VirtualBox installer doesn't close running virtual machines / GUI resulting in broken installation after upgrading

[soredake]

More info here: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/21951

If you try to update VirtualBox while any virtual machine is running, you'll receive broken VirtualBox installation in the result.

To reproduce this in updated clean Windows 10/11 do this:

1) Do `winget install -h --id=Oracle.VirtualBox -v "7.0.10" -e`

2) Launch VirtualBox.

3) Create virtual machine with any iso (I used this iso MicroXP-0.82 can be found on archive org site)

4) Launch this virtual machine.

5) Do `winget upgrade -h Oracle.VirtualBox`

6) Close running virtual machine.

7) Launch it again, you will receive error about kernel driver.

Now, after upgrading, you have mismatched exe/dll and drivers because VirtualBox doesn't close running virtual machines/gui.

Chocolatey (package manager) package have script to close running virtual machines before running upgrade.
Qbittorrent have similar mismatched version problem.

[scottgus1]

Right, this is expected. I would think any program wouldn't work well if it was running while one tried to update it.

Shutting down all VMs is a prerequisite of updating Virtualbox.

[soredake]

> Shutting down all VMs is a prerequisite of updating Virtualbox.

It should be done by installer (I've seen enough installers that do this), there should be no need for user to do this, especially when software are updated by script like WAU, or, at least, VirtualBox should abort installation if virtual machine is running so your installation will not be broken.

[scottgus1]

That sounds reasonable. You can post a ticket on the Bugtracker, to let the devs know.

[fth0]

The VirtualBox installer cannot replace the VirtualBox kernel drivers when they're currently being used, so my expectation would be that those files get replaced at the next reboot of the host OS. Some other software installers simply request the user to reboot the host in this case.

Does the VirtualBox installation work after the next host reboot?

[soredake]

>That sounds reasonable. You can post a ticket on the Bugtracker, to let the devs know.

I've mentioned ticket in the first post.

> Does the VirtualBox installation work after the next host reboot?

Unfortunately, no.

[scottgus1]

Thanks, I added the ticket link to your post.