How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems

While creating a virtual machine in VirtualBox is an easy task, sharing that virtual machine on another operating system is not. If you are dual-booting your computer and have created a virtual machine on one of the operating system partitions, due to file structure differences between different operating systems, you will not be able to access and open VM files in another partition. The following guide will show you how you can share with your VirtualBox virtual machine no matter what operating system you are using.

Create storage devices for virtual machines

The first step in sharing your virtual machine across different systems is to create an external storage device with an ExFAT file system. This allows you to load hard drive files for your virtual machine regardless of its parent operating system.

To do this in Windows, open the system's file manager, then plug in the external hard drive.

Find your drive on the left sidebar of the file manager, right-click and select Format…

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 1

 Click the drop-down list below the File system label, then select ExFAT.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 2

Accept the default values, then click Start.

Create an ExFAT drive in macOS

Press Command + Space to open Spotlight Search on your machine, then type 'Disk Utility'.

Click the entry for your physical drive on the left sidebar of the window.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 3

Note: By default, sometimes the Disk Utility application will not display physical devices. To fix this, go to the View menu item, then click Show All Devices.

Click the Erase button on the window's top bar, then select ExFAT on the Format drop-down box.

  How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 4

Click Erase to format your drive to ExFAT.

Create ExFAT drive in Linux

Open a new Terminal, then enter the following command to install the ExFAT file system on your computer:

sudo apt install exfatprogs exfat-fuse

Open the system's disk utility program. In Ubuntu you can do this by pressing Win then typing 'disks'.

Select your physical drive, then click the 3-dot menu in the upper right corner of the window.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 5

Click Format Disk…, then select Format. This will delete all existing partitions in your storage device.

Click the + button below the storage device's Volumes diagram.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 6

Click Next to accept the default partition size, then click the Other radio button, then click Next.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 7

Select ExFAT on the file system selection, then press Create to install it on your device.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 8

Share VDI files between Windows and Mac/Linux

Boot into your Windows system, open VirtualBox, then click the New button on the top bar of the window.

 Provide the virtual machine name, then select your ISO file.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 9

Click the Hard Disk drop-down tab, then click the Browse button in the Hard Disk File Location and Size category.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 10

Find your external hard drive, then select it as the location of the VDI drive.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 11

Go through the virtual machine operating system installation wizard, then shut down the virtual machine.

Boot into MacOS or Linux, then open your copy of VirtualBox in the system.

At the top of the window, click New to create a new virtual machine.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 12

 Provide your VM name and type, then click Next.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 13

Make sure that the VM on your second operating system has the same amount of memory and processor allocated to it.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 14

Click the Use an Existing Virtual Hard Disk File radio button, then click the Browse button on the right side of the window.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 15

Click Add, then search for the virtual machine's VDI file on the external drive.

Now, you will see an entry in the window. Highlight the entry and click Choose.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 16

On the next window, click Next > Finish. It will return you to the main window.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 17

Highlight the new VM entry on the main window and click Start. You should now see the same virtual machine you created in Windows running on your Mac.

Share VDI files between Mac and Linux

Boot into Linux, then open VirtualBox using the launcher app on your system.

 Create a new virtual machine, then click Expert Mode at the bottom of the creation wizard.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 18

Provide a name and type for your new virtual machine, then click the Hard Disk drop-down tab.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 19

Click the icon next to the Hard Disk Location and Size field and select any folder in the external drive.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 20

Proceed with the standard installation of the guest operating system.

Once you're done creating the virtual machine, reboot into macOS and create a new VM using your existing VDI file.

How to share VirtualBox VM across different operating systems Picture 21

Micah Soto

Update 20 March 2024