4.3.20 VMs fail to start after today's Windows update KB3004394 [BUGGY UPDATE; RECALLED BY MICROSOFT]

[MaxR]

I am using Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate and use VirtualBox 4.3.20 r96997. After today's Windows updates VirtualBox fails to start any VM (I tried Windows, Linux, FreeBSD).

The GUI presents the following error: Errorcode: E_FAIL (0x80004005) Component: Machine Interface: IMachine {480cf695-2d8d-4256-9c7c-cce4184fa048}

The VM startup logs all show an error with crypt32.dll. I am attaching three logs.

Please help resolve this problem, it is the second time (after 4.3.14) that Windows breaks VirtualBox, or the other way around. Thanks.

[MaxR]

Windows guest log

[MaxR]

Linux guest log

[alexmicrosrv]

I had the same problem. Uninstall KB3004394 and vbox work again.

The problem appear on all (last) vbox versions.

[aWin8user]

Windows 7 - VBoxStartup.log

[aWin8user]

Same problem. I have attached Startup log.

[sunlover]

Looks like this update broke other things too. See for example  https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_update/windows-update-kb3004394-issues/ace25277-7f65-4486-bc44-c1b106907a18

I guess that the current solution is to uninstall KB3004394.

[Agwego]

Tried removing KB3004394 but it didn't help.

Rolling back to the restore point before the update works.

[gryphon]

I'm experiencing the same problems as described above, but with slightly different error messaging. I've been running VirtualBox for the past few years without any problems until this morning (following the Windows update). I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling, reverting back to VB v4.3.12, and a few other things. No success so far. I have not yet tried uninstalling KB3004394 next, but will do that next.

I've attached a screenshot and VBoxStartup.log file .

[bird]

From what I can tell, the KB3004394 update does not install a catalog file on 64-bit windows 7. It does on Windows 8.1 (C:\Windows\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\Package_1_for_KB3004394~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.1.0.cat), so VBox works fine there.

The result of the missing .cat file is that VBox (nor SysInternal's SigCheck.exe for that matter) is not able to verify the authenticity of c:\windows\system32\crypt32.dll and wintrust.dll. If we cannot find any valid signature for the files, we have to assume that they have been tampered with and are forced to abort application loading. These two dlls are important for validating other components, so there is absolutely no way we can ignore this.

Until Microsoft fixes the KB3004394 update on Windows 7, the only solution is to revert/uninstall it.

[bird]

Seems Microsoft pulled the Windows 7 and Windows server 2008 R2 versions of the KB3004394 update. At least the links on  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3004394 are dead today (they worked 16-17 hours ago). So, Microsoft is working on fixing this, I suppose...

[gryphon]

Sorry, forgot to post this yesterday. Removing KB3004394 results in VB working perfectly again. However, in my case, I had to: remove VB, reboot, remove KB3004394, reboot, reinstall VB. Just removing KB3004394 alone still caused VB to throw errors.

[tnes01]

Removing KB3004394 results in VB working perfectly again. I also rebooted my machine but did not have to do a full VB reinstall.

[SouthernGod]

Uninstalling of KB3004394 worked for me too. Uninstall, reboot and you are home.

[FutureAlex]

Same problem with me. Didn't want to uninstall update so I uninstalled VB 4.3.20 and installed VB 4.2.24 - after rebooting I manually install the following drivers: C:ProgramFiles/Oracle/VirtualBox/drivers/USB/filter/VBoxUSBMon.inf and C:ProgramFiles/Oracle/VirtualBox/drivers/vboxdrv/VBoxDrv.inf I then rebooted and ran VB as Administrator for the first run. Everything works fine. Sorry if this is redundant.

[MaxR]

There is a fix out from Microsoft ( http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3024777) to remove KB3004394.

The error is described as "The KB 3004394 update that was dated December 10, 2014 can cause additional problems on computers that are running Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. This includes the inability to install future updates. This new update is available to remove KB 3004394 from your computer."

KB3024777 ran with Windows Update on my PC this morning and silently removed KB3004394. Now VB 4.3.20 is working again, all VMs boot up normally.

The funny thing is that KB3024777 seems to remove itself, too, after having done its job. It does not show up on the updates list in CP-Programs. You can find its traces in event logs: under System you should find installation of KB3024777, under Installation you should find removal of KB3004394.

If this works for everyone else, too, then this case could be closed.

[tskrich]

I just reinstalled the two files that FutureAlex suggested and all of mine seemed to work. Before that I manually uninstalled the KB3004394. MaxR "This includes the inability to install future updates" what updates are you referring to? The VBOX updates?

[bird]

tskrich: It refers to Windows updates since Microsoft normally doesn't make unspecific statements about VirtualBox.

Since Microsoft now admits the Windows 7 and Window Server 2008 R2 versions of the KB3004394 update was broken, I will close the issue.

Original update:  https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3004394 Update uninstaller:  https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3024777

[Jacob Klein]

Thank you for everything that you do, bird. I was following this ticket, to learn about the problems, and your posts (here and on Microsoft Answers) were very insightful.