Powering Off a Virtual Machine

Before powering off the virtual machine, it is usually best to shut down the guest operating system.

To power off a virtual machine:

In the virtual machine, save any work in running applications and close them.
Follow the appropriate shutdown procedure for the guest operating system.

Note: At this point, some operating systems automatically power off the virtual machine, just as they would on a physical computer. If not, continue to step 3.
Free the cursor from the virtual machine (Ctrl-Alt).
Click the Power Off button.
A dialog box appears asking whether you are sure you want to power off the virtual machine.
Click OK.
The virtual machine powers down and the console window remains open.

At this point, you can use any of the the console file or toolbar options; for example, you can power on a different virtual machine after switching to another virtual machine configuration file, use the Configuration Editor to modify a virtual machine configuration, or create a new configuration file using the Wizard.
Select File > Exit when you are ready to close the console.

Options for Powering Off a Virtual Machine

You can choose from the following options when powering off a virtual machine. Make your selection from the Power menu.

Power Off Virtual Machine — powers off the virtual machine. This is similar to turning off a physical computer by pressing its power button, so any programs running in the virtual machine may be adversely affected. Clicking the Power Off button on the toolbar powers off the virtual machine.
Shut Down Guest Operating System — gracefully shuts the guest operating system down and, if the guest operating system supports Advanced Power Management, powers off the virtual machine. If there is a script associated with this power operation, it executes after the shut down begins. This is the same as issuing a shutdown command.