$Date: 2025-08-11 19:18:47 +0200 (Mon, 11 Aug 2025) $

VBoxManage encryptvm

VBoxManage-encryptvm 1
VBoxManage-encryptvm change encryption and passwords of the VM &product-name;
`VBoxManage encryptvm` uuid vmname setencryption --old-password file --cipher cipher-identifier --new-password file --new-password-id password-identifier --force `VBoxManage encryptvm` uuid vmname checkpassword file `VBoxManage encryptvm` uuid vmname addpassword --password file --password-id password-identifier `VBoxManage encryptvm` uuid vmname removepassword password-identifier

## Description

The `VBoxManage encryptvm` command enables you to change the encryption or add and remove user passwords for the virtual machine (VM). The following sections describe the subcommands that you can use:

### Set encryption of the Virtual Machine

The `VBoxManage encryptvm vmname setencryption` command changes encryption of a VM.

Use the `--old-password` to supply old encryption password. Either specify the absolute pathname of a password file on the host operating system, or `-` to prompt you for the old password.

Use the `--cipher` option to specify the new cipher for encryption of the VM. Only `AES-128` and `AES-256` are supported. Appropriate mode GCM, CTR or XTS will be selected by VM depending on encrypting component.

Use the `--new-password` option to specify the new password for encryption of the VM. Either specify the absolute pathname of a password file on the host operating system, or `-` to prompt you for the new password.

Use the `--new-password-id` option to specify the new id for the password for encryption of the VM.

Use the `--force` option to make the system to reencrypt the VM instead of simple changing the password.

### Check the supplied password is correct

The `VBoxManage encryptvm vmname checkpassword` command checks the correctness of the supplied password.

The password can be supplied from file. Specify the absolute pathname of a password file on the host operating system. Also, you can specify `-` to prompt you for the password.

### Add password for decrypting the Virtual Machine

The `VBoxManage encryptvm vmname addpassword` command adds a password for decrypting the VM.

Use the `--password` to supply the encryption password. Either specify the absolute pathname of a password file on the host operating system, or `-` to prompt you for the password.

Use the `--password-id` option to specify the id the password is supplied for.

### Remove password used for decrypting the Virtual Machine

The `VBoxManage encryptvm vmname removepassword` command removes a password used for decrypting the VM.

Specify the password identifier for removing. The password becomes unknown and the VM can not be decrypted.

## Examples

The following command encrypts the `ol7` VM using AES-256 giving password via command prompt:

    $ VBoxManage encryptvm ol7 setencryption --cipher=AES-256 --new-password - --new-password-id vmid

## See Also

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