When running VBoxManage without parameters or when supplying an
invalid command line, the below syntax diagram will be shown. Note that
the output will be slightly different depending on the host platform; when
in doubt, check the output of VBoxManage
for the commands available on your particular host.
Usage: VBoxManage [-v|--version] print version number and exit VBoxManage [-q|--nologo] ... suppress the logo VBoxManage list [--long|-l] vms|runningvms|ostypes|hostdvds|hostfloppies| bridgedifs|hostonlyifs|dhcpservers|hostinfo| hostcpuids|hddbackends|hdds|dvds|floppies| usbhost|usbfilters|systemproperties|extpacks VBoxManage showvminfo <uuid>|<name> [--details] [--machinereadable] VBoxManage showvminfo <uuid>|<name> --log <idx> VBoxManage registervm <filename> VBoxManage unregistervm <uuid>|<name> [--delete] VBoxManage createvm --name <name> [--ostype <ostype>] [--register] [--basefolder <path> | --settingsfile <path>] [--uuid <uuid>] VBoxManage modifyvm <uuid|name> [--name <name>] [--ostype <ostype>] [--memory <memorysize in MB>] [--pagefusion on|off] [--vram <vramsize in MB>] [--acpi on|off] [--ioapic on|off] [--pae on|off] [--hpet on|off] [--hwvirtex on|off] [--hwvirtexexcl on|off] [--nestedpaging on|off] [--largepages on|off] [--vtxvpid on|off] [--synthcpu on|off] [--cpuidset <leaf> <eax> <ebx> <ecx> <edx>] [--cpuidremove <leaf>] [--cpuidremoveall] [--hardwareuuid <uuid>] [--cpus <number>] [--cpuhotplug on|off] [--plugcpu <id>] [--unplugcpu <id>] [--cpuexecutioncap <1-100>] [--rtcuseutc on|off] [--monitorcount <number>] [--accelerate3d on|off] [--accelerate2dvideo on|off] [--firmware bios|efi|efi32|efi64] [--chipset ich9|piix3] [--bioslogofadein on|off] [--bioslogofadeout on|off] [--bioslogodisplaytime <msec>] [--bioslogoimagepath <imagepath>] [--biosbootmenu disabled|menuonly|messageandmenu] [--biossystemtimeoffset <msec>] [--biospxedebug on|off] [--boot<1-4> none|floppy|dvd|disk|net>] [--nic<1-N> none|null|nat|bridged|intnet|hostonly| vde] [--nictype<1-N> Am79C970A|Am79C973| 82540EM|82543GC|82545EM| virtio] [--cableconnected<1-N> on|off] [--nictrace<1-N> on|off] [--nictracefile<1-N> <filename>] [--nicspeed<1-N> <kbps>] [--nicbootprio<1-N> <priority>] [--bridgeadapter<1-N> none|<devicename>] [--hostonlyadapter<1-N> none|<devicename>] [--intnet<1-N> <network name>] [--natnet<1-N> <network>|default] [--vdenet<1-N> <network>|default] [--natsettings<1-N> [<mtu>],[<socksnd>], [<sockrcv>],[<tcpsnd>], [<tcprcv>]] [--natpf<1-N> [<rulename>],tcp|udp,[<hostip>], <hostport>,[<guestip>],<guestport>] [--natpf<1-N> delete <rulename>] [--nattftpprefix<1-N> <prefix>] [--nattftpfile<1-N> <file>] [--nattftpserver<1-N> <ip>] [--natdnspassdomain<1-N> on|off] [--natdnsproxy<1-N> on|off] [--natdnshostresolver<1-N> on|off] [--nataliasmode<1-N> default|[log],[proxyonly], [sameports]] [--macaddress<1-N> auto|<mac>] [--mouse ps2|usb|usbtablet [--keyboard ps2|usb [--uart<1-N> off|<I/O base> <IRQ>] [--uartmode<1-N> disconnected| server <pipe>| client <pipe>| file <file>| <devicename>] [--guestmemoryballoon <balloonsize in MB>] [--gueststatisticsinterval <seconds>] [--audio none|null|dsound|solaudio|oss|alsa|pulse| oss|pulse|coreaudio] [--audiocontroller ac97|hda|sb16] [--clipboard disabled|hosttoguest|guesttohost| bidirectional] [--vrde on|off] [--vrdeextpack default|<name> [--vrdeproperty <name=[value]>] [--vrdeport <hostport>] [--vrdeaddress <hostip>] [--vrdeauthtype null|external|guest] [--vrdeauthlibrary default|<name> [--vrdemulticon on|off] [--vrdereusecon on|off] [--vrdevideochannel on|off] [--vrdevideochannelquality <percent>] [--usb on|off] [--usbehci on|off] [--snapshotfolder default|<path>] [--teleporter on|off] [--teleporterport <port>] [--teleporteraddress <address|empty> [--teleporterpassword <password>] VBoxManage import <ovf/ova> [--dry-run|-n] [more options] (run with -n to have options displayed for a particular OVF) VBoxManage export <machines> --output|-o <ovf/ova> [--legacy09] [--manifest] [--vsys <number of virtual system>] [--product <product name>] [--producturl <product url>] [--vendor <vendor name>] [--vendorurl <vendor url>] [--version <version info>] [--eula <license text>] [--eulafile <filename>] VBoxManage startvm <uuid>|<name> [--type gui|sdl|headless] VBoxManage controlvm <uuid>|<name> pause|resume|reset|poweroff|savestate| acpipowerbutton|acpisleepbutton| keyboardputscancode <hex> [<hex> ...]| setlinkstate<1-N> on|off | nic<1-N> null|nat|bridged|intnet|hostonly [<devicename>] | nictrace<1-N> on|off nictracefile<1-N> <filename> natpf<1-N> [<rulename>],tcp|udp,[<hostip>], <hostport>,[<guestip>],<guestport> natpf<1-N> delete <rulename> guestmemoryballoon <balloonsize in MB>] gueststatisticsinterval <seconds>] usbattach <uuid>|<address> | usbdetach <uuid>|<address> | vrde on|off | vrdeport <port> | vrdeproperty <name=[value]> | vrdevideochannelquality <percent> setvideomodehint <xres> <yres> <bpp> [display] | setcredentials <username> <password> <domain> [--allowlocallogon <yes|no>] | teleport --host <name> --port <port> [--maxdowntime <msec>] [--password password] plugcpu <id> unplugcpu <id> cpuexecutioncap <1-100> VBoxManage discardstate <uuid>|<name> VBoxManage adoptstate <uuid>|<name> <state_file> VBoxManage snapshot <uuid>|<name> take <name> [--description <desc>] [--pause] | delete <uuid>|<name> | restore <uuid>|<name> | restorecurrent | edit <uuid>|<name>|--current [--name <name>] [--description <desc>] | showvminfo <uuid>|<name> VBoxManage closemedium disk|dvd|floppy <uuid>|<filename> [--delete] VBoxManage storageattach <uuid|vmname> --storagectl <name> --port <number> --device <number> [--type dvddrive|hdd|fdd] [--medium none|emptydrive| <uuid>|<filename>|host:<drive>|iscsi] [--mtype normal|writethrough|immutable|shareable| readonly|multiattach] [--comment <text>] [--passthrough on|off] [--bandwidthgroup <name>] [--forceunmount] [--server <name>|<ip>] [--target <target>] [--port <port>] [--lun <lun>] [--encodedlun <lun>] [--username <username>] [--password <password>] [--intnet] VBoxManage storagectl <uuid|vmname> --name <name> [--add ide|sata|scsi|floppy|sas] [--controller LSILogic|LSILogicSAS|BusLogic| IntelAHCI|PIIX3|PIIX4|ICH6|I82078] [--sataideemulation<1-4> <1-30>] [--sataportcount <1-30>] [--hostiocache on|off] [--bootable on|off] [--remove] VBoxManage bandwidthctl <uuid|vmname> --name <name> [--add disk|network] [--limit <megabytes per second> [--delete] VBoxManage showhdinfo <uuid>|<filename> VBoxManage createhd --filename <filename> --size <megabytes>|--sizebyte <bytes> [--format VDI|VMDK|VHD] (default: VDI) [--variant Standard,Fixed,Split2G,Stream,ESX] VBoxManage modifyhd <uuid>|<filename> [--type normal|writethrough|immutable|shareable| readonly|multiattach] [--autoreset on|off] [--compact] [--resize <megabytes>|--resizebyte <bytes>] VBoxManage clonehd <uuid>|<filename> <outputfile> [--format VDI|VMDK|VHD|RAW|<other>] [--variant Standard,Fixed,Split2G,Stream,ESX] [--existing] VBoxManage convertfromraw <filename> <outputfile> [--format VDI|VMDK|VHD] [--variant Standard,Fixed,Split2G,Stream,ESX] VBoxManage convertfromraw stdin <outputfile> <bytes> [--format VDI|VMDK|VHD] [--variant Standard,Fixed,Split2G,Stream,ESX] VBoxManage getextradata global|<uuid>|<name> <key>|enumerate VBoxManage setextradata global|<uuid>|<name> <key> [<value>] (no value deletes key) VBoxManage setproperty machinefolder default|<folder> | vrdeauthlibrary default|<library> | websrvauthlibrary default|null|<library> | vrdeextpack null|<library> | loghistorycount <value> VBoxManage usbfilter add <index,0-N> --target <uuid>|<name>|global --name <string> --action ignore|hold (global filters only) [--active yes|no] (yes) [--vendorid <XXXX>] (null) [--productid <XXXX>] (null) [--revision <IIFF>] (null) [--manufacturer <string>] (null) [--product <string>] (null) [--remote yes|no] (null, VM filters only) [--serialnumber <string>] (null) [--maskedinterfaces <XXXXXXXX>] VBoxManage usbfilter modify <index,0-N> --target <uuid>|<name>|global [--name <string>] [--action ignore|hold] (global filters only) [--active yes|no] [--vendorid <XXXX>|""] [--productid <XXXX>|""] [--revision <IIFF>|""] [--manufacturer <string>|""] [--product <string>|""] [--remote yes|no] (null, VM filters only) [--serialnumber <string>|""] [--maskedinterfaces <XXXXXXXX>] VBoxManage usbfilter remove <index,0-N> --target <uuid>|<name>|global VBoxManage sharedfolder add <vmname>|<uuid> --name <name> --hostpath <hostpath> [--transient] [--readonly] [--automount] VBoxManage sharedfolder remove <vmname>|<uuid> --name <name> [--transient] VBoxManage guestproperty get <vmname>|<uuid> <property> [--verbose] VBoxManage guestproperty set <vmname>|<uuid> <property> [<value> [--flags <flags>]] VBoxManage guestproperty enumerate <vmname>|<uuid> [--patterns <patterns>] VBoxManage guestproperty wait <vmname>|<uuid> <patterns> [--timeout <msec>] [--fail-on-timeout] VBoxManage guestcontrol exec[ute] <vmname>|<uuid> <path to program> --username <name> --password <password> [--arguments "<arguments>"] [--environment "<NAME>=<VALUE> [<NAME>=<VALUE>]"] [--flags <flags>] [--timeout <msec>] [--verbose] [--wait-for exit,stdout,stderr||] copyto|cp <vmname>|<uuid> <source on host> <destination on guest> --username <name> --password <password> [--dryrun] [--follow] [--recursive] [--verbose] createdir[ectory]|mkdir|md <vmname>|<uuid> <directory to create on guest> --username <name> --password <password> [--parents] [--mode <mode>] [--verbose] updateadditions <vmname>|<uuid> [--source <guest additions .ISO>] [--verbose] VBoxManage debugvm <uuid>|<name> dumpguestcore --filename <name> | info <item> [args] | injectnmi | osdetect | osinfo | getregisters [--cpu <id>] <reg>|all ... | setregisters [--cpu <id>] <reg>=<value> ... | statistics [--reset] [--pattern <pattern>] [--descriptions] VBoxManage metrics list [*|host|<vmname> [<metric_list>]] (comma-separated) VBoxManage metrics setup [--period <seconds>] (default: 1) [--samples <count>] (default: 1) [--list] [*|host|<vmname> [<metric_list>]] VBoxManage metrics query [*|host|<vmname> [<metric_list>]] VBoxManage metrics enable [--list] [*|host|<vmname> [<metric_list>]] VBoxManage metrics disable [--list] [*|host|<vmname> [<metric_list>]] VBoxManage metrics collect [--period <seconds>] (default: 1) [--samples <count>] (default: 1) [--list] [--detach] [*|host|<vmname> [<metric_list>]] VBoxManage hostonlyif ipconfig <name> [--dhcp | --ip<ipv4> [--netmask<ipv4> (def: 255.255.255.0)] | --ipv6<ipv6> [--netmasklengthv6<length> (def: 64)]] create | remove <name> VBoxManage dhcpserver add|modify --netname <network_name> | --ifname <hostonly_if_name> [--ip <ip_address> --netmask <network_mask> --lowerip <lower_ip> --upperip <upper_ip>] [--enable | --disable] VBoxManage dhcpserver remove --netname <network_name> | --ifname <hostonly_if_name> VBoxManage extpack install <tarball> | uninstall [--force] <name> | cleanup
Each time VBoxManage is invoked, only one command can be executed. However, a command might support several subcommands which then can be invoked in one single call. The following sections provide detailed reference information on the different commands.