Guest Additions 6.1.28 and 6.1.30 cannot install Windows Server 2012 R2

[CuriousPaul]

I've been running Windows Server 2012 R2, along with Windows 7, Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 guest virtual machines, on my VirtualBox host, for several months now.

Up until Guest Additions 6.1.26 (on VirtualBox 6.1.26) there was no serious problems installing those older Guest Additions from the applicable mounted *.ISO files, onto any of those aforementioned operating systems.

However as of Guest Additions 6.1.28 (on VirtualBox 6.1.28) and also now Guest Additions 6.1.30 (on VirtualBox 6.1.30), I am constantly getting an error which prevents Guest Additions to properly install on Windows Server 2012. The error is as follows (FYI I am only showing error for latest Guest Additions version):

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Stopped logging into separate file Output folder: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions Version: 6.1.30 (Rev 148432) Previous version: 6.1.26 (Rev 145957) Detected OS: Windows 8_1 (64-bit) System Directory: C:\Windows\system32 Checking for installation requirements for Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8 ... Output folder: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions Extract: DIFxAPI.dll... 100% Extract: VBoxDrvInst.exe... 100% Extract: VBoxVideo.inf... 100% Extract: VBoxVideo.cat... 100% Extract: iexplore.ico... 100% Output folder: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions Stopping VBoxService ... Stopping VBoxService via SCM ... Stopping VBoxService done Stopping VBoxTray ... Stopping VBoxTray done Output folder: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions Extract: VBoxVideo.sys... 100% Extract: vboxdisp.dll... 100% Extract: VBoxMouse.sys... 100% Extract: VBoxMouse.inf... 100% Extract: vboxmouse.cat... 100% Extract: VBoxGuest.sys... 100% Extract: VBoxGuest.inf... 100% Extract: vboxguest.cat... 100% Extract: VBoxTray.exe... 100% Extract: VBoxControl.exe... 100% Extract: VBoxWHQLFake.exe... 100% Output folder: C:\Windows\system32 Extract: VBoxService.exe... 100% Output folder: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions Extract: vboxwddm.cat... 100% Extract: VBoxWddm.sys... 100% Extract: VBoxWddm.inf... 100% Extract: vboxdispd3d.dll... 100% Extract: vboxnine.dll... 100% Extract: vboxsvga.dll... 100% Extract: vboxicd.dll... 100% Extract: vboxgl.dll... 100% Extract: vboxdispd3d-x86.dll... 100% Extract: vboxnine-x86.dll... 100% Extract: vboxsvga-x86.dll... 100% Extract: vboxicd-x86.dll... 100% Extract: vboxgl-x86.dll... 100% Extract: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\VBoxSF.sys... 100% Skipped: C:\Windows\system32\VBoxMRXNP.dll Extract: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\nseCA4C.tmp... 100% Rename on reboot: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\nseCA4C.tmp->C:\Windows\system32\VBoxMRXNP.dll Extract: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\VBoxMRXNP.dll... 100% Extract: C:\Windows\system32\VBoxHook.dll... 100% Installing drivers ... Output folder: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions Installing guest driver ... Executing: "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxDrvInst.exe" driver install "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxGuest.inf" "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\install_drivers.log" Installing driver ... INF-File: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxGuest.inf (1) ENTER: DriverPackageInstallW (1) RETURN: DriverPackageInstallW (0xE0000244) ERROR (e0000244): Unknown error!

Execution returned exit code: 2 Error excuting ""C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxDrvInst.exe" driver install "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxGuest.inf" "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\install_drivers.log"" (exit code: 2) -- aborting installation Error excuting ""C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxDrvInst.exe" driver install "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxGuest.inf" "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\install_drivers.log"" (exit code: 2) -- aborting installation

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When I then click on the [Cancel] button, an error popup appears as per the attached file "VBox Guest Additions (6.1.30) - Pop Up Screen (20211128).jpg". According to that popup there should be a log file named "install_ui.log" in the directory shown. However no such log file is written to the drive. I searched the entire guest operating system drive to be sure it was not written to some other location but no such file exists.

I am including "VBox Guest (6.1.30) - Operating System Version (20211128).jpg" to show the version of the VirtualBox Guest that I have the bug on.

Although I am showing only the latest 6.1.30 addition error, I was receiving a similar error for Guest Additions 6.1.28.

I was hoping 6.1.30 Guest Additions would resolve the problem, but it did not.

I have gone to the trouble of installing a brand new VirtualBox Guest OS running Windows Server 2012 R2, and applying all Microsoft security & critical patches applicable to the operating system, before I then tested Guest Additions 6.1.30. Alas I got the same error.

Just to clarify: Guest Additions 6.1.28 and 6.1.30 installed perfectly on Windows 7, Windows 2016 and Windows 2019 without a problem. I am only experiencing the problem with Windows Server 2012 R2.

END

[CuriousPaul]

Guest Additions 6.1.30 install_drivers.log file.

[CuriousPaul]

VBox.log from Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard with error

[CuriousPaul]

Operating System version

[CuriousPaul]

Guest Additions error popup

[CuriousPaul]

See below for a workaround to install VirtualBox Guest Additions 6.1.30 on a Windows Server 2012 R2 guest operating system when the usual VirtualBox Guest Additions install fails, with the message "ERROR (e0000244): Unknown error!"

01 - Hold the [Shift] key when restarting your Windows Server 2012 R2 guest OS, until the next screen appears.

02 - Blue background full screen titled "Choose an option" appears.

03 - Select "Troubleshoot" button, which is the 2nd button from the top.

04 - Blue background full screen titled "Advanced options" appears.

05 - Select "Startup Settings" button, which is the 3rd button from the top.

06 - Blue background full screen titled "Startup Settings" appears.

07 - Click on the "Restart" button, middle of screen to the right. The guest OS will reboot.

08 - Black background (DOS-like) full screen titled "Advanced Boot Options" appears.

09 - Down arrow to highlight the option "Disable Driver Signature Enforcement", then press the [Enter] key.

10 - The Windows Server 2012 R2 guest will now restart, and in due course allow you to login.

11 - Login to your Windows Server 2012 guest operating system.

12 - Execute VirtualBox Guest Additions installer.

13 - Accept drivers not signed messages when prompted (refer to image "Additions - Driver_Message.jpg" attached to this escalation).

14 - The installer will finally prompt for a reboot. After reboot is completed you will find VirtualBox Guest Additions 6.1.30 is properly installed.

Note, prior to version 6.1.28 and 6.1.30, older Guest Additions up to ver. 6.1.26, would install successfully _without_ requiring this workaround. So if anyone can find a non-workaround solution for future Guest Addition versions, that would be appreciated.

[CuriousPaul]

Installer prompt

[Klaus Espenlaub]

You have to ask Microsoft why they stopped the old style kernel driver signing method using cross-certs, because that's the likely root cause... see ​https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/deprecation-of-software-publisher-certificates-and-commercial-release-certificates

Which actually affects XP guests much more annoyingly. I doubt that it was 6.1.26 which was the 'cutoff' date. It should've been 6.1.18, because after that we also had to switch to a newer SHA-256 signing certificate which wouldn't have worked with the cross-certs.

For your case I suspect you could use the separate Guest Additions ISO (without the workaround), which contains the same binaries as the GA ISO included in the base packages, but with a different signature. The separate one is additionally attestation signed by Microsoft. Try for example ​https://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/6.1.30/VBoxGuestAdditions_6.1.30.iso - but don't forget to use the downloaded file explicitly. It isn't magically picked up by "Mount Guest Additions".

See also #20628.