I'm running windows XP on an OS X host, everything is the most recent possible. I started intalling guest additions once, but cancelled out. NOW IT WONT LET ME. It just doesn't do anything at all when I select that option from the menu.
Can additions be installed manually from the guest OS?
Install guest additions doesn't do anything.
You can deinstall the guest-additions from within XP and install them again.
If you have disabled autorun, which is a good idea to not get infected by virii and trojans, the vbox-menu-item "Install Guestadditions" only will mount the guestadditions as cd-image, but will not install them. To install them select in explorer the drive-letter associated with your (first) cd-drive. There you will find the guestadditions, with some executables in the rootfolder. Select the proper executable, click on it and the guestadditions will be installed.
When the guestaddition has been installed, there will be a corresponding icon in the taskbar, that has no further function except to let you know that the guestadditions has been installed.
EDIT: Right-click onto the taskbar-icon will show you the version of the guestadditions.
If you have disabled autorun, which is a good idea to not get infected by virii and trojans, the vbox-menu-item "Install Guestadditions" only will mount the guestadditions as cd-image, but will not install them. To install them select in explorer the drive-letter associated with your (first) cd-drive. There you will find the guestadditions, with some executables in the rootfolder. Select the proper executable, click on it and the guestadditions will be installed.
When the guestaddition has been installed, there will be a corresponding icon in the taskbar, that has no further function except to let you know that the guestadditions has been installed.
EDIT: Right-click onto the taskbar-icon will show you the version of the guestadditions.