Install 4.0.8 fails - cannot access kernel driver

[jflanner]

Help - my previously working Virtual Machine environment is now not working. What changed is I installed version 4.0.8. The install was normal. I have done these installs normally for months - every time the product tells me there is a new version. It did differ at the end - it asked for a reboot where that is not my typical experience. But - it is software so I gave it a reboot.

After the reboot - the system stabilizes. When I first start Virtual Box - then almost immediately I get a system tray notification that drivers are being installed. The installation fails. Virtual Box looks normal - and behaves normal until you start a machine. I immediately get a popup - Cannot access the kernel driver. Make sure the kernel module has been loaded successfully. A second popup I have never seen before also comes up. It reads Creating process for virtual machine "machine name" with 0% in the progress bar. The progress bar never changes until I hit cancel.

I have read several posts that suggest I should run repair so - I do. Repair looks normal. It "deletes files" ... "copying new files" .... but as soon as the progress bar on "copying new files" reaches 100% - I get "Status: Rolling back. The status bar then goes from 100 to 0 - and I'm back where I started.

In device manager - there is one device in the Unknown group that has no driver. In fact - having tried this serveral times - there is one unknown device per installation request. I uninstalled them all. I ran the install scenario again - same experience - and there is one device in the unknown folder. Attempts to install a driver by browsing to c:\Program Files\Oracle\Virtual Box (search subdirectories) fails - no driver found.

Please help. I have been working on this all day and am at wits end. But I can't do my job until this gets fixed. I have tried reboot - uninstall - reboot - install - reboot - bring up virtual machine. No luck. I have made sure c:\program files\Oracle and Users\me\VirtualBox VMs are completely gone after uninstall. No difference. How do I get around this?

[Leak]

Try this post - that solved someone else's problem with said kernel driver error message.

np: Autechre - Sim Gishel (Confield)

[jflanner]

This did not work for me. I found the vboxdrv.inf file. Right Mouse on it and install. I then get a pop up "Installation failed".

Any idea where the code that raised the very helpful error pop-up logged why actually it decided there was an error?

Also - I took down my virus scanner etc before attempting this.

[Perryg]

You may need to do this with Admin permission.

[jflanner]

Good idea - but no go. I actually logged off - logged on as local\Administrtor - and attempted to install the driver. Same experience. The same very helpful "Installation Failed" pop up.

[jflanner]

Note Also - I attempted to deinstall/install the entire product as local\Administrator. No good. Experience of local\Administrator is completely consistent with what I observe under domain\john. (domain\john is in local\Administrators. I agree there are times when that does not mean much.)

[stonystevenson]

I upgraded to 4 0 8 . I was always v.happy with all previous virtual box versions. Not now. Never got as far as cannot access kernel driver.
It started the process - a dialog box but blank / incomplete appeared. I assumed it meant "close previous open Vbox" and clicked OK. I received the warning that I would temporarily be disconnected from the Internet etc and then got the warning "not tested by Microsft ~~" I expected 6 or 7 of these - clicked on three and then the install froze. I waited ages - Task Manager said it was running Cancelling warned did I want to cancel the installation. Tried again - warned an installation was running already.. Hmmm.

I restarted the PC [Win XP Pro SP 3] Tried again. Same same. No joy.

I cut out the old program and pasted it safe elsewhere. Kept the vdb files. Went to uninstall and it was not there in Add Remove or Revo Uninstaller. Ran CCleaner for invalid registry entries. All the Vbox references were deleted. Tried install again. Same. Also my internet was inaccessible. Had to manually ipconfig renew IP etc but my MS Home needs resetting. Internet back after a nervous few moments.

Now I cannot install an older version to get me by. Must I wait for v. 4.0.9 / 4.10 now? Or -- Help!!

[Leak]

Now I cannot install an older version to get me by. Must I wait for v. 4.0.9 / 4.10 now? Or -- Help!!

Do you have Dropbox installed and running? That'll make the installation freeze like you wrote for some reason...

[jflanner]

I personally am still out of the water now. I can tell my issue is environmental. I attempted to go back to 4.0.6. Failed with the same symptom. 4.0.8 installed no problem on my home machine. I also am not lilly white on pre-production Microsoft code installed on my machine. So...

Can anyone tell me where this stuff logs?? It is obvious to me there is some code (specifically in Repair) that makes a decision it is necessary to backout. Where does it recoard the reason? Also the code that issued the very discriptive driver install pop-up should have logged a reason some where.

Unless I get a resolution today - I will format c: tomorrow. I'd like to avoid that but.....

[Perryg]

Windows has a register setting called runonce which has been getting a lot of attention lately.
I would look into this as the possible cause of your issue. Google it and in reference to VirtualBox. There you will see some suggested "work-around".
For some reason the reg. key has been getting changed or deleted altogether (probably due to virus, malware, or local user reasons) and that could be causing this issue.

[Leak]

Can anyone tell me where this stuff logs?? It is obvious to me there is some code (specifically in Repair) that makes a decision it is necessary to backout. Where does it recoard the reason? Also the code that issued the very discriptive driver install pop-up should have logged a reason some where.

It doesn't log by default AFAIK. Try running "msiexec /?" on the command line - it'll list all parameters you can use, one of which (/l) activates logging and allows you to specify the log level and where to write the file...

np: Mogwai - George Square Thatcher Death Party (Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will)

[stonystevenson]

Thanks Leak - Dropbox was the culprit. A warning dialogue to close / exit would help. I would never have suspected Dropbox. Many thanks again.

[jflanner]

I hate to report this - but I'm back. It took a complete reinstall of Windows 7 to get beyond it. After I got stable in device manager and windows update - I installed virtual box 4.0.8 with no issue. After I recovered my VirtualBox.xml file - all my machines came right back up no issues.

I have noticed other folks with this problem. This is not a good resolution in my mind. I costs me a day to rebuild my system. But I had no choice.

[Perryg]

At this point I don't see anything pointing to VirtualBox as the cause. Do you have something that points to VBox as the cause of the problem? If so I am sure that DEVs would like to see it. I know from my personal experience with Windows that things like this happen and usually the reasons are never discovered. Could be any of the reasons I indicated above.

[jflanner]

PerryG:

I agree with your assessment of Windows - the worlds most exploited operating system. All I have (to suggest this is a virtual box issue) is extremely tight though circumstantial evidence. I was working. I installed an upgrade. I stopped working. The fact I am now working (after an OS install) solidly suggests there is something else going on - and the direct issue is not a Virtual Box issue.

BUT - if Virtual Box decides it cannot install a driver - where does it log the reason why? If Virtual Box decides it must back out a repair operation - where does it log the reason why? These are questions I hope the developers will address in coming releases. And I can tell looking through this forum - there are others in the same boat I am.

I don't mean to be negative. I would not be passionate about the issue - nor would I have taken the time to rebuild my machine if I did not consider Virtual Box to be a great product.