Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
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Hijack in Indy
Posts: 5
Joined: 5. Jan 2025, 19:45

Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Hijack in Indy »

I'll start with a rant.... I've always been amazed that software devs make their installers dependent on files extracted to the TEMP folder. Then when you try to update or uninstall you get a dialog asking for this file that has been LONG AGO deleted and you have no clue how to get it back. End rant.

That being said, I'm trying to update from 7.0.12 to current and getting a dialog asking for an MSI located in:

C:\Users\profil\AppData\Local\Temp\okclb0i36etjtvqq35gl1t8x\

Not even rerunning the 7.0.12 installer (which i appreciate Oracle making available for redownload) works (same MSI needed prompt) and opening the installer EXE with WinRAR shows that there is no MSI inside the package that I can find to extract separately.

So, am I permanently stuck on 7.0.12 or is there a solution someone might point me to to get past this contraction state?

Thanks
Elwexo
Posts: 35
Joined: 22. Jul 2020, 09:22

Re: Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Elwexo »

I'd just uninstall Virtualbox and then (re)install the version you want. The worst that will happen is that you lose your app preferences under File -> Preferences, so make a note of what you have in there if you've customised anything. The important one is the Default Machine Folder, which the fresh installation of the app will require in order to know where your VMs are.

Your VMs and their settings will be fine - uninstalling the app won't remove them. That being the case, you always want to have backups of your .vbox and .vdi files. Just make a copy of/back up the Default Machine Folder for simplicity - faster and easier than exporting the appliance.
Stickybit
Posts: 68
Joined: 23. Mar 2011, 09:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows

Re: Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Stickybit »

Hijack in Indy wrote: 5. Jan 2025, 19:55 I'll start with a rant.... I've always been amazed that software devs make their installers dependent on files extracted to the TEMP folder. Then when you try to update or uninstall you get a dialog asking for this file that has been LONG AGO deleted and you have no clue how to get it back. End rant.
That's normal Windows Installer behavior - nothing to see here.
[snip]
Hijack in Indy wrote: 5. Jan 2025, 19:55
So, am I permanently stuck on 7.0.12 or is there a solution someone might point me to to get past this contraction state?

Thanks
Just uninstall 7.0.12 using "Add / Remove programs", and install the new version afterwards - or download the old installer, extract the msi and point the dialog to the extracted msi when needed.

7.0.12 installer: https://download.virtualbox.org/virtual ... 45-Win.exe --extract
Hijack in Indy
Posts: 5
Joined: 5. Jan 2025, 19:45

Re: Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Hijack in Indy »

I can't uninstall. The Modify and Uninstall options in the Apps control panel both result in a prompt for the original MSI to complete which I no longer have in my temp folder.
Stickybit
Posts: 68
Joined: 23. Mar 2011, 09:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows

Re: Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Stickybit »

Hijack in Indy wrote: 6. Jan 2025, 14:50 I can't uninstall. The Modify and Uninstall options in the Apps control panel both result in a prompt for the original MSI to complete which I no longer have in my temp folder.
Of course you can uninstall - especially if you read my entire message:
Stickybit wrote: 6. Jan 2025, 13:47 ... or download the old installer, extract the msi and point the dialog to the extracted msi when needed.

7.0.12 installer: https://download.virtualbox.org/virtual ... 45-Win.exe --extract
Hijack in Indy
Posts: 5
Joined: 5. Jan 2025, 19:45

Re: Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Hijack in Indy »

Maybe I'm missing it but the requested MSI doesn't appear to be anywhere in this installer according to 7-Zip.

Image

https://fm.mpconnection.com:4443/images/VirtualBox.jpg
Stickybit
Posts: 68
Joined: 23. Mar 2011, 09:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows

Re: Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Stickybit »

It's an .exe file - so you cannot expect 7-zip to find anything - as the payload can be included in a any number of ways.

Extract the .msi file by running the .exe installer with the --extract option.
Hijack in Indy
Posts: 5
Joined: 5. Jan 2025, 19:45

Re: Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Hijack in Indy »

Thanks for the tip on the -extract option. I did extract the 7.0.12 MSI and I have tried to both just uninstall VirtualBox and perform an upgrade to 7.1.4 and both attempts generate the same message (see the attached image). Basically it's aborting saying "The 7.0.12 MSI is not a valid installation package for the 7.0.12 installation you have."

The version reference on the extracted MSI is 159484 which matches the Product Version info on the Details tab when looking at Properties on VirtualBox.exe.

So, I'm still at an impasse even thought I seem to have the right MSI accessible now. Is there a brute force way of tearing out the installation so I can install fresh?
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Hijack in Indy
Posts: 5
Joined: 5. Jan 2025, 19:45

Re: Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Hijack in Indy »

Wow. I figured it was worth a try to absolutely replicate the original temp folder and temp msi name that the uninstaller was looking for and that worked. Browsing for the MSI by an alternate name in an alternate location did not work. That's a tad frustrating but at least I'm over the hump. Thanks for sticking with me on the issue.
Stickybit
Posts: 68
Joined: 23. Mar 2011, 09:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows

Re: Changing my 7.0.12 Installation

Post by Stickybit »

No problem. I'm a bit surprised that the exact filename was required though - but great that it worked for you.
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