Virtualbox no longer starts up after upgrade to 2.1

killerbot · Post by **killerbot** » 4. Jan 2009, 21:32

After I upgrade from a 1.6.x (or it could have been a 2.0.6) version to the 2.1 I can no longer start it up.

This is the error I get :

Could not load the settings file '/home/lieven/.VirtualBox/VirtualBox.xml'.
Element '{http://www.innotek.de/VirtualBox-settin ... Properties', attribute 'defaultHardDiskFolder': [facet 'pattern'] The value '' is not accepted by the pattern '.+'.
Element '{http://www.innotek.de/VirtualBox-settin ... Properties', attribute 'defaultHardDiskFolder': '' is not a valid value of the atomic type '{http://www.innotek.de/VirtualBox-settings}TLocalFile'.

Result Code:
VBOX_E_XML_ERROR (0x80BB000A)
Component:
VirtualBox
Interface:
IVirtualBox {339abca2-f47a-4302-87f5-7bc324e6bbde}

Anyone any idea on how to solve it ?

many thanks

Post by **Sasquatch** » 4. Jan 2009, 22:32

Unfortunatly, it means that you have to remove the VirtualBox.xml file from your home folder. By doing this, you will unregister all the VMs and VDI's with snapshots from VB itself (they will be kept in the machine.xml files). If you want to get the VMs back to normal, create a backup of the machine.xml files, edit the orginals so there is no media attached in the VM anymore and use the VBoxManage registervm command to register the VMs from the XML files. Now also register the VDI files and snapshots and restore the backup copies of the xml files.

Post by **sej7278** » 4. Jan 2009, 23:27

Sasquatch wrote:Unfortunatly, it means that you have to remove the VirtualBox.xml file from your home folder. By doing this, you will unregister all the VMs and VDI's with snapshots from VB itself (they will be kept in the machine.xml files). If you want to get the VMs back to normal, create a backup of the machine.xml files, edit the orginals so there is no media attached in the VM anymore and use the VBoxManage registervm command to register the VMs from the XML files. Now also register the VDI files and snapshots and restore the backup copies of the xml files.

wooah there! i wouldn't do anything that drastic.

just define the value defaultHardDiskFolder to something other than "" near the bottom of VirtualBox.xml, e.g. mine reads:

Code: Select all

 <SystemProperties defaultMachineFolder="/data7/virtualbox/Machines" defaultHardDiskFolder="/data7/virtualbox/VDI" defaultHardDiskFormat="VDI" remoteDisplayAuthLibrary="VRDPAuth" webServiceAuthLibrary="VRDPAuth" HWVirtExEnabled="false" LogHistoryCount="3"/>

killerbot · Post by **killerbot** » 4. Jan 2009, 23:39

in my virtualbox.xml file, the system properties is empty ...

<SystemProperties/>

Can I copy your example, and adjust the paths for the VDI and machine [since I for sure do not want to loose my virtual machine and its hard disk] ?

Follow up question: relative paths or full paths ?? I see in your example, it is not in your homedirectory (.virtualbox/..........)

Post by **sej7278** » 5. Jan 2009, 00:32

killerbot wrote:in my virtualbox.xml file, the system properties is empty ...
<SystemProperties/>
Can I copy your example, and adjust the paths for the VDI and machine [since I for sure do not want to loose my virtual machine and its hard disk] ?

Follow up question: relative paths or full paths ?? I see in your example, it is not in your homedirectory (.virtualbox/..........)

full paths - /data7 is a disk drive on my system.

i guess yours would be something like /home/lieven/.VirtualBox/VDI and /home/lieven/.VirtualBox/Machines

you could upload your whole VirtualBox.xml maybe for us to look through.

killerbot · Post by **killerbot** » 5. Jan 2009, 13:15

here it is :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<VirtualBox xmlns="http://www.innotek.de/VirtualBox-settings" version="1.3-linux">
<Global>
<USBDeviceFilters/>
<SystemProperties/>
<ExtraData>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LicenseAgreed" value="7"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/RegistrationData" value="004c0069006500760065006e00200064006500200043006f0063006b007c006c0069006500760065006e002e00640065002e0063006f0063006b004000740065006c0065006e00650074002e00620065007c007900650073fddadb7e"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastWindowPostion" value="94,53,770,550"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastVMSelected" value="{4a05c8c1-21d9-49e8-9d81-67ea06382b2d}"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/SuppressMessages" value="remindAboutAutoCapture,remindAboutMouseIntegrationOn,remindAboutMouseIntegrationOff"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/UpdateCheckCount" value="6"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/UpdateDate" value="1 d, 2008-12-27"/>
</ExtraData>
<MachineRegistry>
<MachineEntry uuid="{4a05c8c1-21d9-49e8-9d81-67ea06382b2d}" src="Machines/WinXP/WinXP.xml"/>
</MachineRegistry>
<DiskRegistry>
<HardDisks>
<HardDisk uuid="{bfa45b7d-16cc-4964-da87-be799b0424f3}" type="normal">
<VirtualDiskImage filePath="VDI/WinXP.vdi"/>
</HardDisk>
</HardDisks>
<FloppyImages/>
</DiskRegistry>
</Global>
</VirtualBox>

Post by **sej7278** » 5. Jan 2009, 15:16

wow that is a basic file!

as you've only got one virtual machine, then it might be easier to do what sasquatch said and just nuke the config and re-import the vm afterwards.

did you try adding the systemproperties bit?

killerbot · Post by **killerbot** » 5. Jan 2009, 19:54

Yes, I tried your version, with paths for my system.

I tried the following which I have on another PC with another version of virtualbox :

Code: Select all

<SystemProperties defaultMachineFolder="Machines" defaultHardDiskFolder="VDI" defaultHardDiskFormat="VDI" remoteDisplayAuthLibrary="VRDPAuth" webServiceAuthLibrary="VRDPAuth" HWVirtExEnabled="false" LogHistoryCount="3"/>

but no luck, the same error keeps on coming....

I will try the other more difficult suggestion, I hope I don't lose my virtual machine ...

EDIT : seems others are also suffering from this : http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=12335

But the suggestion in there is no option for me, since the Machines and VDI are subdirectories of my .virtualbox directory.

What is the best way to go for the more difficult suggestion. I don't get the fact that is should disconnect media from my virtual machine.

I can understand the vm import, but like to know why those other things are needed for ?

killerbot · Post by **killerbot** » 5. Jan 2009, 20:57

I did the manipulation and then register stuff. Got a lot of warnings, and other strange stuff. But the result is, in the end things seem to work.

To be honest, I am disappointed in Virtualbox for making us suffer in this way. Not good, very bad. Nevertheless I will keep using it. Hopefully they don't screw up like this anymore.

Post by **sej7278** » 5. Jan 2009, 21:45

killerbot wrote:To be honest, I am disappointed in Virtualbox for making us suffer in this way. Not good, very bad. Nevertheless I will keep using it. Hopefully they don't screw up like this anymore.

yeah they don't seem like the best guys when it comes to doing upgrades.

i remember the 2.0.6 to 2.1.0 upgrade completely prevented me from even starting the guests or being able to change their settings until i went in and fudged with the virtualbox.xml

hopefully the 2.1.2 upgrade won't be so bad when it eventually arrives (to fix the small screen issues on unix guests and cd pass-through on windows).