VBoxVMService does not work with Windows 11 24H2

[jperchom]

The service starts but the configured virtual machines do not start.

No error messages are displayed. It simply does not work. In the previous version of Windows 11 VBoxVMService works normally.

[kmorrow429]

Having a similar issue. Updated Windows 11 to 24H2 and cannot get VBoxVMService to start. After starting the service, it immediately stops again. Have uninstalled and reinstalled and no success. Nothing obvious in the log:
01/14/2025, 18:39:32 - C:\vms\VBoxVmService64.exe
01/14/2025, 18:39:32 - C:\vms\VBoxVmService.ini
01/14/2025, 18:39:32 - C:\vms\VBoxVmService.log
01/14/2025, 18:39:32 - VBoxVmService started.
01/14/2025, 18:39:32 - List all the VMs found by VBoxVmService

[b16crxt]

I've been having the same problem for 6+ months I think. When I try to reinstall it, I get a startup error and it just closes. When Windows did that update, it messed up everything virtual machine on my PC. I had to rebuild Home Assistant since I run it in vbox and then this app stopped working. I was able to get Vbox working again, but not this program for some reason.

[CrazyBoyFeng]

This may be the same issue as #84.
The cause of the problem was identified in that issue: the LOCAL SYSTEM account in the latest Win11 may not have permission to operate VirtualBox's DCOM API. LOCAL SYSTEM is the default account for Windows services.
Workaround: Privilege the service VBoxVmService, i.e. set it to log on with the current administrator account. Then it will be able to operate DCOM.

[kmorrow429]

Tried it but still having the exact same issue unfortunately

[msmuenchen]

@CrazyBoyFeng Got the same issue on a Windows 10 machine with VirtualBox 7.2.4 - VBoxVmService just silently crashes after "List all the VMs found by VBoxVmService".

It must be some sort of interop / communication issue with however Windows runs and manages services I think - when running vboxvmservice.exe -d in an Administrator (i.e. run-as-admin) cmd console manually, both the communication from VBoxVmService to VirtualBox itself and from the VmServiceTray to VBoxVmService as well works.

I lack more machines to confirm my theory but I believe something in the very latest W10 22H2 update has gone nuts. Wouldn't be the first time...

[frozn]

Maybe reinstalling the VBoxVmService service works for you too, see here: #84 (comment)

[msmuenchen]

@frozn Indeed it did, thanks. @CrazyBoyFeng can you please update the setup to do this on each update?

[kmorrow429]

@frozn it didn't work for me, however the most recent update to VirtualBox seems to have fixed it. Maybe just a coincidence, but I thought I would provide an update in case it also works for somebody else