#Windows how to uninstall virtualbox software#
#Windows how to uninstall virtualbox free#

If you have any licensed applications or software, you may want to save it if you are going to use it on another system.

That way, I can re-create the original configuration if I need it. I often clone my virtual machines when I set them up, then clone them again before testing. You could take screenshots or write down the information from the settings screen. If the VM has been set up and configured a specific way and that configuration is something that you plan to use in the future, you may want to record those settings before you delete it.

#Windows how to uninstall virtualbox free#

You may be trying to free up disk space, but you can copy the files to an external hard drive, a USB drive, cloud storage, or even an optical disk so you have a backup. If you have anything you think you may need in the future, consider backing up the VM. If you are unsure who or what accesses your shared drives, consider shutting the system down for a few days, seeing if anyone complains, or seeing if your network applications are unable to connect. Another possibility is that you are using virtual drives with your other VMs. Make sure other users aren’t using that data before you proceed. These shared drives will be gone once you delete the VM they will no longer be able to access them. If your VM is connected to a network, you may have shared drives that were made available to other users or systems. If you want to keep it, backup the VM hard drive first. Once you delete it, that data will be gone forever. When you decide to get rid of a VM, remember that you may have data on the virtual machine’s hard drive. On the other hand, deleting the VM will permanently remove it from your hard drive, and it will no longer be available. It will no longer show up in the list of VMs in the VirtualBox application, but it is still there, and you can import it back into Virtualbox. With VirtualBox, it is possible to remove a VM without deleting it from your hard drive. There are a few things to consider before you delete any virtual machine. If that’s the case, delete it-and the confidential information along with it. You may be using a VM to store sensitive or private information. You normally do not want a test machine that has already been used it may have modifications left from previous tests.

#Windows how to uninstall virtualbox software#

If you use virtual machines to test in a software development cycle, it’s often wise to delete your test VMs once development is complete. This redundancy is one of the main benefits of using virtual machines for testing and development. In many cases, it’s easier to delete the VM and start over with a new one. It may get a virus, you might destroy the registry, or something else might happen that causes issues. If you use a VM for testing, there is a good chance you will corrupt it. If you are getting low on disk space and have some virtual machines that you are not using, delete them!

The VM image, and the files that go along with it, may take up many gigabytes on your hard drive. Why? Here are some of the top reasons that we need to get rid of virtual machines.įreeing up disk space is probably the number one reason for deleting VMs.

No matter how you use virtual machines, at some point, you will need to delete them. You can even create identical VMs to test various software versions in the same environment. You can create numerous environments with different operating systems and hardware configurations. Virtual machine software gives you the ability to create multiple VMs. Why Would I Need to Delete a Virtual Machine? How to Delete a Virtual Machine in VirtualBox.Why Would I Need to Delete a Virtual Machine?.