Fix: VirtualBox doesn’t allow to re-name a registered drive and readd to a VM [Field Notes]

Problem:

In VirtualBox, if you take the following steps:

• Have HDD1.vdi and HDD2.vdi as storage
• Remove HDD1.vdi (and delete it)
• Rename HDD2.vdi to HDD1.vdi
• Attempt to add the (new) HDD1.vdi to the VM

You will receive an error along the lines of:

Failed to open the hard disk [Path to your VDI file]. Cannot register the hard disk [Path to your VDI file] {[UUID of your new VDI file]} because a hard disk [Path to your VDI file] with UUID {[UUID of your old VDI file} already exists.

Solution

• In VirtualBox, select File > Virtual Media Manager.
• Click the hard disk in question.
• Click Release and then Remove to remove from the media library.

You will now be able to add your renamed VDI file.