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Problem Replication:
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64bit (updates KB3004394, KB3045999, and KB3081320 NOT INSTALLED)
Anti-Virus: ESET
- Completely uninstall the currently installed VirtualBox (4.3.12 or anything newer).
- Reboot the computer to make sure drivers are not loaded
- Install the latest version of VirtualBox (current is 5.1.18) or any version newer than 4.3.12.
- After 5.1.18 install completes do not restart the computer. You should be able to run VirtualBox and any VM you had previously.
The Problem - If you then restart the computer after installing a version of VirtualBox newer than 4.3.12, VirtualBox will run but you will not be able to load any of the VMs and will get the error below or something very similar:
Error relaunching VirtualBox VM process: 5
Command line: '60eaff78-4bdd-042d-2e72-669728efd737-suplib-3rdchild --comment intelios --startvm 53f35ed5-907b-4e1f-a86b-e971c2f866d0 --no-startvm-errormsgbox "--sup-hardening-log=C:\SPB_Data\VirtualBox VMs\WinXP\Logs\VBoxHardening.log" (rc=-104)
Please try reinstalling VirtualBox.
where: supR3HardenedWinReSpawn what: 5 VERR_INVALID_NAME (-104) -
Invalid (malformed) file/path name.
For some reason when the VboxDRV.sys kernel driver gets loaded and started on boot something breaks. Now it may be my anti-virus hooking into it but I have not tested that. I did try disabling (not uninstalling) the AV with no difference. The solution I found was to delay the startup of VboxDRV service by setting its startup type to Demand. This way VboxDRV.sys will load but not start on system boot and will only start when it is needed. Conveniently, running VirtualBox will trigger VboxDRV service to start and by that time the boot process should be complete and everything works without any issues (opening VMs without the error above).
I found this fix works best if done in this order:
- Completely uninstall any VirtualBox currently installed
- Restart the computer
- Install the latest version of VirtualBox
- After install completes do not restart the computer
- Open the registry editor. Start > Run > regedit
- Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\VBoxDrv
- Edit the key called Start. Change it's value from 1 to 3
- Close the registry editor and restart your computer. After your computer restarts you should be able to use VirtualBox without any issues.
Hope this helps someone. I know it's not a proper fix but it's the best one so far for people where reinstalling Windows or uninstalling their anti-virus is not an option.