Discuss the 4.3.8 Release

[mpack]

For discussion of the VirtualBox 4.3.8 release.

[mpack]

I don't think this issue is directly related to this version as I have tried a few others, but the issue occurs when attempting to install.

After selecting the default compontents and default directory (C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox) and proceeding with the installation, it appears that the setup dialog box is on "Evaluating launch conditions" and then pops up an error message:

"This application only runs on 32-bit Windows systems. Please install the 64-bit version of Oracle VM VirtualBox 4.2.4"?

First, it would seem from searching that both 32bit and 64bit installations are in this Windows install exe (or at least they should be). I'm not sure why it is detecting able to detect my 64bit system and then attempt to install the 32bit version with the error.

Second, the error message appears to be for the 4.2.4 version, while I have the 4.3.8 installation executable.

I'm not sure what may have happened. Is it possible that I have old files from a previous 4.2.4 installation that need to be deleted? Is there a way I can be sure that all virtual box profile settings and app data has been deleted/removed and then attempt to reinstall?

My home directory is mapped onto a NFS and I am in the process of transitioning from 32bit to 64bit, so this may be playing some part of the issue.

[animedbz16]

Looking at some of the registry entries. It appears that there are entries for 4.2.4-r81684-MultiArch_x86.msi. These entries may have been imported from a backup when transitioning from the 32bit machine to 64bit machine as some programs were transferred over.

I will see if there is an easy way to remove all the VirutalBox Registry entries and attempt another clean installation to see if that will fix it.

[mpack]

I've seen a couple of reports of this, involving different "old" versions.

I'm wondering if this isn't just the previous version software/drivers being uninstalled. Workaround would be to uninstall yourself before installing the new version.

[socratis]

Show-stopper issues:

• OSX guests kernel panics: I have 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 and 10.9 guests. Only 10.6 boots.
• All of my Linux guests have graphics issues with 3D enabled. I'm talking unusable. It may be similar to an issue (ticket #12193) that I have been having throughout the whole 4.3.x series with a Windows 8 guest. Guests are: Fedora 19, Ubuntu 12.04, Scientific Linux 6.4, Mint 15.

I think I need to open separate threads for each of those issues. This is to get the summary of updating to 4.3.8. I'll update the post as needed.

[hospitality]

Hello, since the new version, all my guests machines in Windows Millennium Edition no longer start. I get the following blue screen on start: While initializing device NTKERN: Windows protection error, you need to restart your computer.

Thank you for your help in solving this very disabling problem.
Sorry for my imperfect English (I am French).

[mhanor]

The experimental HID LEDs synchronization for Windows hosts is disabled by default. That confuses the user, when switching from host to guest and vice versa. VirtualBox should revert to the old behavior, when this feature is disabled. I don't see any benefits of having different keyboard states and no feedback for the user. It's a handicap, really...
I'm not sure if I should open a bug ticket.

[embb]

Hi,

Something very strange happen when I install this new version on my Linux Mint 16 and updating the guest additions.
I had 5 Windows 8.1 64 bits VM's running and only one was able to reboot after a windows repair, all the others VM's are on repairing loop.

The solution was to went back to 4.3.6 and restore latest snapshot.

Thanks
embb

[galitsyn]

The experimental HID LEDs synchronization for Windows hosts is disabled by default. That confuses the user, when switching from host to guest and vice versa. VirtualBox should revert to the old behavior, when this feature is disabled. I don't see any benefits of having different keyboard states and no feedback for the user. It's a handicap, really...
I'm not sure if I should open a bug ticket.

What changes exactly do you observe in old behavior (when feature is disabled)?

[mhanor]

There is no "old behavior" in the new release. In VirtualBox 4.3.6, the NumLock, CapsLock keys state is common for both the guest and the host. When the user changes the state in the guest, it affects also affects the host and vice versa, while the keyboard lights are correct in each situation.
In 4.3.8, the host and the guest each have separate states. But when switching from the guest to the host or vice versa, while the guest and the host have different key states for NumLock/CapsLock, the keyboard lights remain unchanged, not reflecting the existing state. Example: the CapsLock state is off for both guest and host, its keyboard LED is off. After changing the state in the host, the LED is on, by swiching to the guest, the state is off, while the CapsLock LED is on.

Later edit: I think it's a bug. Pressing CapsLock in the guest, the host also registers the state change (I'm not talking about the LED state). I think that VirtualBox fails to detect the state change when it's running in the background.
I've opened a ticket, https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/12758

[socratis]

Show-stopper issues:

• OSX guests kernel panics: I have 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 and 10.9 guests. Only 10.6 boots.

This one is indeed a bug, resolved in https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/12736

[Whitty]

Hello, not sure if this belongs here so I apologise in advance.

I'm trying to install VirtualBox 4.3.8 onto my windows 8.1 64bit machine but as it's going through the installation process it stops and says "Oracle VM VirtualBox 4.3.8 Setup Wizard ended prematurely". I click finish and a dialogue box appears saying "Installation failed! Error: Fatal error during installation."

Thanks,

Paul

[Papolytic]

Hello, not sure if this belongs here so I apologise in advance.

I'm trying to install VirtualBox 4.3.8 onto my windows 8.1 64bit machine but as it's going through the installation process it stops and says "Oracle VM VirtualBox 4.3.8 Setup Wizard ended prematurely". I click finish and a dialogue box appears saying "Installation failed! Error: Fatal error during installation."

Thanks,

Paul

With new releases, I often , for some reason despite having all administrative permissions, log on as administrator, then do the install from that account. Of course, it is setup fine when I log back on as my username. Hope that helps.

Regarding the 4.3.8 release. No problems with it for me using Win 7 host and Ubuntu 12.04 and Mint 15 guests (both for fairly heavy development). 3d graphics working fine.

Mick

[mpack]

With new releases, I often , for some reason despite having all administrative permissions, log on as administrator, then do the install from that account.

That is bad advice. Installing software for the wrong user is never a good idea. If you have a Windows host then use "Run as administrator" under your normal user name to run the installer. If it's a 64bit Windows host then make sure that Driver Signature Enforcement is not set to silently discard anything. This latter seems to be a particular problem on Win8-64b.

[socratis]

Installing software for the wrong user is never a good idea. If you have a Windows host then use "Run as administrator" under your normal user name to run the installer.

What happens if you have multiple "normal" users? To me logging in as administrator and installing, not running, the application is the proper way to do things. Is there a specific component in VBox that affects the user account that did the installation and no one else? That will cause it to fail to run as a "normal" user?