cannot start Virtual Box - REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG (0x80040154)

[trogne]

Hi,

I cannot start Virtual Box anymore, I get this :

"Failed to create the VirtualBoxClient COM object. The application will now terminate. Callee RC: REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG (0x80040154)"

I've try this : deleting the \"user"\.VirtualBox folder, reinstalling VirtualBox 5.20. Same error.

And this :
VBoxSVC.exe /ReRegServer
regsvr32.exe VBoxC.dll

Same error.

What can I do ?


Thanks,

Patrick

[mpack]

I think it might prove useful to leave this one to Socratis.

[socratis]

I think it might prove useful to leave this one to Socratis.

????????? I can see several possible scenarios why you're asking specifically about me:

1. You're trying to prove me wrong about my suggestion to only use the "Run as administrator" installation, regardless of the user account. That's the scenario I would throw out first, because that it is simply mean. Not your style...
2. You're assigning me a "homework". No thanks. I've gone plenty of years to school. My last "homework" 20 years ago was a long and painful one, but it did earn me a "Dr." in front of my name. Don't want to sit in another student's desk again. Especially when I'm not quite sure what I'll get out of this exercise...
3. You're hiring me to solve the problem. Although this is a volunteers' forum, I wouldn't mind it if you took your checkbook out. I'll send you the details of my name and the amount in a PM.

[socratis]

I cannot start Virtual Box anymore

Does that mean that you were able to start VirtualBox at some point earlier? If yes, what changed in your host?

Deleting the configuration files will not get you anywhere. The problem lies with COM registration, which is something pretty common in the Windows world. You did not mention what is your host running. Would you mind providing that information?

[mpack]

I left it to you because the cause I would consider first is the one you objected to in your recent suggestion, therefore I felt hampered in offering that opinion. At the time of our discussion I believe you asked me to find you examples, something I wasn't prepared to do as I have many other uses for my time, and in any case I doubt it would have helped. However this topic seems like a good opportunity for you to test your ideas, and I will be genuinely interested to see how it develops.

[trogne]

My host ?
Windows 7 (64 bits).

What do you need more ?

[socratis]

OK, I'll bite

1. Log on as a local Administrator^[1]
2. Uninstall VirtualBox (if installed)
3. Enable MSI logging
   • Copy-paste the following to a text file and save it as LogEnable.reg
     

     Code: Select all

     Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
     
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer]
     "Logging"="voicewarmupx" 
     "Debug"=dword:00000007
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Trace]
     "Flags"=dword:00000016
     "Level"=dword:00000004
     

   • Double-click on the file to merge the information in the registry. Accept the warnings.
   • The last message should be a successful merge information box.
4. Install VirtualBox
   • Right-click on "VirtualBox-5.0.20-106931-Win.exe" and select "Run as Administrator"^[2].
   • Proceed with the full installation.
   • The installation will be slower because we're logging everything.
5. Examine the logs
   • Go to Start, Run..., enter "%temp%". It will open an Explorer window on your Temp directory.
   • There will be a file called "MSI#####.log". It would be easier to find if you sort them by Date. It's the newest one.
   • Copy it to your Desktop for safekeeping. ZIP it and attach it to your response.
6. Disable MSI logging
   • MSI logs are big and they slow down the installation. So, we'll disable MSI logging.
   • Copy-paste the following to a text file and save it as LogDisable.reg
     

     Code: Select all

     Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
     
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer]
     "Logging"=-
     "Debug"=-
     [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Trace]
     

   • Double-click on the file to merge the information in the registry. Accept the warnings.
   • The last message should be a successful merge information box.

Now, we'll compare your installation log (MSI#####.log.ZIP) that you uploaded with other logs and see if we can find out anything.

---

It took me some time to reply, mainly because I was trying to figure out what on earth is going on with logging on Windows. I wanted to enable both VirtualBox installer logging and MSI logging, so I would have all my bases covered. Turns out that if you enable VBox logging it's almost the same as MSI logging and the latter doesn't happen if you enable the former. I was pulling my hair for sometime until I figured out what was going on.

One thing I din't have available was a 64-bit installation of Windows so I did my tests on a 32-bit Windows installation. If there is a difference in the procedure (doubt it) I will try to find a 64-bit Windows VM to test it on.

---

^[1]: This has absolutely nothing to do with the installation of VirtualBox, it has to do with logging the installation. It is doable but way more convoluted if you want to do it as a simple user. Instructions on how to do both will follow in the next message.
^[2]: There is a difference in Windows between being an Administrator and using "Run as Administrator".

[socratis]

I found some time to do the installation from a simple user account. The problem with logging while using "Run as administrator" lies in the fact that the user context that is doing the installation is the Administrator, and therefore all logging is taking place at the Administrator's TEMP directory. Second, you cannot merge registry files that affect the system when logged in as a simple user. The procedure is pretty much like the one in the previous post. Just wanted to do it for completion. And because I promised

1. Log on as any non-Administrator user (simple user)
2. Uninstall VirtualBox (if installed)
3. Open an elevated Command Prompt
   • Start menu, All Programs, Accessories, right-click on Command Prompt (CP from now on), select "Run as Administrator". Enter your credentials.
4. Enable MSI logging
   • Copy-paste the following to a text file and save it as LogEnable.reg
     

     Code: Select all

     Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
     
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer]
     "Logging"="voicewarmupx" 
     "Debug"=dword:00000007
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Trace]
     "Flags"=dword:00000016
     "Level"=dword:00000004
     

   • On the CP enter the command:

        regedit <Full_Path_To_LogEnable.reg>

   • Accept the warnings. The last message should be a successful merge information box.
5. Install VirtualBox
   • Right-click on "VirtualBox-5.0.20-106931-Win.exe" and select "Run as Administrator".
   • Proceed with the full installation.
   • The installation will be slower because we're logging everything.
6. Examine the logs
   • Switch accounts from the simple user and log on as the administrator that you used on the previous step.^[1]
   • Go to Start, Run..., enter "%temp%". It will open an Explorer window on your Temp directory.
   • There will be a file called "MSI#####.log". It would be easier to find if you sort them by Date. It's the newest one.
   • Copy it to your Desktop for safekeeping. ZIP it and attach it to your response.
   • Log off and re-login as the initial simple user.
7. Disable MSI logging
   • MSI logs are big and they slow down the installation. So, we'll disable MSI logging.
   • Copy-paste the following to a text file and save it as LogDisable.reg
     

     Code: Select all

     Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
     
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer]
     "Logging"=-
     "Debug"=-
     [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Trace]
     

   • On the CP enter the command:

        regedit <Full_Path_To_LogDisable.reg>

   • Accept the warnings. The last message should be a successful merge information box.

Now, we'll compare your installation log (MSI#####.log.ZIP) that you uploaded with other logs and see if we can find out anything.

---

^[1]: You can do the whole thing from the command line if you prefer, but I won't go into the details.

[kashmax]

Hi,
This is very strange, I was running Virtualbox 4.3.x on my windows 7 ultimate 64bit machine (no hardware change) BUT now after formating, these errors pop-up during installation!

Could not register type library for file c:\program files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxC.dll. Contact your support personnel.

If I click ignore then the 2nd errors comes:

Could not register type library for file c:\program files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxClient-x8.dll. Contact your support personnel.

After bypassing those errors, when I open the program it says:

Failed to create COM object . . . .

I followed this link but not successful. Even I tried to install Virtualbox 5.0.22 but the same issue.
kirtrainford.co.uk/fix-failed-create-virtualbox-com-object-regdb_e_classnotreg-0x80040154/

I will try your steps Socratis to read the logs and I will let you know the outcomes.

[Waldooo]

I'm getting the same error. Win 7 32bit, newish install. I got 1 box built and working for XP, since I have a couple of XP apps I need that aren't Win7 friendly. Since then, I've installed software including Teamviewer, Solidworks,... Tried to install 11/65 Windows updates, got a BSOD for my trouble. Still "should" look at the rest of them, but....

I can't open my XP box now. 5.0.16 version won't work. Uninstalled and installed (as administrator) 5.0.22 version (current) in a non-Windows-default folder, same result (this error). I need that XP box working. Win7 is killing a networked app we have that uses Firebird & BDE, and Windows default folders with the associated permission issues.

Logging the installation won't show much. My first installation worked. I used it, built a box, and used that - a bit. Then it stopped working.
May be related to an update, may be related to my puttering with permissions, may be sun-spots....

Logging the VB boot-up might show something - like which class(es) is apparently not available.

OK. Opening the manager as XP-compatible gets me a manager window - that's progress. Opening a VM still gets me this error message, but it's logged, so I guess I get to read that.

[kashmax]

Solved it by formatting my machine again.

[Xpman]

I am also getting a bsod at startup with my .vhd base running virtual box in xp mode.

[biman9]

I am still facing the problem while making the vagrant up on windows 10. I have tried vagrant version 1.7.2 with VM 4.3.12 also with vagrant 2.0.2 with VM 5.1.2/5.2.6/5.2.12... none of the combinations work.. Any help will be highly appreciable.

Getting the below error :

There was an error while executing VBoxManage, a CLI used by Vagrant
for controlling VirtualBox. The command and stderr is shown below.

Command: ["startvm", "4418f31e-9a9a-40e5-abe3-a61327193024", "--type", "headless"]

Stderr: VBoxManage.exe: error: The virtual machine 'dev-image_xdevimg_1526537235269_3388' has terminated unexpectedly during startup with exit code 1 (0x1). More details may be available in 'C:\Users\sinbmm\VirtualBox VMs\dev-image_xdevimg_XXXXXXXX\Logs\VBoxHardening.log'
VBoxManage.exe: error: Details: code E_FAIL (0x80004005), component MachineWrap, interface IMachine

[socratis]

Vagrant is a program that relies on VirtualBox but modifies its configuration files in unknown ways to us. It is not supported on these VirtualBox user forums, they have their own Vagrant support channels. If you are having this problem with a standalone version of VirtualBox, then we can continue this discussion.