VirtualBox Install Issue

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I’ve been having an issue with VirtualBox.  I tried to update to version 6, and it hiccuped and broke the app.  I tried to do a complete uninstall, following instructions from various sources, then a reinstall after downloading a fresh install file for version 6.0.10, but nothing seems to work.  It begins the install, then right away a message pops up saying the older install of version 6.0.10 cannot be removed, with a fatal error message.  I’ve attempted to remove every mention of VirtualBox from the system, including a registry search, but to no avail.  I’m hoping someone here may have run into this same problem and found a solution.  My OS in Windows 10 Pro version 1903.  Any ideas, anyone?

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I should reword this to say I have removed every trace I could find of Virtualbox from the system.

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Have you searched for any low level I/O drivers which were installed by VirtualBox and which were not removed when VirtualBox was uninstalled? For example, some brands of antivirus software leave behind low level I/O drivers even though the user thought that they had completely uninstalled the antivirus software.

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JimT777

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Do you have a restore point prior to your update attempt?

Win 11 home - 24H2
Attitude is a choice...Choose wisely

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JimT777

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mledman wrote:

Do you have a restore point prior to your update attempt?

Thanks for the suggestion.  Unfortunately, by the time I had thought about doing a system restore, there were no restore points remaining for a time prior to the start of the problem, so that option was no longer an option.

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GoneToPlaid wrote:

Have you searched for any low level I/O drivers which were installed by VirtualBox and which were not removed when VirtualBox was uninstalled? For example, some brands of antivirus software leave behind low level I/O drivers even though the user thought that they had completely uninstalled the antivirus software.

Thanks – Yes, I did.  That was one of the suggestion sets I found during my search for a solution.  There were a couple of low-level drivers found and removed, but there is still something lingering somewhere that prevents my ability to reinstall Virtualbox, and it stubbornly evades my attempts to find and remove it.

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For the moment, I am using Hypervisor to run my VMs.  But it does not have all the features that come with Virtualbox, so I am really hoping I can soon get it reinstalled.

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Did you try re-installing VirtualBox with the installer for the version that you were originally running? If that works, then try running the uninstaller. Just thinking maybe something got corrupted in the original installation that could get sorted by overwriting it with a re-install.

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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JimT777

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JohnW wrote:

Did you try re-installing VirtualBox with the installer for the version that you were originally running? If that works, then try running the uninstaller. Just thinking maybe something got corrupted in the original installation that could get sorted by overwriting it with a re-install.

Yes, I tried that.  But since I started the install of version 6 and the system glitched during the install, I was unable to reinstall the earlier version with an error that the earlier version would not install on top of a newer version.  So I have a bit of a catch 22 here; since the system thinks version 6 is still there, I cannot revert to an earlier version.

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Copy the blue text below:

%userprofile%

. . . . and then open a File Explorer window, left click in the address bar, then paste what you have copied, then press the Enter key.

If you see a .VirtualBox folder – rename it to .VirtualBox.old then try the installation again.

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JimT777

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Moonshine wrote:

Copy the blue text below:

%userprofile%

. . . . and then open a File Explorer window, left click in the address bar, then paste what you have copied, then press the Enter key.

If you see a .VirtualBox folder – rename it to .VirtualBox.old then try the installation again.

Thank you for the suggestion.  I tried it, and didn’t find a .Virtualbox folder, but did see a folder named VM Lites.  Looking in that folder, I found two Virtualbox related files, one named Virtualbox.xml, and a previous version of the .xml file.  I deleted them both, then tried to reinstall Virtualbox, with the same result as before.  No go.  But it did confirm to me that there are still some Virtualbox files hiding somewhere on the system.  I guess I will just have to keep digging and searching.

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You might try searching for your question over at the official VirtualBox forum. It is possible that somebody else has already solved your issue.

Otherwise ask your question there.

Make sure to first read the sticky about posting, as the moderators there like to run a tight ship, but they are usually very helpful. https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8208

VirtualBox on Windows hosts:

https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=15cff2cfc6855ab6649ea28ed70d5d8c

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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JimT777

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JohnW wrote:

You might try searching for your question over at the official VirtualBox forum. It is possible that somebody else has already solved your issue.

Otherwise ask your question there.

Make sure to first read the sticky about posting, as the moderators there like to run a tight ship, but they are usually very helpful. https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8208

VirtualBox on Windows hosts:

https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=15cff2cfc6855ab6649ea28ed70d5d8c

Thanks for the suggestion.  This was my very first step in attempting to fix the issue.  I tried all the possible solutions I could find there, but nothing worked in my case.  It has been a couple of months since I last checked there, so will take another look.

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If all else fails, there is the nuclear option.  Reinstall Windows.  If you go this route be sure you have backups of your data and VMs and license keys for paid software.  I would create an OS drive image (in case everything goes belly up)

Win 11 home - 24H2
Attitude is a choice...Choose wisely

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JimT777

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mledman wrote:

If all else fails, there is the nuclear option.  Reinstall Windows.  If you go this route be sure you have backups of your data and VMs and license keys for paid software.  I would create an OS drive image (in case everything goes belly up)

Thanks once again.  Looks like at this point, that may be the only option I have left.  I was just hoping against hope that I could avoid the nuclear option.  No big rush on it though.  For now, Hypervisor is working okay.  Virtualbox just seems to be the most user-friendly VM interface I’ve seen…better than both VM Ware and Hyper-V.  I will apply that option after returning from a visit to the states next month.

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Thanks again to all for your suggestions and advice.  I guess I will have to do the  nuclear option suggested by mledman if I want to get Virtualbox back into operation.

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Since you are preparing to fully redress Windows 10, have you tried disabling the ransomware protection feature know if that is a possible cause for the as yet unexplained cause of your VirtualBox issue?

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JimT777

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I also use (and like) VirtualBox.  Hope you enjoy your visit to the states!

Win 11 home - 24H2
Attitude is a choice...Choose wisely

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JimT777

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anonymous wrote:

Since you are preparing to fully redress Windows 10, have you tried disabling the ransomware protection feature know if that is a possible cause for the as yet unexplained cause of your VirtualBox issue?

Yes, that is one of the many things I’ve tried.

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Check your available network adapters. VB installs a couple and doesn’t do a good job of removing them.

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JimT777

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aaron451 wrote:

Check your available network adapters. VB installs a couple and doesn’t do a good job of removing them.

Thanks for the suggestion.  I checked my network adaptors.  The only VM network adaptors showing are tied to Hypervisor, which I am currently using until I can find a resolution to the Virtualbox issue.

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aaron451

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Thanks to all for your suggestions/advice for my Virtualbox malady.  After returning to Aussieland from my stateside visit, I performed the nuclear option and am now fully functional with Virtualbox once again.  That option became necessary for other reasons also…early in my travels the laptop crashed and refused to boot up, forcing me to boot to a Linux live DVD for the couple of weeks until I returned home and could do major repair.  All good now, and the laptop is running better than when new, minus all the Acer factory installed bloatware. 

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Glad to hear the laptop is back in good health.  The Linux live DVD was an excellent work-a-round.  Nice preparation!

Win 11 home - 24H2
Attitude is a choice...Choose wisely

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JimT777

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The migration from Windows 7 to Windows 10 was completed with the addition of virtual machine capability.

In Windows 7, I used Sandboxie for that additional layer of online protection; in Windows 10, I wanted to try something new; a virtual machine seemed to meet the requirement.

There are several applications available for the purpose; I opted for Oracle’s VirtualBox.

Download and installation was un-complicated. Creating Virtual “guests” was not; nothing that I tried worked, until I used Windows 10’s compatibility feature. Running VirtualBox in Vista mode solved the problem.

Now, I can open Firefox in Sandboxie, in a virtual Windows 7 machine.

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ScotchJohn

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