Cannot install extension pack -- VERR_ACCESS_DENIED

[Leslie Noland]

Note: I have not attached a session log file as attempting to install an extension pack, predictably, does not appear to generate anything in the session log for a VM. I have attempted the installation both without and with VMs running.

I installed VirtualBox 4.0.0 onto Windows 7 Professional and attempted to install the extension pack: Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.0.0-69151.vbox-extpack The attempt failed with:

The installer failed with exit code 1: VBoxExtPackHelperApp.exe: error: Failed to rename the temporary directory to the final one: VERR_ACCESS_DENIED('G:\PROGRA~3\Oracle\VIRTUA~1/ExtensionPacks/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_pack-_-inst-4100' -> 'G:\PROGRA~3\Oracle\VIRTUA~1/ExtensionPacks/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack')

a screencap of the error dialog is attached. (NOTE: My boot drive (C:) is a small solid-state drive so I have the user account directories on my G: drive and install most software there as well.)

As the error suggests "access denied" and the host is Windows 7, I immediately suspected UAC, however, I am not so sure of that now. I searched the forums for anyone else experiencing the error -- I did find someone else and their error appeared to be identical to mine but, in their case, they have VBox loaded on a Windows XP host, so UAC seems an unlikely contributor.

I did verify that it seems to be actually creating the temporary directory (I did this by opening the ExtensionPacks subdirectory in Windows Explorer and visually watching it as I attempted the installation -- a new folder appeared briefly then disappeared again followed immediately by the appearance of the error dialog).

I have verified that the MD5 checksum for the extension pack matches the one published on your website. I can also open that file using 7-zip and it appears reasonable in format and content (as best as I can tell).

I tried installing the extension pack in as many ways as I could imagine: doubleclicking on the file itself; adding it using the preferences dialog in VirtualBox Manager; running VirtualBox manager both as an administrator and as a non-elevated administrative user; installing from an elevated command prompt using VBoxManage.exe; etc. In each case the results were exactly the same. I even tried rebooting my machine and then running the scenarios again.

Since it was suggesting an access problem, and knowing that Windows 7 has some restrictions on making modifications to the "Program Files" directory and subdirectories ( I am not sure exactly what those restrictions are but I know that in some cases things wind up in a virtual directory instead of the intended target) I tried a long shot and deleted the ExtensionPacks directory then replaced it with a symbolic link to a directory I created in G:\Users\Public which had full access by the special user "EveryOne" so there should not have been any access problems so far as I know -- the results were exactly the same as before so I reversed my changes.

I have checked the Windows Logs in the event viewer -- there are no application errors, system errors, nor security audit failures, corresponding to the failed installation.

I am pretty well tapped out of other ideas of things to try as workarounds. If there is any other information you need please let me know. Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide in resolving this.

[Leslie Noland]

Error Dialog

[Leslie Noland]

I figured out a workaround for my problem. I installed 4.0 on a Windows Vista Home Premium, 32-bit host and experienced the same problem. I had previously rejected UAC (user account control) as the cause because I found another user with the same symptoms running on a WIndows XP host. After the VIsta failure, however, I once again suspected UAC so I tried installing with UAC turned off. That worked fine in VIsta, but not Windows 7. UAC appears to be somewhat different in WIndows 7 and I thought, perhaps, that even with UAC turned off (in Windows 7, they don't even refer to it as being off -- it is just set to the lowest level) it still restricted what one could do in the Program Files directory without doing whatever it is that Installers do to get around that issue. I then decided to try installing from Safe Mode -- that worked fine (Note: I do not know if it is significant but I still had UAC turned "off" when I booted into Safe Mode.).

While the workaround gets the job done, at a minimum, the documentation still needs to be updated to let people know what is required for installing on these platforms and, personally, I don't think it should be necessary to turn off UAC or boot into Safe Mode -- Microsoft obviously has made provisions to allow installers to make changes in the Program Files directory/subdirectories -- it just appears that VirtualBox is not using those provisions.

Thank you for your time and for a great product.

[eripet]

I am having the same problem with the latest VirtualBox version (4.0.2), trying to install the extension pack (4.0.2r69518)

Host: Win XP Pro (german).

Error Message:

The installer failed with exit code 1: VBoxExtPackHelperApp.exe: error: Failed to 
rename the temporary directory to the final one: VERR_ACCESS_DENIED ('C:\PROGRA~1\
Oracle\VIRTUA~1\ExtensionPacks\Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-_-inst-5752'
->'C:\PROGRA~1\Oracle\VIRTUA~1\ExtensionPacks\Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack')

Result Code: 
E_FAIL (0x80004005)
Component: 
ExtPackManager
Interface: 
IExtPackManager {2451b1ba-ab1c-42fb-b453-c58433bea8c7}

[Leslie Noland]

Replying to eripet:

I am having the same problem with the latest VirtualBox version (4.0.2), trying to install the extension pack (4.0.2r69518)

Host: Win XP Pro (german).

Error Message:

The installer failed with exit code 1: VBoxExtPackHelperApp.exe: error: Failed to 
rename the temporary directory to the final one: VERR_ACCESS_DENIED ('C:\PROGRA~1\
Oracle\VIRTUA~1\ExtensionPacks\Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-_-inst-5752'
->'C:\PROGRA~1\Oracle\VIRTUA~1\ExtensionPacks\Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack')

Result Code: 
E_FAIL (0x80004005)
Component: 
ExtPackManager
Interface: 
IExtPackManager {2451b1ba-ab1c-42fb-b453-c58433bea8c7}

Did you try installing the extension pack in safe mode? I had presumed that the problem was due to UAC, but if it is affecting Windows XP, maybe it is something else. Anyway, installing in safe mode worked for Windows 7, why not give it a try in XP?

[cccv]

Replying to lnoland:

I figured out a workaround for my problem. ... I then decided to try installing from Safe Mode -- that worked fine....

Overview

I found a workaround: Temporarily disable anti-virus software.

Details

I use:

• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Service Pack 3 (SP3)
• VirtualBox 4.0.4r70112
• Norton Security Suite 3.8.0.41.

When I attempted to install the extension pack, I encountered the VERR_ACCESS_DENIED error that you detailed.

Your "Safe Mode" workaround inspired me to:

1. Temporarily disable anti-virus functionality: Select "Disable AntiVirus Auto-Protect" using the context ("right-click") menu of the Norton Security Suite system-tray icon.
2. Try again to install the VirtualBox extension pack, and observe the installation process complete successfully.
3. Enable anti-virus functionality.
4. Launch VM in VirtualBox, and note the absence of warnings about the lack of USB 2.0 support.

[elfsoft]

Replying to cccv:

Replying to lnoland:

I figured out a workaround for my problem. ... I then decided to try installing from Safe Mode -- that worked fine....

I found a workaround: Temporarily disable anti-virus software.

I use:

• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Service Pack 3 (SP3)
• VirtualBox 4.0.4r70112
• Norton Security Suite 3.8.0.41.

I can confirm solution to this problem regarding disabling anti-virus software. I use:

• Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
• VirtualBox 4.0.4r70112
• Dr.Web 6.0.5.02020

I also thought about UAC when encountered this error while trying to install extension pack, and also disabling UAC didn't help. However, after I read a workaround about disabling anti-virus software, I tried it on my Dr.Web and had a success in installing extension pack. Thus there were no need in rebooting into safe mode (even no need to stop running VM's). Thanks a lot for finding this solution.

[Jeff Dwork]

Same problem and solution (disable anti-virus software)

Microsoft Windows XP SP3 VirtualBox 4.0.4r70112 (also 4.0.2r69518) Norton Security 4.3.0.5

Please put a note on the download page entry for the extension pack advising users to disable anti-virus software before installing.

[gquincy]

Replying to lnoland:

I installed VirtualBox 4.0.0 onto Windows 7 Professional and attempted to install the extension pack: Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.0.0-69151.vbox-extpack The attempt failed with:

The installer failed with exit code 1: VBoxExtPackHelperApp.exe: error: Failed to rename the temporary directory to the final one: VERR_ACCESS_DENIED('G:\PROGRA~3\Oracle\VIRTUA~1/ExtensionPacks/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_pack-_-inst-4100' -> 'G:\PROGRA~3\Oracle\VIRTUA~1/ExtensionPacks/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack')

a screencap of the error dialog is attached. (NOTE: My boot drive (C:) is a small solid-state drive so I have the user account directories on my G: drive and install most software there as well.)

I have a similar problem with the extension pack of version 4.1.18-78361.

OS is Win7 x64.

Virus Protection is Micro Trend OfficeScan.

This error occurs when I tried to install the extension pack:

The installer failed with exit code 1: VBoxExtPackHelperApp.exe: error: Failed to rename the extension pack directory: VERR_ACCESS_DENIED 
rcExit=1.
Fehlercode:	E_FAIL (0x80004005)
Komponente:	ExtPackManager
Interface:	IExtPackManager {3295e6ce-b051-47b2-9514-2c588bfe7554}

No matter whether the virus protection was ON or OFF.

In the program directory under:

VirtualBox\ExtensionPacks

there was a directory named:

Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-_-uninst

I renamed it

and the installation (with OfficeScan = ON) worked fine.

May be this will help some others, too.

[Frank Mehnert]

Interesting. Which file system is used on the hard disk g: ?