Slideshow: Delete a disk image stuck in VirtualBox

Virtual Media Manager dialog box

Clicking the "Check" button takes you to the Virtual Media Manager dialog box, and under the CD/DVD Images tab, you discover that, despite your efforts to remove the recently deleted ISO from the list, the "Remove" button is greyed out and unable to be used. In other words, you can't exactly resolve this issue right off the bat.

Images by Matthew Nawrocki for TechRepublic.

Click the problem VM

The reason for this anomaly is because the disc image is mounted within a VM and is being recognized by a snapshot. Until this snapshot is removed with the associated VM, the discrepancy refuses to clear and you are unable to remove the ISO file from the images list. Here is a recommended procedure to quickly resolve this issue. This guide also applies to floppy and hard disk images as well.

Remove the ISO

First, click the name of the virtual machine that used the ISO file in question, click the "Snapshots" button on the right-hand side and then restore the snapshot you recently created by clicking the snapshot name and pressing Ctrl+Shift+R. When prompted, uncheck the checkbox for "Create a snapshot of the current machine state" before clicking the "Restore" button.

Images by Matthew Nawrocki for TechRepublic.

Shut it down

Once the guest operating system is restored and actively running, ensure that no open documents or other applications are open, and then proceed to shut down the virtual machine normally via the guest operating system's shut down menu or button.

Images by Matthew Nawrocki for TechRepublic.

Yes, I want to delete

After the guest environment closes out and exits gracefully, return to the virtual machine snapshots area, select the snapshot in question, and then press Ctrl+Shift+D. A dialog box will appear, asking you to confirm your action. Press "Delete" to finish the job once and for all.

Images by Matthew Nawrocki for TechRepublic.

Confirm removal

Now, return to the Virtual Media Manager by pressing Ctrl+D, select the CD/DVD Images tab once more, then select the missing image file within the list and click the "Remove" button at the top of the window. When prompted to confirm, click "Remove" to delete the image listing.

And there you have it. VirtualBox will no longer nag you about an image file in Virtual Media Manager that you deleted. If anyone has any other interesting tricks for dealing with image files in VirtualBox, please opine in the comments section below.

Also read:

• Clone and move virtual machines in VirtualBox
• Create VMs with downloaded virtual appliances in VirtualBox and VMware Player
• Deploying a new virtual machine: Eight steps that should be in your checklist

Images by Matthew Nawrocki for TechRepublic.