Imported Virtualbox VMs fail to boot

I followed the instructions for importing Virtualbox VMs but the new Qubes standalone does not boot. I tried it 3 times with different VMs in case there was some VM specific issue but none of them boot. I also tried different methods of importing the disk. None of them worked. The steps I followed were:

  1. qemu-img convert -O raw VM1.vmdk VM1.raw
  2. qvm-run --pass-io untrusted ‘cat “/home/user/VM1.raw”’ > /home/user/VM1-root.img
  3. qvm-create --property=virt_mode=hvm --property=memory=4096 --property=kernel=‘’ --label red --standalone --root-move-from /home/user/VM1-root.img VM1
  4. qvm-start VM1

Try 2

  1. qemu-img convert -O raw VM2.vmdk VM2.raw
  2. create VM2 qube in Qube Manager with hard disk of the same size of the one to be imported
  3. cd /dev/qubes_dom0
  4. ls -l | grep VM2
  5. sudo chmod 666 /dev/dm-111 (VM2’s root disk)
  6. qvm-run --pass-io untrusted ‘cat “/home/user/VM2.raw”’ > /dev/dm-111
  7. sudo chmod 660 /dev/dm-111
  8. qvm-start VM2

Try 3

  1. qemu-img convert -O raw VM3.vmdk VM3.raw
  2. qemu-img info VM3.raw
  3. mkfifo /tmp/fifo
  4. qvm-run --pass-io untrusted ‘cat “/home/user/VM3.raw”’ > /tmp/fifo
  5. qvm-create --property=virt_mode=hvm --property=memory=4096 --property=kernel=‘’ --label red --standalone --root-move-from /home/user/VM1-root.img VM3
  6. qvm-volume import --size=53687091200 VM3:root /tmp/fifo
  7. rm /tmp/fifo
  8. qvm-start VM3

In all 3 cases when the Qube starts there is a SeaBIOS startup screen which tries to load grub then the window disappears and the VM automatically shuts down. There are no logs even when I select the option in Settings to “Run in debug mode”

Is your VM installed in UEFI mode or in Legacy BIOS mode?
The qubes are booting in Legacy BIOS mode by default.
If your VM used UEFI then you can either convert it to Legacy BIOS mode before importing it as a qube or boot the qube in UEFI mode:

These VMs are all old, cerca 2015. They are using MBR/grub to boot.
user@vm-storage VM2]$ file VM2.raw
VM2.raw: DOS/MBR boot sector

fdisk VM2.raw
Disk VM2.raw: 50 GiB, 53687091200 bytes, 104857600 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x0007db1f

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
VM2.raw1 * 2048 100511743 100509696 47.9G 83 Linux
VM2.raw2 100513790 104855551 4341762 2.1G 5 Extended
VM2.raw5 100513792 104855551 4341760 2.1G 82 Linux swap / Solaris