How to Duplicate a Virtual Box Image

I wanted to clone a virtual box image I had been playing with. So I decided to unzip my archive and run from another path, when I was given an error:
“Cannot register the hard disk XXXX with UUID YYYY because a hard disk XXXX with UUID YYYY already exists in the media registry

Well what do you know; it doesn’t work. The reason for this is because Virtual Box assigned each virtual hard disk a unique ID and if you do as I have done’ copy and past your VDI file to a new folder you still have the original VDI files UUDI and thus the error above.

There is a fix for this, and its simple; I wish they just build it into Virtual Box (this is now on my wish list).

Open a command prompt and navigate to the Virtual Box installation folder:
C:Program FilesOracleVirtualBox>

Then enter the following, substituting the folder name and file names to localise to the location of your VDI file: VBoxManage.exe internalcommands sethduuid “D:VirtualBoxVMsjermsmit.vdi”

Once you have run the above command on your VDI file you should be able to now launch without the silly error. As always, I hope this has be a help to you.

– Jermal