Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Mac OS X hosts.
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Cookie_T
Posts: 3
Joined: 4. May 2019, 21:58

Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.

Post by Cookie_T »

Hello,

I'm attempting to use VirtualBox for a class in which we run and modify XV6 with vagrant. The VirtualBox previously worked fine, but with a new project I get this error:
There was an error while executing `VBoxManage`, a CLI used by Vagrant
for controlling VirtualBox. The command and stderr is shown below.

Command: ["list", "hostonlyifs"]

Stderr: VBoxManage: error: Failed to create the VirtualBox object!
VBoxManage: error: Cannot register the hard disk '/Users/turnerromey/VirtualBox VMs/xv6_box/box-disk1.vmdk' {ee08a335-2580-4933-a85b-24e117b7b140} because a hard disk '/Users/turnerromey/VirtualBox VMs/xv6_box/box-disk1.vmdk' with UUID {53d6378a-83c1-4f7b-861d-fb1f58787cec} already exists
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_INVALID_ARG (0x80070057), component VirtualBoxWrap, interface IVirtualBox
This is followed by a VirtualBox pop-up which states "Critical Error" with:
Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.
The drop down gives the same information listed in the first quote, followed by:
Result Code: NS_ERROR_INVALID_ARG (0x80070057)
Component: VirtualBoxWrap
Interface: IVirtualBox {d0a0163f-e254-4e5b-a1f2-011cf991c38d}
Callee: IVirtualBoxClient {d2937a8e-cb8d-4382-90ba-b7da78a74573}
I have tried to uninstall Vagrant and Virtual Box 4 times using their respective uninstall tools. To add to my frustration, the folder it keeps referring too doesn't even exist. I checked that file path in Terminal, Finder, and in a 3rd party application called "Omni Disk Sweeper" and it has never appeared. Any help would be awesome or fix would be awesome as I have run out of ideas.

Thanks.
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: Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.

Post by socratis »

Cookie_T wrote:I have tried to uninstall Vagrant and Virtual Box 4 times using their respective uninstall tools
Once should be enough. If you have to do it more times, then something isn't right, or you're not paying close attention to the error(s) in your previous attempt.

Keep in mind that Vagrant is a program that relies on VirtualBox, but modifies its configuration files in unknown ways to us, and with unknown consequences, especially the networking part. It is not supported on these VirtualBox forums/channels, they have their own Vagrant support channels. If you are having this problem with a standalone version of VirtualBox (after a complete uninstallation of Vagrant), then we can continue this discussion.
Cookie_T wrote:To add to my frustration, the folder it keeps referring too doesn't even exist.
You do realize that what you're saying is beyond the realms of the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, right? There's no known way to "invent" such a specific filename. Please post the output of the command (including the command):
  • 
    ls -alR@e "/Users/turnerromey/VirtualBox VMs/"
I assume that you're "turnerromey" in flesh... ;)
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.
Cookie_T
Posts: 3
Joined: 4. May 2019, 21:58

Re: Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.

Post by Cookie_T »

socratis wrote:Please post the output of the command (including the command):
  • 
    ls -alR@e "/Users/turnerromey/VirtualBox VMs/"
here is the response:
Turners-MacBook-Pro-2:~ turnerromey$ ls -alR@e "/Users/turnerromey/VirtualBox VMs/"
ls: /Users/turnerromey/VirtualBox VMs/: No such file or directory
Last edited by socratis on 5. May 2019, 10:15, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Enclosed the information in [quote][pre] tags for better readability
andyp73
Volunteer
Posts: 1631
Joined: 25. May 2010, 23:48
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Assorted Linux, Windows Server 2012, DOS, Windows 10, BIOS/UEFI emulation

Re: Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.

Post by andyp73 »

Is there a /Users/turnerromey directory from which the "VirtualBox VMs" directory is missing or does you user have a completely different home directory?

-Andy.
My crystal ball is currently broken. If you want assistance you are going to have to give me all of the necessary information.
Please don't ask me to do your homework for you, I have more than enough of my own things to do.
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: Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.

Post by socratis »

Cookie_T wrote:
ls: /Users/turnerromey/VirtualBox VMs/: No such file or directory
:shock:
Try:
[list]ls -alR@ed /Users/turnerromey/*[/list]
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.
Cookie_T
Posts: 3
Joined: 4. May 2019, 21:58

Re: Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.

Post by Cookie_T »

Try:
[list]ls -alR@ed /Users/turnerromey/*[/list]
Turners-MacBook-Pro-2:~ turnerromey$ ls -alR@ed /Users/turnerromey/*
drwxrwxrwx   4 turnerromey  staff   136 Jan 24  2017 /Users/turnerromey/Adlm
drwx------   5 turnerromey  staff   170 Sep  1  2016 /Users/turnerromey/Applications
drwx------@  4 turnerromey  staff   136 Nov 24  2017 /Users/turnerromey/Creative Cloud Files
	com.apple.FinderInfo	  32 
drwx------+ 20 turnerromey  staff   680 May  4 15:41 /Users/turnerromey/Desktop
 0: group:everyone deny delete
drwx------+ 42 turnerromey  staff  1428 May 30  2018 /Users/turnerromey/Documents
 0: group:everyone deny delete
drwx------+  8 turnerromey  staff   272 May  4 15:39 /Users/turnerromey/Downloads
 0: group:everyone deny delete
drwx------@ 76 turnerromey  staff  2584 Feb  6 13:34 /Users/turnerromey/Library
	com.apple.FinderInfo	  32 
 0: group:everyone deny delete
drwx------+  7 turnerromey  staff   238 Dec 31 03:21 /Users/turnerromey/Movies
 0: group:everyone deny delete
drwx------+  6 turnerromey  staff   204 Sep 19  2016 /Users/turnerromey/Music
 0: group:everyone deny delete
drwx------+  9 turnerromey  staff   306 May  2 12:34 /Users/turnerromey/Pictures
 0: group:everyone deny delete
drwxr-xr-x+  4 turnerromey  staff   136 Sep 19  2014 /Users/turnerromey/Public
 0: group:everyone deny delete
drwxr-xr-x+  3 turnerromey  staff   102 Sep  1  2016 /Users/turnerromey/Sites
 0: group:everyone deny delete
drwxr-xr-x   5 turnerromey  staff   170 Jan 22  2018 /Users/turnerromey/iCloud Drive (Archive)
drwxr-xr-x   2 turnerromey  staff    68 Mar 19  2018 /Users/turnerromey/xgen
what are you trying to look for?
Last edited by socratis on 17. May 2019, 16:39, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Enclosed the information in [quote][pre] tags for better readability
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: Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.

Post by socratis »

I'm rarely quoting a whole message, but what I'm looking for is exactly the part that "andyp73" asked for:
andyp73 wrote:Is there a /Users/turnerromey directory from which the "VirtualBox VMs" directory is missing or does you user have a completely different home directory?
And it's not there... The question is why? And the reason seems to be something not right with your host. Anything you might have done to your host that is against "common" usage?
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.
chairman_m
Posts: 1
Joined: 3. Jun 2019, 15:09

Re: Failed to Acquire the VirtualBox COM object. The application will now terminate.

Post by chairman_m »

drwxr-xr-x 5 turnerromey staff 170 Jan 22 2018 /Users/turnerromey/iCloud Drive
I note that you are using iCloud Drive for your virtual machine on OSX. I recently have encountered problems like those you describe. I have ceased using iCloud drive for the purpose, but but was unable to determine the cause. Since migrating to an external drive, I have had excellent performance.

In particular, iCloud was unable to process large Windows updates (over 10 GB) without a cryptic "ENVIRONMENT IS FATAL" error. As a side note, my use of iCloud was forced upon me by the migration to High Sierra. It defaulted to converting all ~user files to iCloud Drive.
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