guestcontrol run / start don't setup user environment in windows guests

[rahoe]

guestcontrol run / guestcontrol start don't setup the right user environment in the Windows guest when starting an application.

Starting an application with VirtualBox 4 "guestcontrol execute" leads to a windows environment like that:

APPDATA=C:\Users\rahoe\AppData\Roaming
LOCALAPPDATA=C:\Users\rahoe\AppData\Local
TEMP=C:\Users\rahoe\AppData\Local\Temp
TMP=C:\Users\rahoe\AppData\Local\Temp
USERPROFILE=C:\Users\rahoe
...

Starting in VB 5 per "guestcontrol run":

APPDATA=C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Roaming
LOCALAPPDATA=C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local
TEMP=C:\Windows\TEMP
TMP=C:\Windows\TEMP
USERPROFILE=C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile

So many applications can't work properly because they have no write permissions to profile data or temp directory.

Hints for reproducing the problem:

• Create a windows command script "c:\testit.cmd":

  start c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe
  

• Run it using the following command in VirtualBox 5.0.6:

  VBoxManage guestcontrol {vm-name} start --username rahoe --passwordfile password.dat -- 'c:\testit.cmd'
  

• or

  VBoxManage guestcontrol {vm-name} start --username rahoe --passwordfile password.dat --exe 'c:\testit.cmd'
  

• using "run" instead of "start" don't make any difference

• Execute "set|sort" in the opened windows command shell window.

• Compare with VirtualBox 4.3.30:

  VBoxManage guestcontrol {vm-name} execute --username rahoe --passwordfile password.dat --image 'c:\testit.cmd' 
  

Tested with following environments:

• Host: Ubuntu Linux 14.04 x86_64
• Guest: Windows 7
• Guest: Windows 8.1

See also ticket #14506

Note: as a workaround I set the five environment variables listed above using the "--putenv"-Option of VBoxManage; then all tested applications works as with VirtualBox 4.3, e. g. MS Office 2010, VMWare VSphere 5.5, CorelDraw 11

[pentagonik]

Which Guest Additions are installed on the guest?

[rahoe]

Replying to pentagonik:

Which Guest Additions are installed on the guest?

5.0.4

After actualizing to currently available 5.0.6 the problem is gone.