Clean downgrade from 6.0.12 to 6.0.10 -- possible?

[abcdefgh]

Host: Win10-1803.
Guest: Linux Mint 19.2.
Bridged networking (to bypass Win firewall).

Ref: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=94916 which has had over 60 views but no reponses.

It appears that when I attempt to downgrade to VBox 6.0.10, something is left in my system (perhaps in the Win Registry?) that prevents a clean install.

Is there a utility available that will facilitate a clean install of VBox 6.0.10?

Thanks.

[socratis]

which has had over 60 views but no reponses

That's right, you haven't reached the magic-views-number yet...
I have it on my to-do list personally, haven't had a chance to read it in detail yet. It's somewhere buried in my 80+ open tabs...

that prevents a clean install.

How does the "prevention" manifest itself, what's the actual problem? Describe it in detail, don't just think about it...

Personally, I'm upgrading/downgrading several times a day, and I've never had an issue, not a single one...

[abcdefgh]

that prevents a clean install.

... How does the "prevention" manifest itself, what's the actual problem? Describe it in detail, don't just think about it...

VBox 6.0.10 worked perfectly, boom-boom, love me long time! I upgraded to 6.0.12 and all heck broke out, inside Guests and with Networking. I uninstalled 6.0.12 and reinstalled 6.0.10. Not only did .10 know about my existing VMs, it exhibited the same problems I had with .12, so .12 either altered the VMs in some way, or it left stuff behind, or both.

In particular, .12 wanted me to NOT use VBoxVGA and to use VMSVGA instead. After I downgraded to .10, I set video back to VBoxVGA but that didn't make any difference. In both .10 & .12, VMs use bridged networking (to bypass the Win Firewall). (Of course, I installed the correct Extensions & Additions each time.)

Personally, I'm upgrading/downgrading several times a day, and I've never had an issue, not a single one...

Well, come to my house. I live in Ohio.

[socratis]

Not only did .10 know about my existing VMs

Of course it did! Upgrading/downgrading your LibreOffice won't make it forget about your recent spreadsheets. Can you imagine the consequences of VirtualBox forgetting about your VMs with every upgrade/downgrade?

it exhibited the same problems I had with .12

That's as vague, as vague gets...

In particular, .12 wanted me to NOT use VBoxVGA and to use VMSVGA instead

No, it most certainly did not. Read the message again. Carefully this time!

I set video back to VBoxVGA but that didn't make any difference. In both .10 & .12, VMs use bridged networking

I don't see how the vGPU can have any affect in the Bridged networking option. And when you refer to the networking option, I think you refer to your other thread, I think it's about time to take a look at it...

Well, come to my house. I live in Ohio.

Hey, actually I've been there! Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron, road trip...

Here's the classical recipe I give people:

1. Uninstall VirtualBox. Your VMs are going to be untouched. Reboot.
2. You may want to clean up your registry and/or filesystem at this point. CCleaner is a freeware utility that could help you. Mind the installation, it comes with "offers" from 3rd parties, known as "bundleware". Also, check out Device Cleanup program that helps you to remove any unused devices from your computer, mainly multiple "Host-Only Adapter #n".
3. Download (if you haven't already) the latest VirtualBox and its matching ExtPack. Store them in a common location, i.e. not on "Desktop", or "Documents", but to "Public/Downloads" for example.
4. Uninstall (don't simply disable) all 3rd party antivirus. If you're afraid about your computer being vulnerable, pull the Ethernet plug, disconnect your WiFi, don't go browsing around.
5. Locate the downloaded file in Windows Explorer. Right-click on the installer and select "Run-as-Administrator", even if you are the administrator. At the end of the installation, choose to "Start Oracle VM VirtualBox". Do not worry if your VMs do not show up.
6. If you're going to install the ExtPack, go to File » Preferences » Extensions. Click on the icon with the orange, down-pointing arrow on the right. Select the ExtPack from the previous steps.
7. Quit VirtualBox. Re-start VirtualBox as you would normally, i.e. from the Desktop shortcut or the Start menu.
8. Update the Guest Additions (GAs) in your guest(s), if the GAs are available for a specific guest.

[abcdefgh]

In particular, .12 wanted me to NOT use VBoxVGA and to use VMSVGA instead

No, it most certainly did not. Read the message again. Carefully this time!

screenshot.png (32.96 KiB) Viewed 9787 times

I "switch[ed] to the VMSVGA graphics controller and update[d] guest additions" because running without 3D acceleration is slow, slow, slow.

[abcdefgh]

Uninstall VirtualBox. Your VMs are going to be untouched. Reboot.

Now that the VMM exists, reattaching VHD's is rather painless.

You may want to clean up your registry and/or filesystem at this point. CCleaner is a freeware utility that could help you. Mind the installation, it comes with "offers" from 3rd parties, known as "bundleware". Also, check out Device Cleanup program that helps you to remove any unused devices from your computer, mainly multiple "Host-Only Adapter #n".

Ah, so there are Registry entries to clear out. Most apps that support uninstallation provide either "complete" uninstall or a separate utility to accomplish it. Do I trust CCleaner? Not on your life.

Uninstall (don't simply disable) all 3rd party antivirus. If you're afraid about your computer being vulnerable, pull the Ethernet plug, disconnect your WiFi, don't go browsing around.

I don't use antivirus. I don't allow Windows on the Internet. That's for the VM Guest & bridged networking.

[socratis]

Apparently there's a reading comprehension problem. I know what the message says exactly, I saw that message long before you did! The question is, can you read and understand it? Carefully... try to understand what it says! Pay special attention to the VirtualBox version... that might get you going further...

Now that the VMM exists, reattaching VHD's is rather painless.

Really? I find it more difficult to recreate the VM recipe from scratch, not to attach a VDI...

Ah, so there are Registry entries to clear out

Sometimes. That's Windows we're talking about. If their installer/uninstaller was half-way decent, there wouldn't be any leftovers.

ost apps that support uninstallation provide either "complete" uninstall or a separate utility to accomplish it.

Yes, it's called the "MicroSoft Installer" (MSI). If you're wondering if it's solid, just search for it. I would stop reading at the millionth link...

Do I trust CCleaner? Not on your life.

There's a manual way too...

[abcdefgh]

Apparently there's a reading comprehension problem. ...

To me it says that VBoxVGA will go away (or cease providing 3D acceleration) and that to prepare, I should switch to VMSVGA. FYI, I tried both, long before I posted here.

Is it possible that the problems here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=94800 & here viewtopic.php?f=6&t=94916 & here https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/18965 are all/mostly caused by Optimus https://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/optimus? (Or, at least, by having a VBox display driver that doesn't know how to Optimus?)

PS: Actually, get the marketing people out of the way, Optimus is a GPU-core sharing scheme that allows the Intel 8-core GPU to use the NVIDIA 254-core (I think) GPU as a graphics coprocessor. That's needed because the NVIDIA processor is connected only to displayport and is useful in a laptop computer only for an attached screen, not the laptop's built-in screen. Optimus doesn't really have anything (directly) to do with saving battery.

[socratis]

To me it says that VBoxVGA will go away

With 6.1.0. That's not what you said:

In particular, .12 wanted me to NOT use VBoxVGA

Glad you finally read the message more carefully. And even now, you didn't read it 100% carefully. It says that VBoxVGA+3D will go away, not VBoxVGA itself.

I should switch to VMSVGA

Again, that depends on the guest. VMSVGA is for Linux guests.

by having a VBox display driver that doesn't know how to Optimus?

VirtualBox doesn't deal directly with the GPU, it can't. It talks to the host OS. It could be that the drivers are not optimized, the GPU might not be capable enough, and glitches are there with the newer VirtualBox vGPUs, glitches that are expected to be ironed out.

We started veering off from the thread's title. I don't want to keep on discussing every VirtualBox problem that you might be facing in a single thread, we're going to get lost. We like to observe the "One issue, one thread" rule...