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I am running Windows 7 Professional RTM. I installed the XP VM and was not able to execute it - error - cannot execute XP VM with another virtualization software running. Virtual Box was not running. I uninstalled Virtual Box. No help - same error. I installed XP VM on my laptop that has never had Virtual Box installed - no problem - XP VM works fine. Something is being left behind after uninstalling Virtual Box that has Windows 7 thinking that another virtualization software is running.
I really do not want to start searching the Registry. Any insight would be appreciated. It certainly seems that XP VM and Virtual Box cannot coexist on the same Windows 7 machine.

I think you're missing the problem here. If you have VMWare running for example, or MS VPC, then you can't run VB at the same time. One of the competitor's applications is running in the background. Check your system, reboot it if you want to make sure and try to start the VM. I'm 100% sure that you don't have a second VB installation on your system, or that it's running, because it's removed upon upgrade.

Virtual Box is uninstalled. I uninstalled Windows 7 VPC and XP VM. I checked Services,. There does not seem to be any VM machine running either with a Sun designation or VPC. I rebooted. I reinstalled Windows 7 VPC. No problem. I then installed XP VM and when the VPC tries to start XP VM up comes the error that another virtualization software is running.
Since Windows 7 VPC and XP VM install and operate perfectly on my laptop where Sun Virtaul Box had never been installed, it seems to me that the installation of Sun Virtual Box sets something in the registry that is not cleared when Virtual Box is uninstalled. Windows 7 VPC then comes up with an error when it attempts to start XP VM thinking that another virtualization software is running. I have tried this sequence of uninstalling Windows 7 VPC and XP VM and rebooting several times - same error.
I do not feel that I am missing the problem. Sun Virtual Box has set something that is confusing Windows 7 VPC and that something did not get cleared during the uninstall of Sun Virtual Box.
It basically is not a problem for me since I have legal copies of XP and am actually already running XP in a Sun Virtual Box. I feel that this could be an issue for others who purchase Windows 7 and want to run XP VM and possibly Sun Virtual Box with a Linux machine. If Sun Virtual Box is installed but not running, the Windows 7 VPC should be able to run.

I have uninstalled other software (like Nero 9) from my desktop that is not on my laptop thinking that if Sun Virtual Box is not the problem then who is? No help - same error - other virtualization software running.
I am out of ideas. I cannot imagine any other software is causing the problem other than the installation of Sun Virtual Box.

Why not see if you can do a system restore to a point before you installed VBox.
If there is anything in the registry that is causing the problem this will fix it.

Why not see if you can do a system restore to a point before you installed VBox.
If there is anything in the registry that is causing the problem this will fix it.

I would have to reinstall Windows 7 from scratch. I installed Virtual Box as probably the first application - even before installing Office and other software.

XP VM is working fine on my laptop. I am going to install Virtual Box on my laptop and see what happens. My laptop has very little software on it and it would not be an issue to reinstall Windows 7 on it.

Problem solved - NOT an issue with Sun Virtual Box and Windows 7 XP VM

Installed Windows 7 from scratch on AMD 940. No other software. Installed XP VM – error – other virtualization software running?
Updated BIOS on Gigabyte board from F4 to F7. Reinstalled Windows 7 with virtualization support OFF. Turned virtualization support ON. Installed XP VM – OK!
It was not Sun VB but apparently a problem with the older BIOS on the Gigabyte board.

Installed Sun Virtual Box - no problem. Sun Virtual Box and Windows 7 XP VM can live together on same machine. Hard to believe my Gigabyte board with an old BIOS was the problem.

Great!

I have marked this as solved.