virtualbox.org

During my upgrade to the latest VirtualBox version (3.0.6 r52128) I got the following error message:

Invalid Drive: S:\

Which was odd, since I told it to install to C:\Apps\VirtualBox. But looking deeper into it, the error happens when the installer is dealing with the desktop icons, which is indeed on S:\Storage\Desktop in my system.

My S: drive is a network share on my NAS mapped as a network drive. Using Windows' built in functionality I moved my desktop to this network drive. But the network drive is working fine and I never ran into this error with another application either.



I did manage to install the update correctly by moving the desktop location back to my C: drive temporarily and moving it back after the installation. The installer clearly doesn't like the network drive while other applications were accessing it at the same drive just fine.

I am using Windows 7 64 bit RTM (Home Premium)


Wasn't sure to report this on the bugtracker. Perhaps somebody can try to recreate this. On Windows Vista and 7 simply rightclick the Desktop folder in explorer, go to Properties -> Location, and move it to a network drive. After that try installing Virtualbox (have it create desktop shortcuts).

It might be that the install process uses a different user which doesn't know about the mapped drive the current users has.

There only is one user on this system.
UAC windows pops up when launching the installer, so admin rights shouldn't be the problem either.

The UAC is a different user, thats the point.

Well, depending at how you look at it, yes. But in a UAC elevated state you can still access all the files of the normal user.

Yes but not to drives mapped to external sources.

I see.

Looking at it from a user perspective though, what would I do to fix it? And why did none of the other applications I installed ever encounter the same problem?

Its quite simple, open a elevated commandprompt and try to go to a network mapped drive, same thing.
However inside this prompt you can do a net use and then type in the setup command of whatever you are installing.

Its quite simple, open a elevated commandprompt and try to go to a network mapped drive, same thing.

Hmm, indeed. Never knew that.

I guess other installers have a way to work around that or I would have encountered sooner. Would be nice if VirtualBox could do something about it, but I guess I can live with it too, at least I know why it's happening.

Thank you.