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What's today? The I-can't-install-the-Win-GAs day?
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@SBoat
I merged your topic with an existing one that deals with the same exactly problem (despite the title of the thread), just to save on the duplicate posts. Can you please point whether you're using the 32-bit or the 64-bit Win10 version? Thank you for including the build number...
Just to recap the situation:
- MacBookPro10,2 w/ OSX 10.13.1, VirtualBox 5.2.2 running Win10-x64 (1709), build 16299.
- MacBookAir4,1 w/ OSX 10.13.2, VirtualBox 5.2.2 running Win10-x?? (1709), build 16299.
For me the host hardware or the host OS should be irrelevant. The VirtualBox version, and most importantly the Win10 build, are the ones that (in my mind) we should be focusing on.
I have a Win10-x64 (1607), build 14393.1480
(yes, I prefer to keep them outdated). I will try to update it to 1709, build 16299 and see if I can replicate the problem. In the meantime, here are some things that can be tried:
- Uninstall the GAs from the Control Panel » Programs and Features. Or from the Settings » System » Apps & Features » Related settings, Programs and Features (all the way to the bottom). The GAs should be there, uninstall them from there.
- If you can't find the GAs' uninstall entry, run: "D:\VBoxWindowsAdditions.exe /uninstall" from an elevated Command Prompt (start it with Run-as-Administrator), where "D:\" is your (virtual) CD drive.
- If the above fails, search for and delete all VBox* and VirtualBox* files from your system.
Clean up your registry with CCleaner. 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.
- It won't hurt if you do all of the above steps in that order. Just remember to reboot your guest at regular intervals in between the installs/uninstalls. Reboot from within your guest that is...
- You do NOT need to boot your Win10 into safe mode. This is only required for the WinXP guests and the Win7 guests (with the Direct3D drivers). But I guess it won't hurt either.
PS: @SBoat, there will
not be a 5.2.23 release. The odd number versions are the intermediate ones in between the major releases, i.e. between 5.2.2 and 5.2.4. That's also why you can't find 5.2.1, since as soon as 5.2.2 came out, it became obsolete. These builds are also known as the test builds or developer builds. Stable as the released ones, but without all the bells and whistles (primarily documentation and packaging).
PPS: @ShaneM, I was mistaken when I said that I haven't seen the GAs installation fail before, since I was
clearly involved in a discussion dealing with exactly the same thing. "Thank you" for pointing out the onset of Alzheimer's...