Win7 32-bit host, "REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG (0x80040154)"

[ColH]

First installation of VirtualBox. It gives the error "Failed to create the VirtualBoxClient COM object. The application will now terminate. Callee RC: REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG (0x80040154)" on starting.

I originally ran the installer not as Admin - not that it complained about anything - and encountered this error.

So I've done a System Restore, and followed the instructions in wiki/MSI_Logging for logging the installation - the two registry entries AND running the installer with the '-l' option, from a 'Run as administrator' command prompt; using all the default installation options (but selecting 'always trust software from Oracle').
There is NO log file created in C:\Users\<Your Username>\AppData\Local\Temp !

Still the same error when it runs; also when running as administrator. Also switched to a 'local' login on the PC [my normal one is an Active Directory account], and that also errors.
"VBoxSVC.exe /ReRegServer
regsvr32.exe VBoxC.dll"
[from admin command prompt] doesn't error, but doesn't fix it.

I've searched for a fix, and seen mention of 'VirtualBox services' - yet I've not spotted anything in services.msc (started or not) which looks like a VirtualBox service.

How can I debug this further?

[mpack]

That error means AFAIK that VirtualBox has not been installed for the current user. You need to use "Run as administrator" and be logged in under the correct user account (*). A common mistake is to log in as the "Administrator" user.

(*) Actually this is more important on Win8+ hosts, especially 64bit. I don't offhand recall Win7-32bit hosts being a problem, unless you chose you upgrade the default security.

Make sure that the installer completes, and rebooting the host afterwards probably wouldn't hurt either.

The VBoxSVC background task is not a windows service. It's purely for VMs to use, and anyway isn't really relevant to this problem.

[ColH]

Yep, I was logged in as the 'user I want to use it under'; and ran the installer 'as administrator'

[mpack]

Well, all I can suggest is a complete uninstall, clean out the folders (in "Program Files"), then try a reinstall.

[ColH]

Did another System Restore, then deleted the directory too. Then logged into a 'local computer' account (which has admin privileges) rather than my AD one, to install (from an Admin command prompt).
Still the same problem. I did find the log files this time (it's not a file MSI....log in AppData\Local\Temp, instead there's a VirtualBox directory in there with the log file). Files attached.

[mpack]

Then logged into a 'local computer' account (which has admin privileges)

... which is what I told you not to do.

[ColH]

It's not the full-blown "Administrator" account though - just a user account ("colin") who has admin privileges. (Surely that's not unusual for Windows accounts?)

[mpack]

It's the wrong user, unless I've misunderstood you.

[ColH]

Ok, may well be misunderstanding each other.
The PC has [had for a long time] a user 'colin' which logs into the local PC. Recently though, we've moved over to using Active Directory, so my everyday login is now a domain logon 'colin'. (i.e. they have different C:\Users\ directories). The domain server grants admin rights on the PC to this user.
(I was trying with the other old account in case it helped, but it may have confused the question more!)
So I run a command prompt as administrator, then run the installer .exe with '-l'. Log file for this user attached.

Looking at some other posts, I saw that some people have had to enable Compatibility mode on VirtualBox.exe - this does indeed help a bit, allowing me to start the app and create a vm and disk. But when I try to then start the vm, the same error occurs.
Don't know if this gives any clues? Seems like its some registry foul up, but I'm obviously a bit at a loss to work out what.

[mpack]

Well, since your problem involves a feature which I don't use - active directory - then I'll have to leave you for someone else to try.

[ColH]

Is it (generally) necessary though to run the installer As Administrator, and/or will it give an error/warning (any indication) if its unable to do something in non-Admin mode that it needs to do?
The documentation doesn't mention any need for Admin 'elevation', but I just wanted to check.

[scottgus1]

It seems common on the forums here to confuse "Run as Administrator" to mean, run under an administrator account, which may not be the account one wants to use later. Virtualbox won't run without tweaks or at all if installed that way.

To install and run Virtualbox correctly, one logs in on the account one plans to run the virtual machines under. Then one right-clicks the Virtualbox installer and chooses "Run as Administrator". The installer usually completes without trouble, and then one can make and launch virtual machines .

One might run into a bit of trouble if the desired account for running the virtual machines has user privileges not admin privileges. One may then just need to provide the admin password in the permissions popup common to Windows 7 & later.

There may be issues with Colin's PC because there are two accounts named Colin, one local and one AD. We have a glitch like that at work, one non-AD laptop and one AD workstation both with the same username, and the laptop sometimes locks out the workstation account with failed logon passwords. There may be unintended issues with AD. Maybe trying on a different AD account with a unique name?

[ColH]

Thanks for clarifying Scott.
I've re-run the installer 'as administrator'; whilst logged into my Active Directory (Domain) account - the one in which I want to use VB.
I don't get any permissions popups during the install.
To no avail though.