the next snapshot, export... It would be long, tedious, and heavy.
Is there any ways to take a VM and send it to another computer while preserving the snapshots?
42 Answers
To copy an entire VM with its snapshots and everything, the only way I know of is by copying the entire folder of the VM. Zipping the folder with 7z will reduce the disk-space to transfer.
If required, the VM with its snapshots can be cloned under another name by:
[right-click] VM -> Clone... -> [button] Next -> [radio button] Full clone -> [radio button] Everything -> [button] Clone
See the article Moving A VirtualBox VM With Snapshotsfor a detailed write-up.
The process of copying the full "Virtual VMs" folder from one host to another may be summarized as follows:
Backup: Backup full “c:/Users/oldlogname/Virtual Vms” folder
Restore:
Restore full “c:/Users/newlogname/Virtual Vms” folder
Edit each “*.vbox-prev” file of each VM, replacing affected paths/lognames
Start VirtualBox console in new host
Menu: Machine->Add … (each one of the imported VM folder/vmfile)
Declare and associate shared folders existing in the old vm host
Update “virtualbox additions” to each VM if the host VBox has different version
Enjoy.
