Is there a way to make a Virtualbox VM start at startup?

[Red Squirrel]

I have a Linux VM running on a windows 7 machine at work that I plan to put a web app on that will be used by the department, but they are constantly doing forced reboots which requires me to go in and start the VM again. It also risks corrupting it due to all these hard shut downs. There is nothing we can do about this as it's done by a different department out of town that has more power than even the network admin.

Is there a way I can setup the VM to start up when the computer boots back even if the computer stays at the login screen? I tried to do an auto login, but it has a "security banner" that you have to hit OK before you login, so that throws off the script. They also recently enforced expiring passwords on that machine, so auto login would not work anyway because someone would have to keep going in to change the password in the script all the time.

I found a program called VBoxVmService but the only place I can find to download it is at Sourceforge and I don't trust that, especially for a corporate environment. Is there an alternative?

 

[Ketchup]

If the VM is being used by the entire department, it should probably be placed on a company server, not a single machine. Which would take care of the issue you mentioned, and a few you didn't.

 

[Red Squirrel]

If the VM is being used by the entire department, it should probably be placed on a company server, not a single machine. Which would take care of the issue you mentioned, and a few you didn't.

I wish. They won't provide us that. And if they did, we would not get to manage it. Basically this server VM has a web app so all our documentation can be in one place and fully searchable and editable. Instead of having to search though 20 different spreadsheets for something it will be in one place, and we will be able to actually edit it. Can't edit the spreadsheets as they are always open by someone else. There is also a tool to call out techs but the information is all wrong and they refuse to give us access to edit it and the ones responsible for editing it don't know how to do it. So we'll just use our own app. But that's besides the point, just need to figure out how to make the VM startup on it's own.

My plan B is to see what it takes to make the machine act as a router (is ICS still a thing?) and then stick another nic and put the server on a Raspberry Pi or something. Or I can pick a machine out of our computer graveyard, might need to replace some caps. lol.

 

[Ketchup]

I was thinking similar while reading your answer, lol. Get something that will be up 24/7 to access your group, but not upset the IT folks. Good luck!