Still would like an answer to why this happens, but the fix seems to be:
- Download the previous .EXE installer
- Re-run this previous installer to re-install or repair the existing install
- Download the new installer version, and run it to upgrade.
Now, on to the next newly-created problem by this installer ....
It appears that for one reason or another you have lost the file that Windows needs. It has been a known issue and Microsoft has a fix here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
Perryg wrote:It appears that for one reason or another you have lost the file that Windows needs. It has been a known issue and Microsoft has a fix here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
Thanks, but I haven't "lost" the file; it was stored in a Temp directory, which I routinely clean out after a few months.
Perryg wrote:It's was a link to the Microsoft installer cleanup utility. Guess they have changed it
Search for Microsoft installer cleanup utility and run it.
Microsoft has removed Windows Installer CleanUp Utility from the download center. Because it sometimes damages other components installed on the computer. If you are trying to uninstall any software (like adobe) then, contact the appropriate software manufacturer for uninstaller tool.
Regardless, I'm still not sure why you're recommending a Windows utility to fix a broken VirtualBox install. IMHO, "temp" is not a great place to permanently store a file that the application requires for proper maintenance and un/re/installation and upgrades.
It is not a VirtualBox problem. It is a Windows installer problem. It may be just a coincidence that the program that you are trying to install is VirtualBox. It can happen with any program.
Just like the previous user, I too think this is idiotic. I have already spent several hours rebooting and trying to install several different versions. I cant even uninstall it. They all give the same error. See attachment. For the record, no other application when upgrading. uninstalling or re-installing complains about this. It is asking for the oracle installer by name.
None of the above solutions have worked. There is definitely no copy of that file on my system even if I install 4.1.10, 4.1.18, 4.1.22 or 4.2.0. They all ask for the msi file for 4.1.18.
The msi installer is Microsoft's thing. If it is asking for it then you or something have deleted it. You need to download the install version of VirtualBox matching the one you have and install it again and then use the remove function of the VBox installer to remove it.
Sorry, but it is definitely a Virtualbox problem. No other program asks previous version while installing or upgrading. So, "Microsoft Fixit" is of no use at all. My solution was;
- Using Regedit, find all the registry keys containing the word "Virtualbox" and delete them.
This solution is definite, but has a weak possibility that it could delete some logically unrelated but still required key by another program. Deleting such a key might kill another program. So, before deleting all the keys containing "Virtualbox", make a System Restore backup.
You don't seem to understand the information given to you. MSI is the Microsoft System Installer. It's the standardised installer used in Windows. How it operates is down to Microsoft and the OS. VirtualBox essentially provides a script that tells MSI what files are about to be installed or overwritten, and where. MSI does the actual work, and any error messages you see come from the MSI app.
Now we know that a bug in the VBox install script is unlikely, otherwise everyone would be affected. So, there must be some special reason why it fails in your case. Most likely: MSI recognizes there has been a previous installation with that package name. It wants to do a cleanup, but some registry keys associated with tracking files from the last installation have been lost.
So :-
"definitely a VirtualBox problem". There is nothing definite about it.
"No other program asks previous version". If the MSI script gives rules for uninstalling old versions, then it will. AFAIK pretty much all programs will do this.
IMHO, the most likely cause of this problem is user editing of the registry. E.g. deleting all the keys that mention VirtualBox sounds like a pretty good way to do it.
