[Solved] Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
Post Reply
Manuelraa
Posts: 5
Joined: 20. Apr 2019, 15:47

[Solved] Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by Manuelraa »

First I wanted to update my Virtualbox.
The installer always stops without any progress with the error: "the system cannot open the device or file specified"
I can press try again or cancel. "try again" instantly gives the same error.
When I press cancel it basically says "The error code is 2755"

I tried different versions.
I tried finding out what it tries to open with progress monitor.
I ran "sfc /scannow"
I tried to install other software -> works
I uninstalled the old version of Virtualbox. Now I can't even run the VM i need.

What process monitor captures when I press on "try again":
The Process Monitor output when I press on "try again"
The Process Monitor output when I press on "try again"
process_monitor_output.png (90.26 KiB) Viewed 21419 times
Can someone help me?
Last edited by Manuelraa on 20. Apr 2019, 23:01, edited 1 time in total.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by mpack »

Is that the complete error message? Does it not name the specific resource that it can't find?

Does drive R: still exist?

This is actually a Windows Installer (MSI) issue, not a problem with the VirtualBox installer. MSI wants to start by uninstalling the previous VirtualBox version, and for some reason that involves accessing the previous installer on the same drive that it was originally run from: I'm guess that's drive R: given your registry contents.

So make sure that the installer for the previous VirtualBox version exists on drive R:.
Manuelraa
Posts: 5
Joined: 20. Apr 2019, 15:47

Re: Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by Manuelraa »

R: is just my temp. Should the old file be in %temp%/Virtualbox?
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by scottgus1 »

You can do a system-wide search for that particular file name "virtualbox 6.0.6.etc.msi" and see if it is still on your drives.

You can also get the msi file by extracting it from the downloaded 6.0.6 installer from www.virtualbox.org. Google 'extract msi from exe' for how to get the msi out of the installer. Then put the msi in R:\temp and try again.
Manuelraa
Posts: 5
Joined: 20. Apr 2019, 15:47

Re: Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by Manuelraa »

But 6.0.6 is the new version. I uninstalled the old version successfully after it failed. I cannot install any version. Also the file is in temp when I check. So the file exist and is there
Manuelraa
Posts: 5
Joined: 20. Apr 2019, 15:47

Re: Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by Manuelraa »

It's so weird. MSI reports in logs that the file cannot be found. But the file is there...
file.png
file.png (67.05 KiB) Viewed 21396 times
Manuelraa
Posts: 5
Joined: 20. Apr 2019, 15:47

Re: Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by Manuelraa »

SOLVED: MSI somehow didn't like my TEMP not being in C: for only this installation....

So change TEMP environment variable to "C:\temp" install. Then back!
socratis
Site Moderator
Posts: 27330
Joined: 22. Oct 2010, 11:03
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Win(*>98), Linux*, OSX>10.5
Location: Greece

Re: [Solved] Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by socratis »

Windows can do some funny things sometimes, it fails with no apparent reason when things aren't in their "expected" locations[1].

Glad you got it going and thanks for letting us know. And thank you for marking the topic as [Solved]... ;)

[1]: I installed Notepad++ on "U:\Program Files\Notepad++", shared drive. No matter what I tried, I can't assign (for example) all .log files to open by default with Notepad++, it simply won't do it. Change it to "C:\Program Files\Notepad++" and Windows is happy as a clam...
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
Jetty
Posts: 2
Joined: 8. Nov 2016, 09:57

Re: Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by Jetty »

Manuelraa wrote:SOLVED: MSI somehow didn't like my TEMP not being in C: for only this installation....

So change TEMP environment variable to "C:\temp" install. Then back!
Exactly! I have an ImDisk RamDisk (dynamic allocation) for my TEMP files. I had to change to C:\Temp to make a successful installation! Thanx! :D
RonFred
Posts: 1
Joined: 5. Aug 2019, 07:57

Re: [Solved] Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by RonFred »

This thread solved my problem with installation of VirtualBox-6.0.10-132072-Win.exe (I tried older versions of Virtualbox too with same error) on Windows 10 host. The error I got:

The system cannot open the device or file specified
The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2755.

When I switched from a Windows TEMP directory on my ram disk (R:\TEMP) to C:\TEMP, VirtualBox installation worked just fine.

However, I will offer my advice that the error message VirtualBox MSI installer issues is not a Microsoft problem just because Microsoft makes the MSI installer tool. Installation of other modern software works just fine with a ram disk TEMP directory including LibreOffice and VMWare player. So I recommend that Oracle engineers fix this issue (installation with ram disk windows TEMP directory) to keep up with modern times. In a modern computer with SSD C: drive, the SSD disk will last longer without thrashing by using a ram disk for temporary files (faster too).

Thank you for this discussion thread.
socratis
Site Moderator
Posts: 27330
Joined: 22. Oct 2010, 11:03
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Win(*>98), Linux*, OSX>10.5
Location: Greece

Re: [Solved] Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by socratis »

RonFred wrote:So I recommend that Oracle engineers fix this issue (installation with ram disk windows TEMP directory) to keep up with modern times
There are some really obscure issues with what's called "hardening". VirtualBox takes unusual steps to make sure that things are in a certain way, not sure if making sure that TEMP is where is supposed to be is one of them or not...
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
Bramdean
Posts: 1
Joined: 9. Mar 2020, 22:49

Re: [Solved] Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by Bramdean »

This has NOT been solved yet. Trying to install VirtualBox v6.1.4 on Windows 10 and I get the same error 2755.

As it was suggested, the error is in regard to "temp"'s location, ie not pointing to drive C:, which is archaic at the very least.
I have skipped a number of updates due to this issue. Every time VB has an update out, you are forced to change the TEMP to c:\temp to be able to install it but other apps then start crashing or misbehaving, thus requiring a complete reboot to be able to make certain things are working again as they should.

Why is the VB installer not yet fixed after almost a year since this error was first reported? Please mark the thread as solved once the installer is fixed, and not requiring an admin system change, which most users won't have access to or even know how to do. It is very disappointing :?:
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: [Solved] Can't install Virtualbox on Windows 10

Post by mpack »

Bramdean wrote: As it was suggested, the error is in regard to "temp"'s location, ie not pointing to drive C:, which is archaic at the very least.
I'm sure it is, but why are you raising the matter here? As has been mentioned repeatedly, VirtualBox is installed by MSI, the standard Windows installer. Go complain to Microsoft about MSI foibles.
Post Reply