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How can I change the virtual machine's display name (displayed at the left-side pane of VirtualBox QT gui)?

I can't see any "rename" text in right-click menu.

I am using VirtualBox 4.3.14 on Linux.

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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
59

From GUI

Shut down the machine, right-click on the machine, choose "Settings..." and from "General" tab -> "Basic" tab -> type in the "Name" box and click "OK".

From terminal

Shut down that machine and type this in terminal:

vboxmanage modifyvm ORIGNAL_NAME --name NEW_NAME

If you get "command not found" error with vboxmanage, try the same wtih VBoxManage (uppercase command).

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  • 16
    I think this only works if the VM is powered down.
    – Bennett McElwee
    Commented Mar 20, 2015 at 1:38
  • Although the original question referred to Linux, maybe it could be useful for those who use VirtualBox on the Mac that the location of the VBoxManage command is /Applications/VirtualBox.app/Contents/MacOS/VBoxManage . Use this if you want to follow user2529583's advice on how to rename a VM on the command line. [NOTE: this was an answer but fixer1234 and JakeGould complained that it is rather a comment. So I put it here. Please yourselves.]
    – András Aszódi
    Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 15:38
  • 4
    It seems silly that you can't change this for a "Saved" machine.
    – neubert
    Commented Jun 18, 2016 at 20:23
  • 3
    Thanks I found i couldn't modify a "saved" machine, had to first start it, then power down, then could change the name.
    – clayton33
    Commented Oct 4, 2017 at 15:30
  • @clayton33, I found this as well.
    – alpha_989
    Commented Mar 2, 2018 at 18:30
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While Babken Vardanyan's answer does indeed rename the VM and its directory, it does not rename the associated .vdi file (at least not on Windows.) If you wish to keep your machines renamed along with the .vdi files, an additional step is required, which involves renaming the Location field of the .vdi via Virtual Media Manager.

So, for the sake of fully renaming a VM including the .vdi as well:

  1. Make sure the VM is off
  2. RENAME VM:
    1. Right click VM > Settings > Left pane General > Right pane Basic
    2. Change Name field to reflect new desired name > OK
  3. RENAME .vdi:
    1. File > Virtual Media Manager
    2. Hard disks tab > scroll to relevant .vdi > Right-click .vdi > Properties > Attributes tab opens below (if not already opened)
    3. In the Location field, change only the .vdi part of the path e.g. D:\VB\MACHINE\MACHINE.vdi to reflect new desired name
    4. Click Apply

(This was done on Windows VirtualBox v6.1.2).

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