VirtualBox disappears going from 17.10 to 18.04

**anoldguy** · May 18th, 2018

I had VirtualBox 5.2 installed on Ubuntu 17.10 (AMD 64 bit desktop). I just upgraded from 17.10 to Ubuntu 18.04 and I don't see VirtualBox on my desktop or in the applications. I still have my VirtualBox VMs folder with my vboxusers folder, and my usr/lib/virtualbox folder. Do I have to start over with a VirtualBox install? It took me days to get my legal copy of Windows XP running in VirtualBox. I hope I don't have to do that again.

**monkeybrain20122** · May 18th, 2018

VB is not a Ubuntu package so was removed when you upgraded. You have to reinstall it. The VM folder (anything in your home) is a part of your data, therefore was kept.

**anoldguy** · May 18th, 2018

Ah, thank you. It looks like a reset to the beginning. Sigh.

**ajgreeny** · May 18th, 2018

Originally Posted by anoldguy

Ah, thank you. It looks like a reset to the beginning. Sigh.

No, not a reset to the begining; if you kept all the configs for VBox in your home along with the VMs themselves it should all be found and run just as it did previously.

**monkeybrain20122** · May 18th, 2018

Originally Posted by ajgreeny

No, not a reset to the begining; if you kept all the configs for VBox in your home along with the VMs themselves it should all be found and run just as it did previously.

I thought it would work too, but I have tried before, didn't work. Reinstall VB and it couldn't find the VM. So I have instead made a snapshot. You can then make a new VM from the snapshot (instead of an iso) if you move your installation or try to run the VM on a different host. That way you keep everything.

**SeijiSensei** · May 19th, 2018

Have you tried using Machine > Add and pointing to the relevant .vbox files? I've usually been able to reconstruct my menu of VMs this way.

**cruzer001** · May 19th, 2018

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Have you tried using Machine > Add and pointing to the relevant .vbox files? I've usually been able to reconstruct my menu of VMs this way.

That's a good point.

I have also found that a clone of the problem VM will sometimes start when the original will not.

**anoldguy** · May 19th, 2018

Success! I did an apt install of virtualbox and the extensions. I started VirtualBox and it had my Windows XP virtual machine. I started Win XP and it seems to run well. Thank you to those who replied!

Note: this was an upgrade in place from Ubuntu 17.10 to 18.04 on the same AMD computer. I am relieved that I don't have to jump through the Microsoft hoops again. The only reason I have Windows XP around is to run Pacific Data's Cyberview X to use my PF 3650 slide scanner. No driver for Linux, Win 7, or Win 10. I have hundreds of slides to scan.

**ajgreeny** · May 20th, 2018

Make sure to keep a good working snapshot of WinXP in case it should become corrupt and even though XP is no longer supported you ought to be able to keep it going well enough.