Windows and HOME variable.

[iljum]

To make Emacs and Cygwin work well together on Windows, I set HOME environment variable to specific directory ("C:\Stuff"). After reboot I discovered, that all settings in VirtualBox were "lost".

Then I saw new ".VirtualBox" directory in "C:\Stuff" folder, and settings are now stored there.

But I don't think, that such HOME variable handling really makes sense on Windows.

[Tom]

Please do not remove this functionality. In our environment, we share VM images in labs, so we want the .VirtualBox directory stored in a public place rather than under the user's home directory. We've managed this by setting the HOME variable from a script which runs before VirtualBox starts. If the name "HOME" is causing conflicts, perhaps it could be renamed "VBOX_HOME" or something... but removal of this entirely would cause major problems for us.

[Michael Thayer]

Replying to tdobes:

Please do not remove this functionality. In our environment, we share VM images in labs, so we want the .VirtualBox directory stored in a public place rather than under the user's home directory. We've managed this by setting the HOME variable from a script which runs before VirtualBox starts. If the name "HOME" is causing conflicts, perhaps it could be renamed "VBOX_HOME" or something... but removal of this entirely would cause major problems for us.

tdobes, try "VBOX_USER_HOME".

[Steve Chapel]

Setting VBOX_USER_HOME=C:\Documents and Settings\username\.VirtualBox is an effective workaround for me. I also think VirtualBox should not be checking the HOME environmental variable, as it's also used for MinGW and MSYS.

[Frank Mehnert]

We changed our mind. In VBox 4.3.22, HOME is no longer respected on Windows hosts.