VBoxTray.exe missing from guest additions

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Cardinal
Posts: 3
Joined: 17. Sep 2022, 20:16

VBoxTray.exe missing from guest additions

Post by Cardinal »

I migrated a physical 32bit Windows XP installation to a VirtualBox VM. After the booting the OS, I inserted the guest additions CD and began installing the drivers. I got a prompt that said, "The file 'VBoxTray.exe' on VirtualBox Guest Driver Installation Disk is needed. Type the path to where the file is located, and then click OK." I mounted the guest additions iso on my host OS and searched the file system for VBoxTray.exe. However, the file doesn't seem to even exist.

How can I go about installing the guest additions without this file? Is there a way I can repair the iso?
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: VBoxTray.exe missing from guest additions

Post by scottgus1 »

In the 6.1.38 GAs ISO, VboxTray.exe is buried in the "VBoxWindowsAdditions-x86.exe" archive. You'd need something like 7-zip to open the archive.

However, VboxTray.exe ought to be in the GAs ISO, and they ought to have been installed. What version of Virtualbox & GAs were you using? And do you have any 3rd-party antivirus running in the VM?
Cardinal
Posts: 3
Joined: 17. Sep 2022, 20:16

Re: VBoxTray.exe missing from guest additions

Post by Cardinal »

scottgus1 wrote:In the 6.1.38 GAs ISO, VboxTray.exe is buried in the "VBoxWindowsAdditions-x86.exe" archive. You'd need something like 7-zip to open the archive.

However, VboxTray.exe ought to be in the GAs ISO, and they ought to have been installed. What version of Virtualbox & GAs were you using? And do you have any 3rd-party antivirus running in the VM?
I am running VirtualBox Version 6.1.38 r153438 (Qt5.6.2). I do not know how to determine the version of GA. I thought it was part of VirtualBox? I didn't have to install it separately. I just clicked the "Devices" tab then clicked "Insert Guest Additions CD Image."
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: VBoxTray.exe missing from guest additions

Post by mpack »

Cardinal wrote:I just clicked the "Devices" tab then clicked "Insert Guest Additions CD Image."
Ahem. Given the menu item name, can you guess what it does? Clue: it doesn't install the GAs, it only inserts the CD.

To be sure, some guest OS's have an autorun feature and will launch anything appropriate they find in the root folder of the CD. Note that's a guest OS feature, not something that VirtualBox does. Other OS have no such (or disable) the autorun feature so nothing will happen when you insert media. It's up to you to notice which one applies inside the guest OS you chose.
Cardinal
Posts: 3
Joined: 17. Sep 2022, 20:16

Re: VBoxTray.exe missing from guest additions

Post by Cardinal »

mpack wrote:
Cardinal wrote:I just clicked the "Devices" tab then clicked "Insert Guest Additions CD Image."
Ahem. Given the menu item name, can you guess what it does? Clue: it doesn't install the GAs, it only inserts the CD.

To be sure, some guest OS's have an autorun feature and will launch anything appropriate they find in the root folder of the CD. Note that's a guest OS feature, not something that VirtualBox does. Other OS have no such (or disable) the autorun feature so nothing will happen when you insert media. It's up to you to notice which one applies inside the guest OS you chose.
I should have clarified. I inserted the guest additions CD, Window XP automatically detected it and showed me an installer, and I followed the steps up until it asked for VBoxTray.exe.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: VBoxTray.exe missing from guest additions

Post by scottgus1 »

How did your investigations regarding this go:
scottgus1 wrote:VboxTray.exe is buried in the "VBoxWindowsAdditions-x86.exe" archive. You'd need something like 7-zip to open the archive.
What did you see when you opened "VBoxWindowsAdditions-x86.exe" in your archive program?
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