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VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 14. Sep 2014, 12:14
by Leozack
I'm running VB 4.3.14.r95030 (about to update to the sep 9th release) but a couple of days ago I let windows 7 ultimate 64bit install the following updates
2977629 IE9
2894844 dotnet 3.5.1
2972211 dotnet 3.5.1
2973112 dotnet 3.5.1
2894854 dotnet 4.5 4.5.1
2972216 dotnet 4.5 4.5.1 4.5.2
2982378 win7
2952664 win7
2977728 win7
2978092 win7
2985461 win7
After rebooting I instantly found my VM wouldn't run - it gave me an error message like this bit.ly/1pJCMvI
However nowhere online could I find any solutions other than "it was a recent VB upgrade - roll it back" ... but I hadn't just upgraded!
I reluctantly system restored but despite VB then working ok, I found I had worse problems - symptoms were a game instantly crashing on running (presumably the dotnet launcher) and I went to event log to check stuff and found it missing from computer management - running it direct from MMC gave this error bit.ly/1AMkc8f
So I tried sfc scannow and it said it fixed errors etc etc
Anyway the long n short is I couldn't even upgrade-repair install as I ahve moved my Users folder to D during installation. So I tried an older system restore and thank goodness all seems well again.
But the winupdates are calling out at me again and I can't afford to have VB go down because of them! Can anyone help? Should I try again after installing 4.3.16-95972?
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 14. Sep 2014, 12:37
by mpack
I would have thought that if a Windows update causes multiple applications to crash (VBox, and your game), that you would raise the matter on a Windows forum. What make you think here is the best place to have this conversation?
4.3.14 is known to have problems on Windows hosts, but those problems can't possibly stop another host application from running.
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 14. Sep 2014, 13:19
by Leozack
As stated in the post, the VB was the first sign of problems after the updates - I ran a system restore to before the updates and THEN I found the other problems. I can't say if they were already there but I don't think so? Eitherway, restoring back an extra couple days has me back where I started - but I can't afford to install those updates again if VB will break - hence posting it here incase anyone else has had problems with those updates and VB. Seems sensible, yes?
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 14. Sep 2014, 13:54
by mpack
So the first thing you notice broken after the update must be what caused the break, is that what you're saying? No, I confess I don't immediately follow that logic.
I'm already aware of one bug introduced by a Windows Update in the last month (discussed
here), so I'm not about to assume it can't happen again.
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 14. Sep 2014, 14:02
by Leozack
You get out the wrong side of the bed this morning?

That was of course not my logic at all - nor yours I'd imagine.
The logic is the first thing I notice broken after updating I need to not be broken so I restore to before the updates to fix everything and then seek out anyone else who had that thing broken by the updates to see if it's just me or what - and more importantly how to avoid it eg a particular update to not install but the rest are safe.
That link looks interesting, though installations weren't my problem. I am close to biting the bullet and installing all the upsates 1 at a time whilst checking eventlog is still there and VB runs etc etc
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 15. Sep 2014, 19:26
by Leozack
I'm guessing noone else has had this problem then and for now I may install the updates 1 by 1 until it returns and then try to rollback

Doesn't help that the PC failed to wake from sleep mode this morning even after unplugged at the wall. But now I've got back from work and plugged it in again it's booted ok (save for BIOS needing config cos flat CMOS battery) ...
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 16. Sep 2014, 00:27
by Leozack
Ok so turns out after doin some updates 1 a time that the update to break vb first was actually "Update for Microsoft Security Essentials - 4.6.305.0 (KB2965031)"
Attached a screenshot of the errors I get as soon as I install that!
In other news I also confirmed that upgrading ie from 9 makes tempnetfiles limited to 0-10m and doesn't work, no downloads etc. Hmmmm still don't wanna fresh install again though

Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 16. Sep 2014, 14:39
by scottgus1
If the update that broke Virtualbox was for antivirus software, and you're using 4.3.14, then I think the case is solved, Dr. Watson! Roll back to 4.3.12 or earlier to get going again stably (keeping in mind there's a security hole somewhere, so be careful if you need high security - see
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=62897#p295025) or try the newest build of 4.3.17 to see what that does.
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 17. Sep 2014, 09:14
by Leozack
Hi - I'm not sure I follow your suggestion. What would rolling back do for me?
I've managed to install all the updates now except "Update for Microsoft Security Essentials - 4.6.305.0 (KB2965031)".
That and IE 10/11 because if I do that I can't write to tempfiles no matter where I move it or what permissions I give or any other solutions online (possibly because my c:\users is moved to d:\users, dunno). IE9 is fine.
But while VB is running I'm loathe to try anything else - though I could upgrade to a newer stable version?
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 19. Sep 2014, 08:27
by Leozack
Anyone anymore thoughts? Should I update VB? Try the MSSE update again? I'm close to another fresh install just based on being unable to update IE from 9 to 10/11 without breaking tempnetfiles

Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 19. Sep 2014, 13:30
by scottgus1
Leozack wrote:What would rolling back do for me?
scottgus1 wrote:Roll back to 4.3.12 or earlier to get going again stably
Your first post says:
Leozack wrote:I'm running VB 4.3.14.r95030 . . . I hadn't just upgraded!
Therefore you're running 4.3.14 and you have the error messages you have shown.
4.3.14 introduced measures to stop security issues. 4.3.14 will cough on antivirus software because the way antivirus works is exactly the kind of function malicious programs use to create the security issue Virtualbox is trying to fix. The solution 4.3.14 has introduced has proven to be a thorn in folks' sides. Later builds (4.3.15, 16, 17) have not quite got the issues fixed yet. The clue is the "Error in supR3HardenedWinReSpawn" title of the error message box you have displayed in your screenshot. Your bitly link takes you to the discussion to your problem. The same link is posted here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=62615 (4.3.14)
Take a look here too:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=63556 (4.3.16)
especially the first posts in red.
To continue being able to run Virtualbox and accept Microsoft Updates, the solution is to roll back. The way to help out troubleshooting is to install the latest build and report what happens.
The Microsoft update process may also break other things on your computer if it doesn't occur properly. You may have had more than one issue with this latest round of updates, to break several things on your PC at once. A system restore, as you've reported you did, is a good solution for fixing bad updates.
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 19. Sep 2014, 18:57
by Leozack
Hi again - I'd like to troubleshoot but this isn't a machine I can afford to test with as it's RAID so any hard shutdowns required that I read some people needing to do in those threads is a problem. For now I think I'll just not update the MSSE until these issues get sorted and if necessary install a downgrade from somewhere in order to keep MSSE uptodate. I hope all this clears up soon as it damages VB's good stable image
Re: VB broken by latest windows updates?
Posted: 4. Oct 2014, 19:15
by Leozack
Ok so whilst VirtualBox-4.3.14-95030-Win failed with the above problem when updating MSSE to 4.6.305.5 (kb296531), updating to VirtualBox-4.3.16-95972-Win seems to work fine with the updated MSSE - phew
